Can a Christian knowingly continue in sin and simply call it grace?

[David]

We hear people say, “We are all sinners,” and that is true. But does that mean a Christian can knowingly keep doing what God calls sin, refuse to repent, and excuse it by saying, “I am under grace”? Paul asked that very question: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1–2, KJV).

Paul had just written about the abundance of God’s grace where sin abounded (Romans 5:20). He knew someone could twist that into an excuse to keep sinning. His answer was plain. Later in the same chapter he wrote, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid” (Romans 6:15). Being under grace does not make disobedience acceptable.

We do not earn salvation by cleaning ourselves up. Ephesians 2:8–9 says we are saved by grace through faith, “not of works, lest any man should boast.” But verse 10 also says we are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” We cannot use the first two verses to dismiss the next one. Good works do not purchase salvation, but God has not saved us so we can make peace with sin.

Titus tells us what grace actually teaches: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11–12). If I am using grace to defend the very thing grace teaches me to deny, I need to look honestly at what I am saying.

That does not mean a Christian never sins. John wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). He also wrote, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). The instruction is to avoid sin, and the provision when we sin is Jesus Christ. Both truths belong together.

There is a difference between a believer who falls into sin, acknowledges it, and seeks God’s forgiveness, and someone who defends it and refuses to turn from it. A struggle can be difficult and repeated. We should not pretend we can judge someone’s heart by counting how many times they have fallen. But we should not call a refusal to repent a struggle either. John says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Confession means acknowledging our sin, not finding a nicer name for it.

Peter knowingly denied Jesus. Afterward, he “went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). His failure was serious, but he did not defend it as something grace allowed. His example should keep us from treating a believer’s terrible failure as proof that restoration is impossible. It should also keep us from treating sin as harmless.

Think of a person pulled from a burning house. Being rescued is no reason to walk back into the fire and insist it cannot hurt him. That illustration has limits, but the point is simple: why defend what Christ came to deliver us from? Jesus “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:14).

So the answer is no. A Christian cannot rightly call unrepentant sin grace. We need God’s mercy when we fall, and we need to take His warnings seriously. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

How do we encourage someone who is struggling with sin without helping them make excuses for it?

 

[Yesua888]

We hear people say, “We are all sinners,” and that is true. But does that mean a Christian can knowingly keep doing what God calls sin, refuse to repent, and excuse it by saying, “I am under grace”? Paul asked that very question: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1–2, KJV).

...

How do we encourage someone who is struggling with sin without helping them make excuses for it?

Pray ...
Ask God to work through us ...

 

[Mason]

@David,
I want to add to what you have said here.

God's grace even frees us from the dominion of sin:
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14).

The scripture says that those who fall away cannot be renewed again to repentance:
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

Also God's grace does not allow us to willfully sin, as you know, but just wanted to add this scripture to what you said:
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-29).

 

[Yesua888]

@David,
I want to add to what you have said here.

God's grace even frees us from the dominion of sin:
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14).

The scripture says that those who fall away cannot be renewed again to repentance:
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

Also God's grace does not allow us to willfully sin, as you know, but just wanted to add this scripture to what you said:
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-29).

Hi Mason,

This is why I believe we need to explore what "Sin" actually means ... perhaps we need to dig really deeply into this, and become like the Bareans : )

This makes interpretation makes sense to me:

"This passage refers to those who have once been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift but then fall away by rejecting Christ. This rejection is described as crucifying the Son of God again and putting Him to open shame. The impossibility lies in the person’s refusal to return; they are in a state of persistent, unrepentant sin and final rejection of Jesus, making human persuasion to repent ineffective.

• The Condition: The individuals have experienced deep spiritual realities (Holy Spirit, word of God) but abandon their faith.
• The Sin: The specific sin is apostasy or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, characterized by knowing rejection of Christ’s sacrifice.
• The Impossibility: It is humanly impossible to convince such a person to repent because they have closed their hearts to the very truth that could save them.
• The Implication: If a person is willing to repent, they are not in this condition; the passage serves as a warning against falling away, not a guarantee that a genuine believer who struggles with sin has lost salvation. "

Thoughts please, eveyrone?

 

[bobinfaith]

We hear people say, “We are all sinners,” and that is true. But does that mean a Christian can knowingly keep doing what God calls sin, refuse to repent, and excuse it by saying, “I am under grace”? Paul asked that very question: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1–2, KJV).

Paul had just written about the abundance of God’s grace where sin abounded (Romans 5:20). He knew someone could twist that into an excuse to keep sinning. His answer was plain. Later in the same chapter he wrote, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid” (Romans 6:15). Being under grace does not make disobedience acceptable.

We do not earn salvation by cleaning ourselves up. Ephesians 2:8–9 says we are saved by grace through faith, “not of works, lest any man should boast.” But verse 10 also says we are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” We cannot use the first two verses to dismiss the next one. Good works do not purchase salvation, but God has not saved us so we can make peace with sin.

Titus tells us what grace actually teaches: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11–12). If I am using grace to defend the very thing grace teaches me to deny, I need to look honestly at what I am saying.

That does not mean a Christian never sins. John wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). He also wrote, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). The instruction is to avoid sin, and the provision when we sin is Jesus Christ. Both truths belong together.

There is a difference between a believer who falls into sin, acknowledges it, and seeks God’s forgiveness, and someone who defends it and refuses to turn from it. A struggle can be difficult and repeated. We should not pretend we can judge someone’s heart by counting how many times they have fallen. But we should not call a refusal to repent a struggle either. John says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Confession means acknowledging our sin, not finding a nicer name for it.

Peter knowingly denied Jesus. Afterward, he “went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). His failure was serious, but he did not defend it as something grace allowed. His example should keep us from treating a believer’s terrible failure as proof that restoration is impossible. It should also keep us from treating sin as harmless.

Think of a person pulled from a burning house. Being rescued is no reason to walk back into the fire and insist it cannot hurt him. That illustration has limits, but the point is simple: why defend what Christ came to deliver us from? Jesus “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:14).

So the answer is no. A Christian cannot rightly call unrepentant sin grace. We need God’s mercy when we fall, and we need to take His warnings seriously. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

How do we encourage someone who is struggling with sin without helping them make excuses for it?

Hi Mason,

This is why I believe we need to explore what "Sin" actually means ... perhaps we need to dig really deeply into this, and become like the Bareans : )

This makes interpretation makes sense to me:

"This passage refers to those who have once been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift but then fall away by rejecting Christ. This rejection is described as crucifying the Son of God again and putting Him to open shame. The impossibility lies in the person’s refusal to return; they are in a state of persistent, unrepentant sin and final rejection of Jesus, making human persuasion to repent ineffective.

• The Condition: The individuals have experienced deep spiritual realities (Holy Spirit, word of God) but abandon their faith.
• The Sin: The specific sin is apostasy or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, characterized by knowing rejection of Christ’s sacrifice.
• The Impossibility: It is humanly impossible to convince such a person to repent because they have closed their hearts to the very truth that could save them.
• The Implication: If a person is willing to repent, they are not in this condition; the passage serves as a warning against falling away, not a guarantee that a genuine believer who struggles with sin has lost salvation. "

Thoughts please, eveyrone?

Good evening, everyone;

In Yesua888's post ended with "Thoughts please, everyone?"

It's been an up and down week for me, kind of like the angel on the right shoulder and the devil on the left, representing the internal tug of war between right and wrong.

On the left side, the conditions that cross my path while acknowledging the love of God and my faith don’t dismiss the negatives that occurred this week. This is why it's not good to exercise the "lone Christian." If so, we will be tempted thinking a "little sin" will bring an instant fix, quick gratification or a shortcut to resolve the problem covered with God's grace? No, this is not how God works.

On the right side, the conditions that cross my path while acknowledging the love of God and my faith may not dismiss the negatives, but give me hope. Sharing with a brother or sister and seeking wise counsel to do "right in His sight" shows how unlimited God is in guiding and making a way for us, through everything.

David's OP should be a reminder for Christians who strive for discipline in their prayer and study life of God's Word. The one's who "twist" sin by taking shortcuts are lazy. It's too much work to strive for obedience. Oh, we can excuse ourselves, "the name of God is mercy" and will understand and let it slide. This is not how God works.

For those who strive for discipline in our prayer and study life realize at the same moment God is right there with us guiding our path to righteousness. The low road of temptation may be there but we know to take the high road, confronting the condition, being still, patient and waiting, for God always goes ahead and will deliver us.

We need to take God's warnings seriously, seriously enough to go to Him and confess when we fall short in sin, never allow a sin to slide, seek repentance and His forgiveness. I thank God each day for renewed chances.

God bless everyone.

Bob

 

[Yesua888]

Good evening, everyone;

In Yesua888's post ended with "Thoughts please, everyone?"

It's been an up and down week for me, kind of like the angel on the right shoulder and the devil on the left, representing the internal tug of war between right and wrong.

On the left side, the conditions that cross my path while acknowledging the love of God and my faith don’t dismiss the negatives that occurred this week. This is why it's not good to exercise the "lone Christian." If so, we will be tempted thinking a "little sin" will bring an instant fix, quick gratification or a shortcut to resolve the problem covered with God's grace? No, this is not how God works.

On the right side, the conditions that cross my path while acknowledging the love of God and my faith may not dismiss the negatives, but give me hope. Sharing with a brother or sister and seeking wise counsel to do "right in His sight" shows how unlimited God is in guiding and making a way for us, through everything.

David's OP should be a reminder for Christians who strive for discipline in their prayer and study life of God's Word. The one's who "twist" sin by taking shortcuts are lazy. It's too much work to strive for obedience. Oh, we can excuse ourselves, "the name of God is mercy" and will understand and let it slide. This is not how God works.

For those who strive for discipline in our prayer and study life realize at the same moment God is right there with us guiding our path to righteousness. The low road of temptation may be there but we know to take the high road, confronting the condition, being still, patient and waiting, for God always goes ahead and will deliver us.

We need to take God's warnings seriously, seriously enough to go to Him and confess when we fall short in sin, never allow a sin to slide, seek repentance and His forgiveness. I thank God each day for renewed chances.

God bless everyone.

Bob

Thanks for your input Bob : )

Yes, I agree, we should not lean heavily on knowing that our gracious God is merciful, loving and forgiving, as an excuse to keep sinning.

I came across more verses on "sin" and "forgiveness"

Here they are, and perhaps we will be able to iron out all the creases and uncertainties that have come up about this subject recently:

1 John 1:9 states: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The verse is primarily interpreted in two ways:

• Fellowship Restoration: For believers, confession is not about earning salvation but restoring fellowship with God after sinning, as salvation is secured by Christ's atonement.
• Salvation Acknowledgment: Some scholars argue it applies to unbelievers (specifically Gnostics in context) who must acknowledge their sinful state to receive initial cleansing and forgiveness through Christ.

The Greek word for "confess" (homologeō) means "to agree with" or "to say the same thing," implying admitting sin exactly as God defines it.
he verse sits in the middle of a series of conditional ("if") statements about walking in the light:

• v. 5 – "God is light; in Him is no darkness at all."
• v. 6 – If we claim fellowship with God but walk in darkness, we lie.
• v. 7 – If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
• v. 8 – If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.
• v. 9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse.
• v. 10 – If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar.

So v. 9 is sandwiched between two warnings against denying sin. The point is that honest acknowledgment of sin is the opposite of the self-deception in v. 8 and the outright denial in v. 10.

Purpose of the letter

John wrote to combat early Gnostic (or proto-Gnostic) teachers who denied the full humanity of Jesus and, by extension, minimized or denied the reality of sin. The letter's stated purpose (1 John 5:13) is to give believers assurance of their salvation. The "light/darkness" imagery in chapter 1 is John's way of saying: true fellowship with God requires honesty about sin, not a claim of sinlessness.

In short, John is saying: don't pretend you're sinless (that's self-deception), don't deny you've ever sinned (that makes God a liar), but honestly acknowledge your sin, and trust that God — because of who He is — will forgive and cleanse you.

2 Chronicles 7:14 is explicitly directed at God's own covenant people, Israel. The opening phrase makes this unambiguous:
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves…"

Context: God is speaking to Solomon by night after the temple dedication. He has just described the covenant curses He may send — drought, locusts, pestilence (v. 13, which is actually the first half of the sentence v. 14 completes). The promise is: if Israel, as His covenant people, turns back to Him amid those judgments, He will hear, forgive, and heal their land.

The "repentance" here is Israel returning to a relationship they already have — the same pattern as the prophets (Hosea 6:1, Jeremiah 3:12–14, Ezekiel 18:30). National/covenantal restoration after straying.

2 Chronicles 7:14 sits in the "already-in-relationship" category — like 1 John 1:9, but at the national/covenantal level rather than the individual level. The people being addressed already belong to God; they're being called back, not in for the first time.

There are so many verses ...