Romans 5:20-21, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”
God's grace does not allow us to sin; it allows us not to. What does that mean? It simply means friend that when you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you are no longer under the curse of sin and the law, you are now forever under God's saving grace. As believers we don't fall from grace, we fall in grace! There is no depth of sin to which a child of God can sink that salvation could ever be lost or jeopardized. If saved, always saved!
Simply friend, when you accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, believing that He was buried, but is risen from the dead, you are saved. This is “the Gospel” (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Gospel means “GOOD NEWS.” It is the Good News that Jesus paid for your sins (and mine) through His death on the cross. Jesus shed His precious blood to pay for our sins.
1st Peter 1:18-20, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”
The moment that someone gets saved, God declares them legally JUSTIFIED (just-if-I'd never sinned). In theology this is called “IMPUTATION.” This is my favorite theological term, and it is found in the wonderful inspired King James Bible.
Romans 4:5-7, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”
The same Greek word logizomai is used for both words “counted” and “imputeth.” I believe that the 54 King James Bible translators did this intentionally to help us understand the meaning of “impute.” It means that by faith Jesus counts our sins to Him, and counts His righteousness to us. 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him [God the Son, Jesus].” Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
The Bible says that where sin did abound, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND!!! Romans 5:20-21, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” We are not kept saved by our own faithfulness to God, but by God's faithfulness to keep His promises to us. God is faithful (1st Corinthians 1:9).
When we choose to sin as Christians (and we ALL do), God's grace keeps us from ever losing salvation. Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” We ought not sin. But when we do, grace will abound. The more we sin, the more grace will abound. It is very important that every believer comprehend this truth, and every believer DOES! Anybody who thinks that must turn away from sinful behavior to be saved, is NOT saved. The only mindset that a born-again Christian can have is that JESUS PAID IT ALL!!!
God's grace does not allow us to sin; it allows us not to, because when WE DO SIN the blood of Jesus reaches deeper than the stain of sin has gone. As believers we cannot be condemned for our sins! That is what this article is about. John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Dear reader, once you receive Christ as your personal Savior, resting completely in His work of redemption, your POSITION in Christ as God's child is forever settled. Your CONDITION in Christ is a separate matter, determined by the choices that we make from day to day. The former is sonship; the latter is discipleship. The former is salvation; the latter is service. A person may be saved, but not serve Christ. A person may be an adopted son of God by faith, but not be right with God as His child. We must ALWAYS keep sanctification separate from justification, for these are two different matters entirely. The famous Pilgrim's Progress author and Gospel preacher, John Bunyan (1628-1688), said it very well:
“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” [emphasis added] —Evangelist John Bunyan
Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” If you are born-again, then you “live” in the Holy Spirit. That is, the Holy Spirit of God is alive inside you. In theology we call this the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit” (1st Corinthians 3:16-17; Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:24). And as believers who live in the Spirit (capitol S), we ought to also “walk” in that same Holy Spirit, meaning that we ought to obey the Spirit of God as He leads us to obey the written Word of God (2nd Corinthians 10:5-6; John 5:39; John 17:17; Romans 12:2).
God's grace does not give any saint permission to sin, but if we do there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). The Lord will hold every Christian accountable at the Judgment Seat Of Christ for the 'good or bad' done in the body (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11). God will avenge all evil (Romans 12:19; 1st Thessalonians 4:6). But there can never be any damnation for the child of God, because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins with His precious blood (1st John 1:7).
Many Christians will suffer great loss of reward at the Judgment Seat Of Christ (1st Corinthians 3:11-15). We will also be rewarded for our individual labors for Christ (1st Corinthians 3:8-9). God will reward every believer according to our works. In sharp contrast, the unsaved will be damned at the Great White Throne Of Judgment, punished according to their works (Revelation 20:11-15). I like to compare the Judgment Seat Of Christ for believers to a civil court, where there is no risk of criminal penalty, only monetary loss. Whereas the Judgment Seat Of Christ can be compared to a criminal court, where people are sentenced to prison. All those judged at the Great White Throne Of Judgment will be cast into the eternal Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15; 21:8).
God's grace does not allow us to sin, because any sins we choose to commit have already been washed away by the blood of the Lamb. What saith the Scripture?
1st Corinthians 6:9-11, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
I love that phrase... BUT YE ARE WASHED!!! Every born-again saint has been washed in the blood. Gone, gone, gone, my sins are all gone.
Gone, gone, gone, gone!
Yes my sins are gone.
Now my soul is free, and in my heart's a song;
Buried in the deepest sea,
Yes that's good enough for me;
I shall live eternally, Praise God! My sins are gone.
Hear this song sang: MY SINS ARE GONE! ...
My Sins Are Gone!
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