Lies Christians Believe #4 ~ “The grace of God covers my sin so that I can live how I like.”

August 12, 2017

“I don’t need to live a holy life because Jesus did that for me and it has been credited to my account through grace.”

“Don’t tell me how to live, I’m under grace, not under law.”

There is probably an endless number of lies that have come from a false view of God’s grace. Many in the “church” today live out such lies or at least are ignorant about what God’s grace really is. Growing up, I remember my dad lamenting the improper use of the word “grace.” Thankfully his concern has rubbed off on me and I began to discover what the Scriptures teach about grace. So many people today believe that grace covers their sin and lack of striving after holiness so that God doesn’t see what they are truly like. Others perhaps believe that their sinfulness is excused because of God’s grace.

To a large degree the problem seems to lie in the fact that we are only preaching about the role of grace to make us born again. We are right in preaching about being justified through grace alone without works. We are right in saying that we cannot be converted through works.

However, we often neglect the teaching of Scripture about the role of grace after being born again. What is the role of grace in a new, cleansed heart that has been set free from the power of sin? What is the role of grace in the life of a believer whose will is surrendered to the Lordship of Christ?

First of all, what is grace? Many say that it is simply the unmerited favor of God. There is truth to that, but the question remains as to what this “favor” looks like in the believer’s life. An excuse or covering for our sinfulness? The Strongs concordance has a very enlightening phrase in its definition of “grace.” Strongs says that grace is “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.” Grace is the influence of God in the heart that is reflected in the outward life of a person.  I, of course, cannot cover the whole of what grace is, but I do want to provide a refutation to the lies about the nature and role of grace.

I want to share three passages about grace to give us a better picture of the work of grace in our lives after conversion:

1. Grace as Deliverer - Romans 6:14 - For  sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

Many seem to read this as saying, “My sin against God’s law will not be seen or judged because I am not under law but under grace.” That is not how this verse reads. Because of grace, we are no longer under the dominion of sin! Hallelujah!

2. Grace as Ruler – Romans 5:21 - That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

This verse says that just as sin reigned in our hearts unto death, grace now rules in the believer’s heart. Notice that grace reigns through righteousness. The Rule of grace in the life of the believer is a rule of righteousness unto eternal life. What a blessed thing to have the grace of God ruling in our hearts through righteousness.

3. Grace as Teacher – Titus 2:11-12 - 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; 

The same grace of God that saves us in the first place is the same grace that teaches us to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. To resist the grace of God that teaches us to live holy lives is to resist the grace of God that saved us in the first place. A very dangerous thing indeed!

The first work of grace is to show us Christ and our sin which in turn leads to initial salvation. However, when a man has become a new creation in Christ with Christlike affections and a surrendered will – the grace of God works as a keeper and sanctifier from sin. Such a transformed person has no excuse not to do the works of righteousness by faith through the teaching influence of grace. Grace is the mighty liberator and sanctifier of the believer! If the grace of God is having its way in you and me, it will make us a holy people “zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). It will make us a holy people set apart for God and not conformed to the customs of this world. It is the power of Almighty God to bring about God’s complete redemptive purpose in man. It will transform a man, body soul and Spirit, into the image of Christ.

What does this mean for us?

1. We must stop using the grace of God has a cloak to cover our sin (Jude v4). God’s grace radically sets us free from the power of sin and leads us on to greater holiness of heart and lifestyle.

2. We must stop excusing ourselves from pursuing godliness. We must make use of the “means of grace” that God has given us. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation offered us through grace. We typically say that the following things are God’s means of communicating His grace to us: God’s Word, Prayer, Fellowship with other believers, Singing, Preaching of the Word and perhaps others. The means of grace bring us into contact with the knowledge and grace of Christ. These channels of God’s grace bring us into contact with the life and power of Jesus.

3. We must denounce the false teaching of irresistible grace. If God’s grace is irresistible in making us born again, it must also be irresistible in making us “sober, righteous and godly in this present world.” It begs the question, “If God’s grace is irresistible and God’s grace set’s us free from sin, rules in our hearts through righteousness and teaches us to live a holy life…why aren’t we made holy automatically? And therefore, why are there so many failing Christians if they are under the influence of irresistible grace?” As believers, we have been given new hearts and our wills have been surrendered to God. We must daily deny our selfish desires in order to choose to obey God’s teaching through grace. We must abide under the teaching influence of grace by the Holy Spirit. We must daily make the choice to surrender to the teaching and power of God’s grace.

4. We must choose to grow in grace. 2 Pe 3:18a says - But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We are commanded to grow in grace. As usual, when we see a command in Scripture it implies that we have a choice to make. It also implies that there are consequences if we do not choose to grow in grace. In Titus 2, letting grace teach us is tied to looking for Christ return. We have no business looking forward to Christ’s return if grace is not having its way in our lives.

5. Our victory over sin and overall growth in holiness is conditional on our pursuit of grace and submission to the teaching of God’s grace. “You can have as much of God and holiness as you like” is a true statement. God calls on us to seek Him and conform our lives to His Holy Character through the grace He has given us. Are we defeated in some area? God “hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” God will deliver us if we seek Him faithfully and fervently.

This note is primarily aimed at refuting the lies of our “Christian” culture in regard to “grace.” And yet, these truths should also give us much hope. Christ has given Himself to us without measure, through grace, that we might be the righteousness of God through Him. This is not a call to save ourselves. It is a call to partake of Christ and His life through pursuit of and submission to His grace which is freely given to us.

So, the question is brothers and sisters, are we growing in grace and allowing it to have its righteous dominion in us? Barnabas rejoiced when he had “seen the grace of God” in the new believers at Antioch. Can the fruit of grace be “seen” in us?