I was recently grieved when I met a gentlemen who veered from the truth of God’s word in order to justify his decision to practice sin, and the worse part about it is the gentlemen knows better. He made statements to me such as, “God does not judge sin anymore, but winks at it turning a blind eye because of his grace.
Therefore, implying that we can do whatever we want. He made a case that it was fine to curse every other word and even while you witness to others about Jesus Christ because Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples witnessed to others while cursing and Jesus did not have a problem with it. Don’t know what Bible that came from. I only remember Peter cursing once when people tried to accuse him of being one of Jesus disciples after Jesus was arrested. We should not use other people’s lives even if they are in the Bible in order to justify our own wrong-doing. The Bible makes it clear that it isn’t wise to measure ourselves by other people (2 Corinthians 10:12).
Just because God has mercy and grace on someone else who does something, doesn’t mean that same mercy and grace is promised to everyone regarding that something. Everyone is at different maturity levels and some individuals may require grace in an area that someone more mature or stable does not. It’s like the example of a toddler running outside naked, everyone will say that it’s cute and the toddler doesn’t know any better, but an adult would be considered indecently exposed and may be arrested. Judgment belongs to the Lord not to us to use in order to justify our own sinful pleasures. God will have mercy on who he will , and his grace should not be taken for granted.
For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Romans 9:15 (NIV)
Ephesians 4:7 says that God has given to every man a measure of grace according to the gift of Christ. A measure is a portion of grace. Everyone is afforded grace through Jesus Christ, but it may not be to the same measure, but it will be what is necessary for each individual person and his or her level of growth, maturity, and capability.
The gentlemen also referenced King David and King Solomon saying they were a couple of the biggest hoes of all time, yet God dealt with them gracefully. Whenever grace becomes justification for sin instead of the ability to overcome sin then grace is not grace. It is a mere taking for granted of the purpose for God’s grace to begin with.
God’s grace is a gift given to us through his son Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for us so that when we sin, but sincerely want to do right and attempt to do so, we have an advocate with God who if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all of our unrighteousness so that we do not have to walk around in condemnation, but the grace of God cleanses us giving us the strength to try again.
Romans makes this clear saying: Should we continue in sin so that grace may abound? God forbids. How should those who are dead to sin continue therein Romans (6:1-2). Accepting God’s grace requires a seriousness to dealing with sin. The Bible says that those that consider themselves born again should view themselves as being dead to sin.
This is a process that takes time and growth, but it is clear that God’s grace is not around to justify sin. Sin did not become justified through God’s grace, but we became justified through God’s grace taking on righteousness that we did not earn (Psalms 32:2). That is an honor that God has bestowed upon us of the highest standard which is his Son and God gives us the grace to grow into the righteousness of his Son as we submit to him. We do not have to work for God’s grace, but there should be some type of appreciation for it.
The way that I understand is that when we become born again our spirit is connected with God. We take on a new life where we have to learn how to walk in the spirit and not after the flesh. The Bible says that the flesh is not subject to God neither can it be and as long as we walk in the spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Walking in the spirit is walking in the things that we cannot see. God’s word, Jesus’ Christ righteousness, the promises of God, faith and such.
Walking in the flesh is the total opposite of the above (Galatians 5). We need God’s grace because of the battle with the flesh that we constantly have including the carnal mind. God’s grace is there so that when we fall short and we all fall short, we are not out of the game because he brings us back to that place of justification meaning it’s not over for us. We are accepted with God. We are loved. We are his. His patience and covenant of mercy and grace with us is honored when he looks at his son and our faith in his son.
We access God’s grace through faith and humility. We need faith to come to God and have a trust that he covers us if we trust and believe in his son. We need humility to be humble enough to know that we need him, and to come to him even after we have done wrong.
James 4 talks about a struggle between the flesh and the spirit. It concludes the struggle in vs. 6-7 by saying, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Lastly, it says in vs. 7 to draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.
James 4 is how we are to deal with sin. We are to always deal with sin after humility and coming to God. If we become prideful and seek to justify our sin hiding from the truth of God’s word, we will find ourselves in deception like the young man twisting God’s word to fit our own deceitful lusts.
The man who continues to walk in deception eventually loses the ability to discern between what is truth and what is a lie. That is what the Bible refers to as reprobate. Once a person gets to the point where he or she no longer honors the cross of Jesus Christ, there isn’t anything else that God can offer that person to be saved (Hebrews 10:26) Salvation through Jesus Christ is the only way that God himself provided to deal with sin. If we willfully dishonor what God did to save us, then what else can God offer us, but his judgment. I still pray for the young man that he would turn away from deception and walk in the truth.
My last blog was about honor. When we choose to use God’s grace for something other than the purpose than what it was intended, we dishonor his grace, we dishonor God and run the risk of losing his grace over our lives.
One of my greatest prayers when I have struggled with sin has been, “Lord don’t ever let me take you for granted.” This is one of my greatest prayers because anyone of us can fall prey to sin, and allow sin to become a stronghold in our lives that leads us to deception and pride in trying to justify the sin, but the good part about it is God’s grace is enough for us wherever we are currently at in the struggle between walking in our flesh and spirit.
We only need to seek to honor God through putting our faith in him coming to him sincerely in repentance and not deceitfully in order to justify our sin until we see victory in our personal lives over the sin. The misinterpretation of God’s grace is unfruitful; it only promotes sin while God’s purpose for his grace is to destroy the power of sin in the lives of us God’s people.
iFor he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Romans 9:15 (NIV)
iiBut unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
iiiFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
ivFor if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, Hebrews 10:26
vBut exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception. Hebrews 3:13
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