The License to Sin
For Sunday morning Bible class the last two weeks, we studied Romans 6 and 7. In these chapters, Paul talks about how we might abuse the grace of God and the gift of salvation offered to us. Paul begins here his conversation with the Christians in Rome about doing good and doing evil. He talks about this in a way different from the way we usually talk about. We might ask if doing this specific work is good or bad. Paul does not deal at the level of the specific but at the level of what is alive in us and in terms of what enslaves us.
In chapters one through five, Paul outlines the gift of God's grace which we receive by faith. He first details how we have nothing good in us and how works righteousness is not an option for us because of the corruption of our bodies and the sins we commit. He then goes on to explain that there is a righteousness apart from works we can receive because of Christ through faith. In chapter 6, Paul deals with one improper response to this grace: licentiousness.
Licentiousness is to take the gift of God's grace as a license to do evil. That is to ask, do we have the license to do evil because God will forgive us? Paul asks it in this way; should we sin that grace may abound? Can we sin because we are no longer under the law? In other words, does the grace of God give us license to sin? Paul does not give us this license. Jesus did not suffer, die, and rise so that we might be able to sin. He did all this for us to set us free from sin, death, and the devil.
Instead of talking about specific sins, Paul talks about what is living in us or what we are enslaved to. Sin was living in us until we received the gift of God by faith. In baptism, the sin that was living in us is killed and a new being raises. We are a new creation in Christ, no longer does sin live in us, but the Spirit of God does. We were once slaves to sin and enslaved to the passions of the flesh. Now, however, we are enslaved to the Spirit of God. We cannot return to what we once were, we must now be who God made us. We cannot take God's love as a license to do evil.
Here, Paul does not deal with ethics. He does not deal with what actions or works are right or wrong. He deals with our hearts. Do we live in sin or do we live for God? Are we enslaved to our sinful desires or are we enslaved to the will of God through his Spirit? The answer to these questions will identify the source of our actions. They define and bring light to the being of our heart.
In chapter seven, Paul deals with actual sins and works of the law. Even in this state of being with the life of Christ living in us and enslaved to the Spirit of God, we find it to be that we do evil things. Even if we don't want to do them, we continue to do them. We struggle and find two diametrically opposed desires at war within us. We want to do good, yet we continue to do evil.
We do not take the grace of God as a license to sin. Yet, our sins are forgiven because of the gift of God in Christ. What a state we find ourselves in. We desire nothing more than to live for God, yet we only live for ourselves. This is why it is not about what we do. More importantly, it is about who we are. We are baptized believers in Jesus Christ. This means we are forgiven people who live for God and struggles with sin. It is easy to be a Christian, but being a Christian is not easy.
In chapters one through five, Paul outlines the gift of God's grace which we receive by faith. He first details how we have nothing good in us and how works righteousness is not an option for us because of the corruption of our bodies and the sins we commit. He then goes on to explain that there is a righteousness apart from works we can receive because of Christ through faith. In chapter 6, Paul deals with one improper response to this grace: licentiousness.
Licentiousness is to take the gift of God's grace as a license to do evil. That is to ask, do we have the license to do evil because God will forgive us? Paul asks it in this way; should we sin that grace may abound? Can we sin because we are no longer under the law? In other words, does the grace of God give us license to sin? Paul does not give us this license. Jesus did not suffer, die, and rise so that we might be able to sin. He did all this for us to set us free from sin, death, and the devil.
Instead of talking about specific sins, Paul talks about what is living in us or what we are enslaved to. Sin was living in us until we received the gift of God by faith. In baptism, the sin that was living in us is killed and a new being raises. We are a new creation in Christ, no longer does sin live in us, but the Spirit of God does. We were once slaves to sin and enslaved to the passions of the flesh. Now, however, we are enslaved to the Spirit of God. We cannot return to what we once were, we must now be who God made us. We cannot take God's love as a license to do evil.
Here, Paul does not deal with ethics. He does not deal with what actions or works are right or wrong. He deals with our hearts. Do we live in sin or do we live for God? Are we enslaved to our sinful desires or are we enslaved to the will of God through his Spirit? The answer to these questions will identify the source of our actions. They define and bring light to the being of our heart.
In chapter seven, Paul deals with actual sins and works of the law. Even in this state of being with the life of Christ living in us and enslaved to the Spirit of God, we find it to be that we do evil things. Even if we don't want to do them, we continue to do them. We struggle and find two diametrically opposed desires at war within us. We want to do good, yet we continue to do evil.
We do not take the grace of God as a license to sin. Yet, our sins are forgiven because of the gift of God in Christ. What a state we find ourselves in. We desire nothing more than to live for God, yet we only live for ourselves. This is why it is not about what we do. More importantly, it is about who we are. We are baptized believers in Jesus Christ. This means we are forgiven people who live for God and struggles with sin. It is easy to be a Christian, but being a Christian is not easy.
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