Answer Request
If I commit sins on earth and live a bad life but I am saved, are the
consequences of those sins eternal? If so, how do I have a change of mind
about my sins?
As a grace believer, that is, if you have heard and responded in faith to the grace gospel, your sins are removed from you and placed upon the body
and cross of Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus took the blame for every sin you commit and it was placed upon Him as if He was the one
who did the sin. This is why God, who cannot look upon sin (Hab.1:13), forsook
Jesus and left Him alone at the cross. Remember, on the cross Jesus cried out
"My God, why have you forsaken me!" (Matt.27:45-46)
It's a sobering thought to understand that your sin, whether you fall in moments of weakness, or choose to do it, is placed on Christ and that He suffered the wrath of God for you.
So, the bottom line is that those sins are not counted against you today. This is the absolute marvel of God's GRACE! As a believer, you will not be judged for the consequences of the sins you commit because Christ already suffered for it on your behalf. God took your sins and placed it upon Christ, and then took Christ's righteousness and placed it upon you. This substitution is absolute and all sufficient to appease God's holiness and free you of your sins and its resulting consequences. Thinking anything less would be a faithless disregard of the completeness and finality of Christ's sacrifice and of God's love for His Son and for you.
Romans 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
The above will clarify your eternal security in Christ, however, there are still consequences to mention, but these are of your own doing and not of the 'eternal kind'! The consequences you will suffer is the results of your actions here on earth. For example, if you choose to steal, then you will get arrested and imprisoned. If you harm someone, they might come back and harm you. If you abuse substances, then your body will suffer. These are consequences based directly off your own choices and actions and is not what God places upon you to judge you or pay you back for disobedience. God does not hold a constant sword over your head. He has already freed you from the eternal consequences of sin, but the temporary consequences of your fleshly behaviour are of your own doing and part of the natural cycle of reaping what you sow.
God's grace is greater than our sins. The blood of Christ and His imputed righteousness is greater than our sin. God sees us through Christ and even though we live in an imperfect world, we are already perfect in His presence because of Christ's sacrifice for us.
Does this give us license to sin? Absolutely not! Does this give us power over the flesh here on earth? No! Our salvation is positional (or in spirit) and does not change our current flesh condition. We are still sinners, who are waiting for our glorified state. Will we ever be perfect in this world? No! We are born into sin. But, through salvation, we have become a new creature within (2 Cor.5:17), and it is this new creature what will start to hunger after God, and seek out truth, and desire righteousness.
What does God expect of us while we wait for our complete redemption from this state? That we give in to the desires of the inner man (Eph.3:16) and the leading of the Spirit of Life within us, Rom.12:1-2. God's will for us is that we fill our hearts and minds with His living Word. That we follow our heart and live godly lives, 1 Tim.2:3-4. That we aim to be an example for others to follow, 1 Tim.4:12. That we train our bodies to submit to the Spirit, 1 Tim.4:7. That we remain faithful to Him as we wait in daily expectation for the return of Christ to redeem us in full, (Rom.8:23; 1 Cor.1:7; Gal.5:5; 1 Thess.1:10; 2 Thess.3:5).
For something else on our position before God, see here.
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