Under Grace, Should We Continue to Sin?

[B-A-C]

This may seem like a basic question to most of us, but it seems like whenever the subject of sin comes up, some people quickly answer, it's OK, we aren't under the law anymore. That is true, but even so, should we continue to sin?

Some verses to ponder....

Rom 6:14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.
Rom 6:15 Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!
Rom 6:16 Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
Rom 6:17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.
Rom 6:18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

John 14:15 "If you love Me, obey My commandments.

John 14:21 Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them."

Note: I am not asking if our salvation depends on obedience, but since it doesn't "should" we continue to try to obey the law?

 

[B-A-C]

I voted yes, because even though we are no longer under the law, I believe it still gives us the standard for righteous living.

1Cor 10:23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

 

[Boanerges]

This may seem like a basic question to most of us, but it seems like whenever the subject of sin comes up, some people quickly answer, it's OK, we aren't under the law anymore. That is true, but even so, should we continue to sin?

I simply have not read that here but may have missed it. In my experience, those who are of the Spirit (the child of the free woman ) walk much closer to God's heart than those of the bondwoman.
While we are certainly not under the Law ( Rom_6:14 ) we should not sin. The Holy Spirit (Rom 8:14, Gal 5:18) leads us into all truth (Joh 16:13).

In conclusion; We should never try to substitute our efforts to please God (the Law) for the power of the Holy Spirit but instead depend upon, submit totally to, and follow the Spirit of God in all things.

Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 

[brakelite]

You are right that our salvation is completely dependant upon Jesus: His death, resurrection, and continuing mediation on our behalf in heaven. But to add as a corollary to that staement that our sin or obedience has no bearing whatsoever on our ultimate destiny is presumption.
A train is dependant upon the locomotive to make it move and arrive at its destination, but that doesn't guarantee the train's arrival. Any number of events can occur that may disrupt the journey and even permanently disable the connection between train and engine.
Likewise, for our spiritual journey, we are dependant upon an outside force (the grace, promises, and power of God) to get us to where we want to go, but you quoted yourself a scripture that informs us of at least one thing that can impede our journey, sin.

Rom 6:16 Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

Ask yourself, can one enslaved to sin expect to be welcomed into heaven? Paul tells us that sin leads to death, not to life. A little further in that 6th chapter of Romans Paul tells us what the choices are: we remain a slave to sin and receive the ultimate reward, death, or we become slaves to God, and receive the ultimate reward, eternal life.

Rom. 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Just as Moses gave Israel, Paul is here repeating that choice. There are only two alternatives. Continue in sin and die, or by the power of God operating in our lives we obey His commandments and live. Life and death, obedience or disobedience. Our choice.

So I haven't voted, because there is no option for my stance. The first option is correct that we shouldn't sin, but our salvation will always be dependant upon Christ, whether we sin or not. The train is not dependant upon the rains not washing out the bridge, but is and always will be dependant upon the engine. The rain however certainly can have a decisive influence. Just like sin.

 

[Boanerges]

You are right that our salvation is completely dependant upon Jesus: His death, resurrection, and continuing mediation on our behalf in heaven. But to add as a corollary to that staement that our sin or obedience has no bearing whatsoever on our ultimate destiny is presumption. A train is dependant upon the locomotive to make it move and arrive at its destination, but that doesn't guarantee the train's arrival. Any number of events can occur that may disrupt the journey and even permanently disable the connection between train and engine.

I made no such inference and am not sure where you got that unless perhaps, we have a completely different view of walking in the Spirit (following, in complete submission to, and total dependence on).
I know salvation is from God and completely His to give.
I also know that all my works can be burned away and yet I can remain saved (1Co 3:15).
I know that He calls me to walk by faith.
I know that I can never doubt His faithfulness nor can I doubt His ability to keep me according to His promise.

 

[brakelite]

I voted yes, because even though we are no longer under the law, I believe it still gives us the standard for righteous living.

1Cor 10:23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

Are you referencing the above scripture to the Ten Commandments? Stealing is now lawful for the Christian even though it may be profitable but we oughtn't do it because it doesn't edify?

 

[brakelite]

I made no such inference and am not sure where you got that unless perhaps, we have a completely different view of walking in the Spirit (following, in complete submission to, and total dependence on).
I know salvation is from God and completely His to give.
I also know that all my works can be burned away and yet I can remain saved (1Co 3:15).
I know that He calls me to walk by faith.
I know that I can never doubt His faithfulness nor can I doubt His ability to keep me according to His promise.

Sorry, my post wasn't in fact an answer to yours and apologise for giving that impression.
We are speaking about obedience to God's commandments...are you offering 1 Cor. 3:15 as a mitigating factor for sin? I cannot accept that that particular scripture has anything to do with sin, but rather those religious works we accomplish in our lives, those built on the foundation of Christ, but are in error. False beliefs, assumptions, incorrect understanding of scripture, false teaching etc....because they are built on the true foundation, the builder is saved, but the works burnt up (figuratively). To my mind it has nothing to do with our choices regarding obedience and sin. God doesn't excuse or gloss over sin, else Jesus need not have died. Wilful habitual sin will always result in eternal death, whether Christian or not.

 

[Rockerduck]

I've said it before "Christian's aren't sinless, they just sin less.

 

[DutchChristian]

Let's take a look at the following Scripture:

Jude 1:3-5
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

Example:
if you commit adultery you violate the first and greatest commandment (Mark 12:29-31) and the second as well!

And you should know that no adulterer will inherit the Kingdom of God:

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Now the grace of God is this:

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Take care now,
DuctchChristian

 

[EphremHagos]

Although often overlooked, the immediate background to the gospel is the irrevocable and extremely attractive deal of the "new covenant", viz.: total and unconditional forgiveness of sins for knowledge of God.
(Jer. 31: 31-34; Matt. 26: 26-29; 27: 50-56)

For our acceptance of and obedience to the terms of firsthand knowledge of God to be found in Christ's death on the cross, we receive total forgiveness of sins.

Nothing will be remembered by God through the work of "streams of life-giving water", a.k.a., the Holy Spirit, received directly from Jesus' lifting up to glory exactly at his death on the cross; and subsequently pouring out from the believer's heart for continuous sin-cleansing as and when committed!
(John 6: 62-64; 7: 37-39; 12: 32-33; 14: 18-21; 19: 30-37)

Wow! When the grace applied is genuine but not faked, there is no sin whatsoever to worry about! Therefore, let us be careful not to neglect God's "great salvation"! (Heb. 2: 3-4; Rev. 19: 1-4)
Are there any objections?

 

[Rockerduck]

Let's take a look at the following Scripture:

J
Example:
if you commit adultery you violate the first and greatest commandment (Mark 12:29-31) and the second as well!

And you should know that no adulterer will inherit the Kingdom of God:


Take care now,
DuctchChristian

Bad example. Read about King David and Bathsheba. David was a man after God's heart. Yes, adulters can get to Heaven.

 

[DutchChristian]

Bad example. Read about King David and Bathsheba. David was a man after God's heart. Yes, adulters can get to Heaven.

King David repented after ! he also was a murderer and no murderer has eternal life!

It is even more strict now, nowadays you already commit murder by hating your brother!

1 John 3:15
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Take care now.

 

[DutchChristian]

Wow! When the grace applied is genuine but not faked, there is no sin whatsoever to worry about! Therefore, let us be careful not to neglect God's "great salvation"! (Heb. 2: 3-4; Rev. 19: 1-4)
Are there any objections?

i have objection to your statement:

there is no sin whatsoever to worry about!

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Are words just like the devil speaks: go ahead and sin, don't worry about the sin, Ye shall not surely die!

Beware!

 

[Boanerges]

We are speaking about obedience to God's commandments...are you offering 1 Cor. 3:15 as a mitigating factor for sin?

Not at all, it is more of a response to the self righteousness of the legalist who think he can "be good enough" for God.

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

Should Christians still try to obey the 10 commandments?

No,they are dead to sin,stop playing with dead things and focus on life.

Romans 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused
by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.

The focus on "not sinning" actually AROUSES sinful passions.Trying not to sin will cause the very sin you seek to eliminate.

So the focus on life through Christ should equally cause the passion for life in Christ to be aroused.

The kingdom of God is not off in the sky it is right here with us.
You will never see it if you are trying to pretty up that tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Why do we make salvation about what happens after you die.
Is salvation for the living or the dead.
How pathetic if believing is about trying to curb sin by managing the thing we are supposed to be dead to.

Guess what all this focus on sin,sin,sin is going to bring.
My guess is it brings death,death,death.
Oh ,that is really not that attractive,no not like life in Christ.
I can just feel the dank dead darkness in discussing the law.
No wonder so many Christians are just trying to hang on until they die and then meet Jesus.
Guess what,he is the God of the living and NOT the dead.
Stop playing with dead things!!
LIVE!!!

 

[EphremHagos]

i have objection to your statement:

there is no sin whatsoever to worry about!

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Are words just like the devil speaks: go ahead and sin, don't worry about the sin, Ye shall not surely die!

Beware!

The devil is of course trying to belittle our legacy by diverting us from "the great things that God has done" by destroying his power over death in the first round!

 

[DutchChristian]

The answer to this thread: "Under Grace, Should We Continue to Sin?"

is found in Romans 6:15

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! (NIV)

What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God’s favor and mercy? Certainly not! (AMP)

The answer is no.

Our focus must be on Jesus and not on sin, obey Him every day, deny yourself take up your cross daily and follow Him.

Love Jesus Repent and Believe get saved, be born again! get baptised get filled by the Holy Ghost and walk in that newness of Life as a new creature: the old has passed away the new has come thanks to The Lord Jesus!

Submit to Him and the peace that surpasses all understanding will fill you and give you the grace to do it.

God Will empower you and break off all sin addiction!

God cut off all my own addiction supernaturally in a few days time! all i did was i gave my life away i submit to Him and died to my own self.

you can't do it yourself SURRENDER at The Cross!

The less of you the more of Him, the easier it get's. The flesh man is holding you back it is your enemy! that is why you need to come to the Cross daily and die there to your own desires and life and give it to Jesus!

do not stay a spiritually dead carnal "christian" you must be empowered and renewed by the Holy Ghost by being born again!

After that happens you will be transformed just like a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. And you will not dare to sin anymore, then you keep walking with Him, following Him, submitting to Him. This is a living relationship with Jesus Christ! What joy and peace! That is when The Lord Will really know you and you will be set free and get to know Him by the Holy Ghost living inside of you that will sanctify you over time, but you have to keep holding on from your side of the relationship. you can't walk away from it you must stay faithful until the end!

John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 

[B-A-C]

Are you referencing the above scripture to the Ten Commandments? Stealing is now lawful for the Christian even though it may be profitable but we oughtn't do it because it doesn't edify?

Virtually all of the 10 commandments are repeated in the NT.

Exo 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me. (Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27)
Exo 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. (1 John 5:21; Rev 9:20)
Exo 20:5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Exo 20:6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (John 14:15; John 15:10 and 1 John 5:2)
Exo 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. (Rom 2:24; Rev 16:9 and 1Tim 6:1)

Exo 20:8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 "Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
Exo 20:10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.
Exo 20:11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
Many say this one has been reversed in the NT (Matt 12:5-12; Mark 2:24-28; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:7-9; Luke 14:1-5)

Exo 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. (Eph 6:2-3)
Exo 20:13 "You shall not murder. (Matt 5:21-22; Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:10; Rom 1:29; James 2:11)
Exo 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery. (Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; James 2:11; Matt 5:27-28)
Exo 20:15 "You shall not steal. (Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom 13:9)
Exo 20:16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20)
Exo 20:17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (James 4:2)

 

[EphremHagos]

Virtually all of the 10 commandments are repeated in the NT.

Exo 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me. (Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27)
Exo 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. (1 John 5:21; Rev 9:20)
Exo 20:5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Exo 20:6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (John 14:15; John 15:10 and 1 John 5:2)
Exo 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. (Rom 2:24; Rev 16:9 and 1Tim 6:1)

Exo 20:8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 "Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
Exo 20:10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.
Exo 20:11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
Many say this one has been reversed in the NT (Matt 12:5-12; Mark 2:24-28; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:7-9; Luke 14:1-5)

Exo 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. (Eph 6:2-3)
Exo 20:13 "You shall not murder. (Matt 5:21-22; Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:10; Rom 1:29; James 2:11)
Exo 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery. (Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; James 2:11; Matt 5:27-28)
Exo 20:15 "You shall not steal. (Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom 13:9)
Exo 20:16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20)
Exo 20:17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (James 4:2)

If the whole truth is told, the written "New Testament" (as received) is a misnomer compared to the "new covenant" of the Spirit. Isn't it? (Jer. 31: 31-34)

 

[kamiller1972]

Ok...Confused.

...and please forgive me as I am a newbie Christian. Several on this thread have mentioned that we are no longer under "the law". Which law are we referring to? I was under the thought that we should always keep the commandments as they are God's laws given to us to live righteously-I absolutely believe that we should live as the 10 commandments were given to us, so that we do receive salvation...but if there's scripture that states otherwise, please point me in the right direction and explain your view (or please point me to a thread that will better explain it to me.) Thanks for y'alls patience with me...I have so many questions!