“What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Rom. 6:15-18).

“For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Gal. 5:13, 14).

This truth is also expressed by the apostle Peter: “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully” (l Pet. 2:15-19).

Clearly then, to live under grace means allowing Christ to live in you through faith. This is what Christ meant when he said the following: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4, 5).

The final point I would like to bring out concerning this privilege of living under grace is motivation. The old relationship under law may be described as a relationship of fear. This is because the law can never sympathize with our weakness or inability to meet its demands, neither is the law capable of helping us in meeting its requirements. The law can only demand obedience and condemn us every time we fail. So our situation under law was always to be in bondage to fear.

How different is our situation under grace! Unlike the law, Christ understands our weakness and inability to be really good; He also is able to sympathize with our struggles against temptation. He was made in all things like us and was tempted in all points like us so He understands, sympathizes, and is able to help (Heb. 2:17, 18; 4:15).

But more that this, He has delivered us from it all. He has delivered us from the fear of death, having died for us (Heb. 1:14, 15); He has delivered us from the bondage of sin, having condemned sin in the flesh (Rom. 6:22; 8:3, 4); He has reconciled us unto God so that we have the blessed hope of heaven and eternal life and can call God “Dear Father” (Gal. 4:4-6). All these are the privileges of being under grace, and this means we no longer serve God “according to the letter, but according to the spirit” (Rom. 7:6).

In other words, our relationship under grace is one of love and appreciation. This is opposite to our situation under law. No longer does fear of punishment motivate our actions, but the love of God constrains and compels us to do right and live for Him (2 Cor. 5:14, 15). Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3).

Furthermore, being under grace delivers us from the self-centered motivation of seeking a reward. Neither fear of punishment nor hope of reward in heaven can deliver us from the “works of law.” We so deeply appreciate the agape that led the Son of God to His cross for us that we gladly serve Him and our fellow men with no thought of self.

Sinning Under Grace

One of the main concerns haunting many Christians is the problem of sinning under grace. The big question is: how does sinning under grace affect our relationship to God? Do believers become unjustified every time they sin or fall so that they have to be reconverted each time a mistake is made or otherwise be eternally lost? Those who teach such a yo-yo type of doctrine have failed to understand the Biblical meaning of being saved under grace.

Actually, according to Paul, it is impossible for someone who truly is under grace through appreciating Christ’s cross to go on living in sin (Rom. 6:1, 2). Righteousness is by faith; and if the faith is there, the righteousness is sure to be there; and there is no sin in righteousness. However, many do not understand this pure truth, and think they continue to sin while under grace.

When Paul declared in Romans 6:14, “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace,” he did not mean that a believer cannot sin, but that sin has no more authority to condemn or control a believer, since such a person is no longer under law but under grace.

In 1 Corinthians 15:56, we read, “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.” By this Paul says that sin itself has no power to destroy a person without the authority of the law; and since a believer is no longer under law, sin can no longer bring the condemnation of the law (which is eternal death), upon the believer. He is delivered from the power of sin.

Misuse of Grace

But that is a dangerous teaching, you say, one that will lead to loose living! Your fears are absolutely right.

That is why the apostle Paul spends all of chapter 6 of Romans warning Christians against the attitude that they can condone sinning. The gospel is not only Good News, but because of our sinful condition, it is also dangerous news. It can easily be perverted into licence to sin when faith becomes counterfeit.

The big question which Paul presents to the Christian in Romans 6 is, “Can a Christian condone sinning since grace abounds more than sin and believers are no longer under law?” The answer is an emphatic No! Why? First, because in Christ we have died to sin, that is, terminated our relationship with it (verses 2 and 11). Second, by our own choice we have become slaves of God who is the author of righteousness and not sin (verse 17). On these two grounds the doctrine of salvation by grace will not permit a Christian to continue to cherish sin.

This does not mean that we babes in Christ do not stumble and fall. We all know that this is a problem in Christian living, and because we have not yet learned fully to understand the gospel and to walk unceasingly by the Spirit, we too often fall. In view of this, how do our failures affect our relationship with God? That question still deserves an answer.

Every believer must be aware that there is a world of difference between sinning under law and sinning under grace. To understand this we must see the contrast between the law as a written code and Christ as a living reality. When we ccmpare and contrast them we will discover that in one sense they are the same, yet in another they are opposites.

Let me explain. According to Scripture the spirit of the law is love (Mat. 22:36-40). As such it can be identified with Christ, who is love (l John 4:8; Eph. 5:1, 2).

However, when we consider the law as a written code, it becomes a set of rules binding legally on human beings. As such, the law cannot feel for, sympathize with, or help our weak situation. All it can do is command obedience and condemn every failure (Gal. 3:10).

On the contrary, Christ is a person who was made in all points like us and therefore feels and understands our struggles and is able to help; for He Himself was tempted in all points like us, except that He conquered every temptation (Heb. 4:15). So, in Christ we have one who is a faithful and merciful High Priest, and in this sense the law and Christ differ.

All this throws an important light on the subject of sinning. To sin against the law means to sin against a moral code or a set of rules, resulting in punishment or the curse (Rom. 1:18; Gal. 3:10).

This was our situation before accepting God’s redemptive grace in Christ. But as believers we are no longer under the law but under grace, and if we sin we are not sinning against a code or a set of rules, but against a Person “who loved us and gave himself for us” (Gal. 2:20). This realization makes a tremendous difference in our attitude towards sinning. Why is this so? Let me explain by an illustration.

Let us say there is a man driving his car along the highway breaking the speed limit. He is stopped by a policeman and he pleads for mercy, confessing his sorrow for over-speeding. You will agree with me that this man’s confession and repentance have been motivated by egocentric concerns, and not out of love for the traffic law or the policeman who represents the law.

This same man returns home and unintentionally offends his wife whom he loves and who loves him dearly. Immediately, he is sorry for his act and confesses in repentance. What was his motivation? Not fear of punishment. He is sorry because he has hurt someone who is dear to him.

Do you get the point? This is the difference between sinning under law and under grace. This, incidentally, was the difference between the repentance of Judas who betrayed Christ, and Peter who denied Christ. One was motivated by self, the other by love. Those who sin under the law can only repent in terms of fear of punishment or desire for reward, both egocentric concerns; whereas repentance and confession under grace result from a love relationship with Christ. We must constantly be aware of what our sins did to Christ on the cross — they killed Him.

How then can a Christian under grace condone sin? That would mean deliberately crucifying Christ and that is unthinkable to one who appreciates God’s “unspeakable gift.”

The reason why we Christians learn to hate sin is not because we fear our sinning will deprive us of heaven, but because our sins put Christ on the cross (Gal. 3:13). When we Christians realize how costly it was for God to save us in Christ, we will hate sin for what it is — crucifying Christ and putting Him to open shame (Heb. 6:4-6).

Because God could not save us by ignoring the demands of His holy law, salvation from sin is costly. The wages of sin is death (Ezekiel 18:20; Rom. 6:23). In order to save us from the condemnation of the law, God had to meet its just demands. This He did when He laid upon Christ, our substitute, the iniquity of us all when He offered Him up on the cross as the only valid sacrifice for our sins (Isaiah 53:6, 10).

So while we may say that stumbling under grace does not deprive the Christian of justification, or bring condemnation, it creates a deeper hatred for sinning if we have begun to appreciate the cost of our salvation. Why? Because every sin we commit was vitally involved in Christ’s death on the cross.

Two Phases of Salvation

One reason why so many Christians are confused about their salvation under grace is that they have failed to realize that the New Testament speaks of two phases of salvation.

The first phase covers what God did in Christ some 1,900 years ago, and the second is what God is doing in every believer now and at the Second Advent. The first is expressed in the New Testament by the phrase “you in Christ,” and the second is referred to as “Christ in you” (John 15:4, 5).

While the two aspects of salvation are definitely related, like two sides of a coin, they are also distinct in at least four areas. Failure to note these distinctions is the primary reason for so much confusion in the church today.

• Complete versus Progressive. What God did in Christ — the objective facts of the gospel — is a finished work. In Him we stand perfect, provided with every spiritual blessing pertaining to heaven (Eph.1:3; Col. 2:10). In contrast, what God is doing in us — the subjective experience of the gospel — is something that continues through life and will continue until the second coming (Phil.3:12-14; Rom. 8:24,25). This is the aspect of salvation you see on some bumper stickers: “Be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet!”

• Universal versus Individual. What God did in Christ applies to all mankind so that in Him the whole world stands legally justified. This is the unconditional Good News of the gospel (Rom. 5:18; 1 John 2:2). What God does in us, on the other hand, applies only to the born again Christian who has by faith accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour (Rom. 8:9, 10; Eph. 3:17.

• Divine and Human. God’s saving activity in Christ is a work that was accomplished entirely by God without any human help. This is why it is often referred to as an “alien righteousness” (Rom. 3:21; Phil. 3:9). In contrast, God’s work in the believer involves their cooperation. For this reason, Christians are admonished to “walk in the Spirit” or “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” or “abide in me,” in order to bear the fruits of salvation (Gal. 5:16; Rom. 13:14; John 15:4, 5).

• Saving and Witnessing. The righteousness God obtained for all mankind in Christ is full of merit. It is this alone that qualifies us for heaven, now and in the judgment (Eph. 2:8, 9; Tit. 3:5). The righteousness God produces in the believer, on the other hand, has no salvic value. It is the fruits of justification by faith demonstrating and witnessing the righteousness of Christ we have already received in Him by faith (Eph. 2:10; Tit. 3:8). In many respects this is an important distinction, since many look to their own performance for the assurance of salvation, and this should not be so.

Our righteous performance, even though it is of God and is well pleasing to Him, does not contribute one iota towards our title to heaven. However, it is a righteousness we must reach for since it is the most powerful witness of God’s saving power.

As the famous pagan philosopher Nietzsche once said, “If you Christians expect me to believe in your redeemer, you will have to look a lot more redeemed!” Welcome To  Gospel Studies Pr Jack Sequeira
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