Should we sin all the more?

 

 

A very common reaction to God's grace is, 'But surely that is a licence for people to sin?'

OK, let's put you under Law, let's take away that licence, how are you doing? Have you stopped sinning? Let's put you in front of a church wagging your finger and telling everyone they should not do this or that. How are they doing?

The truth is - we sin. The question is, do we sin more under grace? This was a question Paul addressed in Romans 6. But first, let's pause and ask another question. Why did Paul feel the need to ask the question, 'Should we sin all the more so that grace may abound?'

One teaching I've heard a lot was that Paul was addressing a particular belief that we should sin in order to gain more grace. However, if we look at the flow of Paul's writing in Romans chapters 1 to 8, we see a consistent and logical progression. Chapter 6 asks the question twice. This is in response to what Paul wrote in 5:20, 'The law came in that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly.' The logical question that follows this is: If grace increases when sin increases, then shouldn't we sin all the  more so that grace will increase? Paul's immediate answer is: certainly not, may it never be, by no means!

If we teach law and rules, that question would not be asked. For example, no one would mistake the teachings of the Pharisees and ask, 'So, you're saying we can just do as we please?' 

If no one would ever ask that question about what we teach/believe then we aren't teaching the truth of the Gospel of grace. It is a good test.

Paul asked this question of his own teaching because it was a common misunderstanding. So, it is right that we explore this misunderstanding. We mustn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. We mustn't assume grace is a licence to sin and run to the false cover of the Law. Paul makes it very clear that people sin more under Law. Anyone with honest integrity can see that when you make a law people break it.

It's about you, not them

The next issue here is; that this is not about everyone else. The common question is, 'If we take away Law won't that give people a licence to sin?' Those people will do what those people will do. It's like the 'I've got this friend' question. Take an honest view here. Are you concerned that you will sin all the more if you take away trying to live up to some impossible standard, but instead trusted in Jesus? Do you think that if there isn't a law that says you should not lie that you will tell more lies? Grace doesn't say 'The law has gone, so now you can sin, sin, sin.' Grace says, 'Fix your eyes on Jesus, not the Law.'

Let's use the Sermon on the Mount as a checklist. Have you called someone something derogatory or had hateful thoughts about them? Has someone got something against you that you haven't resolved? Have you had lustful thoughts? Has your hand or eye offended you and you didn't remove them and cast them away? Have you ever made a promise on something? Do you always turn the other cheek? Do you always go the extra mile? Do you give whatever someone asks - whether for charity or demand? Do you always lend to those who ask? Do you love and pray for those who are against you, or against what is right, or against what you believe in?

The point is we can't live up to this impossible standard. If we say we are to keep the Law or the Sermon on the Mount or the teachings of Jesus, then surely we are to keep them?

Once I was made aware of Jesus saying, 'Give to anyone that asks.' I became very aware of how many times people ask?

Until Christ came

In Galatians 3:19-25, Paul outlines that the Law was given as a tutor until Christ came (Gal 3:19). Now Christ has come we no longer need a tutor (Gal 3:25). He also says that the law cannot impart life or righteousness (Gal 3:21).

Another picture we could say is that the Law was like the training wheels. Without an inner sense of balance we need training wheels. But now Christ has come and given us the Holy Spirit and written "His Law" (believe in Him and love one another (1 John 3:23)) on our hearts, it's time to take the training wheels off!

Why shouldn't we sin?

Paul's first answer to the question is: As we died to sin how can we live to it anymore (Rom 6:2-14)? His second answer is: We offered ourselves as slaves to Jesus, therefore we obey him (Rom 6:16-23).

Both of these answers may seem a bit odd and a bit 'theological!' Let's break down why we wouldn't sin:

1, We came to Jesus seeking forgiveness for our sins. When we come to Jesus we come in humility begging for forgiveness. Paul says we were crucified, buried and raised with Jesus. It's not as if we are still seeking His forgiveness! Our sins were forgiven, removed and remembered no more. The response is gratitude not, 'Yippee, now I can do more sinning!' 

'You became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered' Rom 6:17b

2, There are natural consequences to sin. We could get arrested. We could ruin other people's lives, We could ruin our own life. We could ruin valued relationships. We could lose our job. Therefore, sinning is just plain dumb!

3, We have a new nature. We have the Holy Spirit living in us. If we sin we won't enjoy it. Our neighbours are happy sinning and boast about what they get away with. Maybe we think it looks cool and tempting and we try it, but it isn't fun at all. In fact, we lay awake at night feeling really bad about it. We used to belong to the slave master called sin, that was our nature of being. But now Jesus is our master, that is our new nature of being. We used to seek to please our old master, but now our nature is to seek to please Jesus. Some think they please Jesus by keeping the Law of Moses. But Jesus wants us to trust (believe) in His finished work and not in our works of the Law.

Inner conflict

For many years, as a Christian, I felt my nature desired to sin and that I needed rules and checklists to stop me. But once I realised my new nature doesn't desire to sin, and quite frankly that sin is stupid, I became much more relaxed and at peace within myself.

I can remember being taught that we have an inner conflict. A constant battle between our sinful desire and the will of God. But that isn't true. God has dealt with all of that. But there is someone who wants us to think we are in conflict. There is someone who wants to steal our peace and that person isn't Jesus! It was Jesus who gave Himself up freely to bring us into His peace.

Who asks the question?

The question of whether grace means freedom to sin does not come from those living under grace. It comes from those who are not living under grace.

It is like standing on the side of a pool and being too afraid to jump in. Then making up all kinds of objections while there are lots of people happily swimming in the pool. Some even turn their objections into bitterness and resentment against those who are doing what they are supposed to be doing. All we can say is, 'Come in, the water is lovely!'

Some may be in the water, but clinging to the side! They may be saying, 'I love the idea of grace but I'm afraid I'll give into temptation.'

Some are hanging onto the "good" branches of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They think at least they are not like those hanging onto the "evil" branches. Meanwhile, those sitting in the tree of life are calling across, "You're in the wrong tree!"

Remember: 

Jesus is our foundation, not the Law.
Self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit.
We are to fix our eyes on Jesus not the Law or sin.

Grace teaches us to say 'No' to sin (Titus 2:12).