SIN UNDER GRACE

SIN UNDER GRACE

If it’s not about Jesus, it’s not about anything

Motto of the Fountain of Life

Dear Brethren, let’s adopt Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 8:1-2. This is my free rendering. "Regarding idols we have knowledge of them. Yes, knowledge makes us feel important, but love glorifies Jesus. If anyone thinks he knows it all, he knows nothing. But if anyone loves God, he is blessed." Regardless of what we think, if we don’t look to Jesus as the author and finisher of our salvation (Hebrews 12:2) our speculations are not about anything.
Orthodox confessions agree that our good works cannot get us into heaven. We are saved by grace through the work of Christ. But can sin keep us out of heaven and how much can we sin? To answer that we will discuss sin the heart and conduct.
Grace Communion International (GCI) teaches that Christ died for the sins of the whole world and He paid the price for all sins. Read Romans 5:18: "Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." All our sins are forgiven. 1 John 4:10 reads, "…and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." These and other scriptures teach that through Jesus all sins are forgiven and all penalties are paid.
The words are simple to understand, but the spiritual concept is very hard to grasp because we filter it through human perceptions. Inevitably when someone is told that Jesus paid the price for all sins, human reason deduces that we can sin all we want, since the penalty is already paid. At this point many reject it because it violates our concept of human justice. It lacks teeth. Having no penalty removes personal accountability. Rather than enforcing justice, it appears to allow criminals to "get away with it."
Others receive it as a license to sin. Several years ago, a man killed many people in a Pittsburgh health club. The radio news claimed that the criminal said he could kill as much as he wanted because he is a Christian and his sins are forgiven.
Is this acceptable Christian conduct? After all, 2 Timothy 2:13 says "if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself." And the blood of Christ forgives sins, even multiple murders. We know that salvation is not a mater of keeping laws or obeying standards of conduct. But does that mean Christian conduct includes a license to sin? This is a good place to ask, what is sin?

SIN

GCI theologian Dr. Mike Feazell said, "First, let’s clear some ground. Sin is a condition of the heart, not merely individual acts of wrongdoing." In like manner morality or Christian conduct also is a condition or change of the heart, not merely a catalogue of righteous acts.
The GCI Statement of Beliefs says: "Sin is lawlessness, that is a state or condition of rebellion against God." The phrase "state of rebellion" means lukewarm or passive indifference as well as active opposition as well as unbelief. Jesus was harsh with the lukewarm Sunday Laodicean Christians (Rev. 3:16). Paul was harsh with Elymas who actively opposed him Acts. 13:8. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness (Jas. 2:23). If belief is righteousness unbelief remains as unrighteousness. And Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 6:9, "Know ye not that the unrighteous (or unbelievers) shall not inherit the kingdom of God?" Ultimately no sin keeps anybody out of heaven. Only unbelief does that.
Now we are discussing those who accept the blood of Jesus as a license to sin. That is not passive indifference but rather willing active ignorance to the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Any gratitude for forgiveness is ultimately subsumed under a desire to please self.
That means there are Church members who think they are Christians but are not. Paul wrote that fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortionists do not inherit heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). But the Church is populated with sinners. That means there are Church members who are fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortionists yet are Christians. This fact illustrates the difference between the heart of the sinner and the sin itself. The sins are the same, but the hearts are different. What does that different heart look like? How do people respond to the Good News that Jesus forgave all sins and paid the price for them? Here are three hypotheticals:
Exposed to the Gospel: Convicted of sin, joyful over grace and salvation. Resist unto blood striving against sin. (Heb 12:4). This point is important: They resist sin to bring glory to God.
Exposed to the Gospel: Convicted of sin, joyful over grace and salvation. Resist unto blood striving against sin. This contrast is important: They resist sin to escape hell.
Exposed to the Gospel: Happy over freedom from punishment. Do not change. They sin with indifference and impunity. There is a primary focus on self.
In each case the mind receives knowledge. The heart forms an attitude toward that knowledge. What do these three above attitudes look like in operation? 

THE DIFFERENT HEART

A couple fed their children because they wanted to, not because they had to, not because Child Services would punish them. Another couple fed their children because they had to, because they feared Child Services. The same act but different hearts. And each couple believe themselves parents, but only one couple was.
A couple wanted to feed their children and did not because they could not and Child Services punished them. Another couple did not feed their children because they did not care for the children or fear Child Services. Child Services punished them. The same act, the same result with Child Services but different hearts. And both couples believe themselves parents, but only one couple was.
Saul and David were both shepherds, both chosen by God, both anointed by Samuel, both powerful soldiers, both kings of Israel, and both murderers. How very alike yet one was vexed by God’s Spirit (1 Samuel 16:14) and one was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).
Here we see that sin as an individual act is forgiven. Sin as an attitude of the heart is unbelief.

CHRISTIAN CONDUCT

1 John 2:5-6 – "This is how we know we are in Him. Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." How do we do walk like Jesus? A starting point is found in Amos 3:3. "Surely, two cannot walk together unless they be agreed."
How do we agree? 1 John 2:3-4: "We know that we have come to know him if we obey (agree with) His commands. The man who says, ‘I know Him’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
SIDE COMMENT: John is not talking about legalism. Although obedient acts, or standards do not save us, obedience and right conduct has inestimable value and tremendous benefits. Please brethren, never discount this simple fact. Our obedient acts please God. Our conformity to Jesus pleases the Trinity. Obedience pleases God more than building a hospital (1 Samuel 15:22). One obedient act encapsulates what it means to be in a personal relationship with God through Jesus. Our act touches the Father; the Father smiles on us; our act benefits our brothers. Yes my friend, you have the power to make Dad (Abba – Romans 8:15) smile. That is sobering knowledge.
What are His commands? Jesus commands us to believe on His name and love one another (1 John 3:23). Our love cannot save us. Love identifies the standards of conduct that please God and mark us as belonging to the Body of Christ (John 13:35).
What are the standards that please God?
Col. 3:20: Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
1 Tim 2:1-3: pray for kings and all in authority for this pleases the Lord.
Psalm 5:4: For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness.
I Thessalonians 5:12-22: live in peace with each other; warn those who are idle; help the weak; be patient with everyone; make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong; always try to be kind; be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; do not put out the spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt; test everything; hold on to the good; avoid every kind of evil.
Please notice that Paul writes, avoid every kind of evil. In fact, Paul has hash words for so called Christians. 1 Corinthians 5:11: "But now I have written unto you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one go not to eat." REMEMBER: Paul is not talking about anybody’s individual sin. He is talking about a persistent attitude of heart toward that sin. For example: If Adam gets drunk once, he is a sinner. Paul is not talking about him. If Ben plans to get drunk every weekend Ben is the drunkard Paul is discussing.
Dr. Tkach commented on 1 Corinthians 5:11, "Paul did not want the church to become a haven for blatant, defiant sinners. The church is a hospital for reform, not a ‘safe zone’" (for sinning).
Let us remember that these commandments or standards listed above do not save us. Yet they have great value. Just as the Old Testament Ten Commandments are our teacher to show us what sin looks like, the New Testament commands are our teacher to show us what Christ living in us looks like.
Christians make decisions with their hearts based upon the working of their Holy Spirit born nature. The rebellious, lukewarm or unbelieving are not true Christians. They make decisions with their hearts based on the workings of their carnal nature. And the human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). The gulf separating the understanding of Jesus that comes from the Spirit and that which comes from the carnal heart is as great as the gulf separating Lazarus and the rich man.
Philippians 2:11 reads, "And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." The Spirit led heart confesses Jesus as Lord. That means willing submission to the authority of Christ as Lord of their hearts and lives.
Human hearts may partially confess Christ as Lord and assume all is well. They acknowledge the identity of Jesus without confessing the authority of Jesus (James 2:19), thereby distorting and abusing the mercy of God. Rev. Todd Crouch's recent article, "Facing The Critics" teaches that some diminish Jesus' divinity or augment His humanity. That eventually distorts and diminishes the grace of God. And some appropriate the authority and govern without the heart of Jesus, thereby distorting and abusing the love of God. This means that an idol of Christ can be worshiped and obeyed. But willing obedience to an idol of Christ is not submission to the real Jesus. A great gulf exists. Atrocities committed in Jesus’ name stem from idolatry not from Jesus. Wherever the real Jesus is not…unbelief is.

THE TRICK QUESTION

"What about those who never heard of Christ?" That is an honest question, but a topic for another discussion. Here we ask, "Can we sin as much as we want?" The question is very misleading. The word "can" focuses on capacity and ignores intent. Using "we" as the subject tacitly combines categories, Christians and unbelievers. It manipulates words proposing that Christians "want" to sin.
Christians and unbelievers are not alike. They have different natures. Unbelievers have the nature, capacity and the intent to sin. Christians have the capacity to sin with impunity under grace. Christians do not have the intent to sin. Christian intent is radically different. It is formed by the knowledge of who Christ is and who we are in relationship with Him. Dr. Tkach wrote: "Paul’s message is clear… We are under the authority of Christ, under His law, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our lives are based on faith, motivated by love, characterized by joy and peace and growth. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25)."
Although Christians do sin (1 John 1:8-10) it is not their spirit nature’s intent to sin (1 John 3:9). To say that a Christian intends to sin is as meaningless as saying that cast iron intends to rain or the tree intends to dance. Since the activity violates the nature of the subject, the subject has no capacity to perform the activity. 

CONCLUSION

God is not manipulated by His own words. The Good News is that we are free from sin, not free to sin. The heart chooses which. Works cannot get us into heaven. Sin cannot keep us out of heaven. Sin as an individual act is forgiven at Calvary. Sin as an attitude of the heart is unbelief. This means that all the sins of all believers and unbelievers are forgiven. And this is God’s final judgment: Unbelievers refuse heaven and freely choose hell. God’s judgment ratifies their verdict. Why do they make that choice? I don’t know, but the mystery, not the logic, of God’s total complete sovereignty subsumes and makes the gift of free will possible for all.
The knowledge that Jesus forgives and pays the penalty of every sin is the Good News that we are free from the bondage of sin. We are free to enter into a relationship with Jesus. We are free to worship and thank Him. We are free to enjoy His lordship and friendship. We are free to call Him brother. We are free from the crushing burden of guilt. We are free from the uncertainty of final judgment. We are free at last, free at last.
Brethren may the mercy and grace of God our Father and of Jesus our confessed Lord and Savior fall heavily upon you.

Rev. George Relic, Assistant Pastor
Fountain of Life, Washington, PA
A Congregation Of Grace Communion International