Statement
All these negative statements promoting the flesh is not good for Christians who wants to be overcomers on Christ Jesus.
It's not that I am saying anyone can be sin free, but we should tend to be like Christ. Instead of yielding to sin simply because grace is available. Your pattern of thinking is why some pastors drink, fornicate, cheat, hate, embittered, murder, smoke, exhibit pride and greed because they feel, after all, they cannot beat sin.
It's not the number of years as a Christian but your authority in Christ as His soldier. Do you believe in prayers and warfare? Do you believe in binding and casting? You cannot be able to pray battle prayers when you believe carnality is part of a Christian.
Answer
God’s grace is there for you because of the exceeding love and power of the cross. However, it shows that you still have a way to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God’s foundational truths in the letter of Romans.
If you read Romans 6 you will see that Paul had to deal with the exact questions you are asking,
Rom.6:1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”
He even gives the answers to his questions. The answers imply that we grow up in Christ and that His life in us will overcome sins in the flesh. Where law gives sin power, grace kills sin.
Here is a practical example:
Just like babies soil their diapers when they are small, but grow up and do not need diapers anymore, similarly, babes in Christ will continue in sin for a while until they grow up in Christ and forsake their carnal ways. The Corinthians were babes in Christ (1Cor.3:1). I find it beautiful how the bible gives us this example to learn from. Similarly, The Galatians who were under law were children in Christ (Gal.4:19), yet unstable in their faith. However, both were expected to grow and mature.
So, note that I have never been “promoting sin by teaching grace”. Grace is the biblical way to overcome sin, but grace expects you to grow up in Christ too.
Statement
Paul's other writings, or any of the other apostles including Jesus Christ, who preached that repentance through faith is necessary, for salvation, they go hand in hand, no repentance turning from sin equals no salvation.
Answer
Paul is the apostle of the Gentiles (Rom.11:13). His letters are the doctrine of the Body of Christ. The 12-apostles (and what Jesus preached in his earthly ministry) is doctrine that belongs to Israel. As mentioned previously, repentance is necessary in the Kingdom program. In the grace program there is nothing wrong in being sorrowful when you sin in a moment of weakness, but repentance is not a requirement for salvation.
Your confusion in the Word and in your doctrine stems from a lack of dispensational understanding. If you mix up the scripture and blend together the law doctrine for Israel with the grace doctrine in Paul's epistles, it is going to produce confusion and contradictions.
You quote: “There is no forgiveness for those that don't repent…”
So, if I repent, and 5 minutes later I get run over by a bus, having just thought an evil thought about my brother in Christ, I will then go to hell because I was not able to repent of that sinful thought? This is too volatile!!! How can I have peace with God (Rom.5:1) if my eternal destination is switching between heaven and hell with every thought I have! I’m sorry, but this is no way to live!
You quote: “We are saved by faith, in that if we repent…”
You are setting conditions for your salvation. It is not faith if you have to repent, because then you are working for your salvation.
In addition, repentance is not getting on your knees and saying I’m sorry. The true meaning of repentance is to turn away from sin. It is action, not words.
- The doctrine and practice of repentance under the Kingdom program involved having to go to an alter and sacrifice a dove or a lamb, etc.
- Repentance in the Grace program involves the gospel of Christ and being transformed into godliness by learning and applying of the Word in one's life. I’m not saying one cannot express sorrow for a sin or if you fall in a moment of weakness. We all have regret if we are sincere and love God, but one’s salvation is certainly not dependent on repentance. The blood of Christ, His cross work, is applicable to our ENTIRE life, past, present and future. Justification is the declaration of righteousness upon us the moment we are saved. That state of righteousness remains upon us even if we fall in sin. Why? Because it is NOT our righteousness, but Christ’s righteousness upon us.
We are sinners to the core! Our flesh is vile and repulsive before God. Even our righteous acts are filthy rags to Him. How in the world do you think we can be saved by repentance. If we can continue to repent and be saved by that, what was the value and need of Christs cross and His sufferings? Salvation is 100% in the cross of Christ! It has NOTHING to do with saying “Sorry God for my sins” and has EVERYTHING to do with a simple child-like faith in Jesus Christ. Believe in Jesus Christ.
Rom.3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Rom.4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
You quote: “and a pardon does not cover future crimes”
I agree. A pardon does nothing. What covers ALL sins is the justification of God through your faith in Christ. Nothing you can do, barring placing your trust in Christ can forgive you. Justification and forgiveness are God’s work, not ours!
You quote: “If you intend to teach that the believer can carry on in willful sin”
Please note that my posts have “Parts” to them. You cannot just go to Part 3 and quote what I said. Obviously then things are out of context. One has to read from the beginning and take the whole lesson into consideration. As you do, I read the Bible to. I have read Romans chapters 5 to 7 many times. I am aware of what Paul write sin Rom.6:1–2 and Rom.6:15. So, I am certainly not condoning willful sin. What I am writing regarding God’s grace is according to how it is presented in the Bible. I qualify my statements with scripture and in the correct dispensational context.
My writing and the advice therein is based on (1) reading Romans chapters 1–8 many times over and (2) I have learned to separate Israel’s law doctrine from the grace doctrine of Paul. Having a correct dispensational context of scripture (2Tim.2:15) is one of the four foundational cornerstones of the Christian faith. Without it one will continuously skew the truth by mixing law and grace. I hope that you will view my post content from both these perspectives which will help to clarify it.
Statement
If repentance is not required for salvation then everyone who believes in Jesus Christ is on their way to Heaven, and even the demons believe in Jesus Christ. The Bible is quite clear only those that have repented and turned their back on sin will be in Heaven.
Answer
Our flesh is sinful. Even Paul, who received these revelations from God and who openly confessed that we were to imitate Him said, I have not yet attained, (Phil.3:12). I’m certainly not condoning sin, and God expects us to mature by the Word to subjugate sin in the flesh, but it is inevitable. We are not perfect.
Nevertheless, barring all the above, what about boasting then? Think of this. If we were even able to avoid ALL sin in our lives by whatever means and power we had, surely, we could then boast when we get to heaven? One could say, I got here because I defeated sin. I did this and I did that!! No. Heaven will be filled with those who say, Christ did it all! All glory to Him alone.
Scripture says,
Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Question
I still believe that one has to follow the commandments to earn heaven. Why else would God lay down the commandments, and why else would he make it clear that we should follow them?
Answer
We are living in a dispensation in which God deals with us by grace, not by law. The law cannot save (Romans 7:13-24; Romans 8:3) and we cannot ‘earn’ our way to heaven. Through His life and death, Christ fulfilled the law on our behalf, and because of this we are saved if we believe in Christ.
When we are saved, in that moment, grace takes hold of us and God justifies us. (I am writing another series of posts on grace, and this one (The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 3: Positional Grace)) is very relevant to fully answer your questions.
As we grow in Christ we operate more and more in love. Love is not subject to laws. Laws are only necessary for the unrighteous, but when you give into the love of Christ, there is no need for laws to govern you.
Lastly, the Galatians are perfect examples of trying to live the Christian life under the law. Paul reprimands them by saying,
Gal 5:1-4 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Circumcision in the context of the verses above can apply to any laws. Laws bring condemnation as your flesh will always fail the law. The law actually gives sin its power (1 Cor.15:56). So, when you try to use the law to serve God, Christ will profit you nothing. If you could be declared righteous by the law, then what was the purpose of Christ dying for you? This is why Paul says above that by the law, Christ has become of no effect to you.
Grace supersedes the law. Grace takes away the ability to boast and claim that you earned righteousness yourself. Grace gives the glory to Christ alone, and it is by that grace that you are saved and transformed into a vessel of honour and as God works within you to His pleasure and will.
Question
So sins will be punished? If that is true, then wouldn’t avoiding sin mean less punishment, which would mean you must identify what a sin is and avoid it, which would mean you should follow the Ten Commandments because they are the laws set down by God?
Answer
Believing in Jesus Christ is ones ONLY hope of salvation. No works, no laws, no trying in yourself to live righteously, no attempts to do anything on your part to save yourself. The glory of your salvation is Christs alone. How God works within you after salvation is by His Word and by His Spirit to change the heart of the human, and that is in His hands,
Phil.1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Regarding, 'sins will be punished', again, the Bible makes this clear. For unbelievers, yes, sins will be punished at the Great White Thone judgement when the books will be opened. There will be eternal punishment upon them for rejecting Christ.
Regarding believers, there is no eternal punishment, but continuous discipline. Our ‘punishment’ was dealt with at the cross. God punished our sins by pouring out His wrath on Christ. Since our punishment is dealt with, He teaches us and disciplines us through circumstances. If you rebel, those circumstances will increase, even unto death in the flesh so that your spirit can be saved, (1 Cor.5:5).
Lastly, if you read Galatians, it is a clear picture of Christians trying to live righteously by the law. The end result is they failed miserably! (See Galatians 5). Law will never help you be a better Christian. One will always be under condemnation and have no growth in Christ. Learning God’s will and ways by His Word, and then living in it by His grace is the beginning of wisdom and is the basis for growing and maturing in Christ.
I do not condone any sins, just as is taught by Paul in Romans chapters 6 and 7. What I am saying is that to subjugate sin is not by trying to live a ‘better life’ by laws and your own strength, but by knowledge of the Word and then applying that knowledge into your daily living. To walk by the spirit is to walk according to your knowledge and application of God’s Word. Paul says, if you walk by the spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, (Gal.5:16). That is how to defeat sin, and this is living by the grace of God.
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