Should You Sin More to Get More of God's Grace?
Thinking about Romans 6:1-2.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1-2)
After discussing the immense blessing and superiority of God’s grace, Paul returns to answer those who accused him of teaching a message that promoted immoral, unethical, evil behavior.
Question: Should we do evil so that good may come from it?
Their argument went something like this:
“If you are right,” his opponents are saying, “we ought to continue practicing sin so that grace has an opportunity to multiply to God’s glory.” - McGuiggan, Romans, 184
They claimed that what Paul had to say about the law and God’s grace would result in people behaving more immorally. After all, if God’s grace is superior to sin, and the grace of God is an opportunity for God to be glorified, won’t people decide to sin more?
These opponents had already accused the God of “Paul’s gospel” as being unjust (Romans 2:26-29).
Paul confronts this argument head-on.
Answer: Absolutely not, because you have died to sin.
Paul recoils in horror from the so-called “logical” end of engaging in more and more sin. His response, “Certainly not,” is a firm refusal and opposition to their accusation.
The opponents had either willingly or mistakenly overlooked something fundamental that made all the difference - Christians, the justified ones, had “died to sin.”
These people died to sin when they entered into union with Jesus Christ. This dying to sin involves the whole process of becoming Christ’s. It speaks of the sinner’s own renunciation of sin, his being immersed into union with Christ and it presupposes the rising into newness of life. - McGuiggan, Romans, 185
Christians are not free to engage in as much sin as they want. The Christian has an obligation to live a holy life.
The gospel of Christ doesn’t mean freedom to live any way we please, engaging in whatever sin we want to commit. It means we have died to sin - sin no longer “reigns” over us.
Paul’s point is not that Christians will never again face the temptation to sin or will never sin again. Sometimes Christians choose to sin, so sin is certainly still attractive to Christians.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9)
Paul is dealing with the argument that his teaching leads to and promotes a life of ungodliness. He points out that what he teaches leads to just the opposite - the Christian, the one who has died to sin, no longer has the right to continue in sin.
Continuing in sin is utterly inconsistent for the person who has died to sin.
A Christian is in the process of becoming part of Christ, the Holy One. We read how 'behold all things are becoming
new, old things are passing away'.
So we are living a NEW life and how we 'used to be', thank the Lord is passing away, or has passed away.
Somewhere it says like 'a dog returning to its vomit' and that would describe returning to sin.
We spoke briefly about what constituted sin, and what did not, and I think Paul outlines in 2 places
clearly what is important. It's not every word that we shouldn't have spoken. We'll pray, ask the
person forgiveness if that happens. It takes time to get 'our break linings on what words are allowed
out in good working condition'.
I think of a friend who was greatly drawn to the bible, to the Lord, 'Yehoshua', and a former drug addict.
I know he wanted no more to do with it. 'Friends' or druggie associates visited him regularly wanting him
to join back in. But their 'friendship' was conditional. Do the drugs or they weren't friends.
I haven't seen him, but I think this was quite lonely for him, a high price for him.
We are so privileged to get away from sin which we know destroys us.
I think of alcohol, which in extreme moderation I'm not against, but how it SEEMS to help
the person, then 'turns on them'. Such a lie.
I feel so sad for married couples when the one person, often the man gets into porn, light porn at
first, then drawn deeper and deeper.
We just don't want to go there at all, ever. Whatever it is, it's a lie, and lie has a deadly bite.
There's sin that God will lead me to break on the rock, ways I have that can emerge and hurt,
hurt others first, then myself. But God is very patient.
You might know how in Canada so much 'sin' is rampant, with drag queens entertaining young kids,
and kids shown masterbation at 5 and 6 years old. Sin. Canada is focused on sin, and this
really makes it easier to want to go miles from sin.