September 19, 2024
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
The lyrics of this old hymn were as familiar to me as the pulpit from which my pastor preached in my home church. With the deepest gratitude and unrivaled sincerity, I joined the chorus of believers from my childhood who frequently bellowed these doctrinally rich words. The biblical message of grace is just as meaningful to me now, if not more so, than it ever was. Frankly, I cannot imagine my life apart from the cleansing, sanctifying grace of God.
Yet, over the years I’ve also come to realize at least two dangers that emerge in light of God’s grace that sometimes lead Christians astray. The deficiency is not in the supernatural power of God’s forgiveness, but with our misguided perceptions instead. Sometimes, well-meaning Christians misconstrue the grace of the Lord, leading to two unhealthy, dare I say, unbiblical extremes. The Apostle John intentionally warns about these dangers.
On the one hand, some Christians will be tempted to dismiss their sins as no big deal. Or, stated differently, some will recklessly conclude that because salvation is a gift of grace, we are free to live however we choose. Thus, John warns us that, because “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, if we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth (1 John 1:5-6).” The analogy of darkness presents the deceptive waywardness of sin in dichotomy to the light of a relationship with Jesus.
True believers refuse to use the grace of God as an excuse for remaining in sin. No one was clearer on this point than the Apostle Paul, who asked rhetorically, “Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be (Rom. 6:1-2)!” Though we are born again by grace through faith apart from good works (Eph. 2:8-9), the goal of salvation is transformed lives characterized by radical change (Eph. 2:10). The seed of redemption is, without question, the grace of God revealed in the gospel of Jesus, but the fruit of salvation is obedience to and joy in the ways of God.
Good works are not the cause of our relationship with the Almighty, but they are the consequence of it. Scripture describes faith in God that fails to produce life change as dead and worthless (James 2:14-26) even as it encourages us to look for deeds appropriate to repentance (Acts 26:20). Jesus Himself explained, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:31-32).” Openly celebrating or continually practicing sinful behavior is entirely contrary to saving faith no matter how passionately we insist otherwise.
On the other hand, though, some Christians will boast of sinless perfection that is impossible. How do we know for sure that believers cannot reach a state of moral impeccability after placing their faith in Christ? If grace is transformative, why don’t we expect complete righteousness right now? Again, John the Apostle is helpful and direct. Writing to Christians he insists, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).” Lest we miss the point, he clarifies once more, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us (1 John 1:10).”
Those who claim to be perfect are just as offensive to a holy God as those who boast of their right to remain in sin. Even worse is labeling these deviances as Christianity. We dare not trample underfoot the sacrifice of Jesus and insult the Spirit of grace by ignoring our sinfulness or hiding it altogether (Heb. 10:20).
So, what are we to do? If habitual sin is a sign of unbelief and misguided self-righteousness is akin to calling God a liar, how should we respond when we yield to temptation and choose to disobey the Lord? In a word—CONFESS. By addressing Christ followers specifically, John guides us once more with a message of reassurance. “If we confess our sins,” he says, “[God] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).”
We should not remain in sin, but neither should we pretend to be entirely holy either. Christians will disobey God far too often, but we should be willing to confess and abandon our transgressions just as quickly. Additionally, confession rescues us from inflated views that position ourselves as more spiritual than we really are. Praise the Lord He is quick to forgive and anxious to cleanse us when we stumble.
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Dr. Adam B. Dooley is pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, Tenn., and author of Hope When Life Unravels. Contact him at adooley@ebcjackson.org. This column first appeared in Kentucky Today.
