Sin

“I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

/ Joan C. Thomson / Leave a comment

They say, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

Is it true? No.

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If you’re a follower of Jesus (see John 8:31,32), you were a sinner but are no longer; sin is not to be a lifestyle for you anymore. Yes, we all sin from time to time and do have God’s forgiveness, but we’re not to keep on sinning as a regular way of life.

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:6

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 1:2

They say, “God’s forgiveness is unconditional.”

/ Joan C. Thomson / Leave a comment

“God forgives unconditionally.”

When John the Baptizer was sent to “prepare the way of the Lord”, he preached repentance. (John 3:1-12)  According to the gospel of Mark, the first thing Jesus preached was, “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14)

Jesus instructed his disciples to go to the brother who has sinned against them, show him his fault, and hope he listens—or repents; if not, he outlines more steps to take. If after all that, the sinning brother still won’t listen, he is to be treated as a “pagan” (non-believer). (Matthew 18:15-17)  Jesus further told them, “If your brother sins, rebuke him and if he repents, forgive him. (Luke 17:3 emphasis added) Repentance as a qualification for forgiveness is a major part of the framework of the Bible in both Old and New Testaments.

A second condition for forgiveness is that the sin must be forgivable.  Jesus said, “But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit (calling the Holy Spirit’s ways evil) will never be forgiven, he is guilty of an eternal sin. (Mark 3:29, 30) John said, “There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.” Since he didn’t specify which sin that is, I can only conclude that he referred to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

So no, God’s forgiveness is not “unconditional.” However, in his mercy he may occasionally grant forgiveness without repentance just as he “sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45)

Forgiveness is often confused with God’s love.  Followers of Jesus are to love each other, their neighbors, those who insult or persecute them and their enemies—that would seem to be everybody.

What does it mean to “fall from grace?”

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“To ‘fall from grace’ means to sin so badly that there’s no forgiveness big enough to cover it.”

Not at all. The term, “fallen from grace” comes from Paul’s admonition to the Galatians to resist being put under the Law of Moses.

You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. Galatians 5:4

Anyone who tries to be justified by the Law is relying on the Law and not grace.  You can’t have it both ways—the Law or Jesus. So, to “fall from grace” is to seek God’s approval by attempting to live up to the Law—even following the Ten Commandments. Such behavior results in being “alienated from Christ,” a serious matter. Paul quoted Deuteronomy (27:26) in saying that anyone who tries such a thing is under a curse because they then have to keep every one of the 613 parts of the Law (which, in fact, has been impossible since 70 AD when the Jewish Temple was destroyed by the Romans—a vast number of the requirements involve Temple/Tabernacle worship).

“Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Galatians 3:10

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10

In no way should this be confused with obeying Jesus’ teachings. Many people mistakenly believe that since we are “under grace,” to expect anyone to be obedient to Jesus’ teachings is to put them under “a bunch of rules and regulations” and is “works righteousness.”

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They say, “It’s a sin to be sorrowful.”

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“It’s a sin to be sorrowful since the Bible says we are to,”rejoice in the Lord always.”

Is it true? No.

The Bible does instruct us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4) but every admonition in the Bible doesn’t have a reverse formula as though we were working mathematical equations.  Jesus himself expresses great sorrow on a number of occasions (Luke 19:40-42, John 11:34-36, Matthew 26:37-39) yet was without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Paul taught that we are to “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15)

The Bible makes the distinction, however, between Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. 2 Corinthians 7:11

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