Is Free Grace A License To Sin? You’ve heard it a bunch, I bet. Supposedly, grace is some kind of sin pass. The claim is that if we teach that grace is really “free,” then we will be inadvertently encouraging people to sin since they will no longer have their feet dangling over hell. While on the surface, this has attracted many people to the Lordship’s salvation, the false implication that’s hidden in this statement is dangerous. Why?
It’s exactly what a self-righteous person would say. And yes, it’s possible to be saved and become self-righteous. You didn’t trust in yourself for your salvation, but it is possible to think that everything after your salvation is your responsibility.
I grew up in this mindset: You get grace for salvation, then just work really hard to be good after grace has done its work. The idea seemed to be that there was no place for Grace after I was saved.
But that’s not how it works. So when someone says, “Don’t teach that grace is free because that would be a license to sin,” I want your self-righteous alarm to start blaring. Why?
While grace is the method by which we receive our salvation, grace is also an ongoing need. Salvation is a one-time event, but our need for grace is not a once-and-done transaction. Don’t take my word for it. Take the word of the word of God. Notice how each of these verses shows Grace is an ongoing need.
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.…” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
Do you notice that in each of these verses, grace continues to be given on a regular basis? Grace is dispensed in an ongoing manner. In our time of need. In our daily lives. And it’s a good thing.
So, let’s analyze the mindset of a person who says we should not teach that grace is free because that would be a license to sin. By making such a claim, they are implying that they have no need for grace in their daily lives. This is ridiculous. They are implying that they have stopped sinning without the use of grace. They are implying that they don’t need grace. Remember, God Resists the proud. So, not embracing grace daily likely means that you will find yourself as a pride addict, and God is resisting you. God will discipline you and me for that kind of mindset. I don’t want to be in that situation. I want to embrace God’s free grace.
So, is grace a license to sin? Whether it is or not, it seems a lot healthier to focus on the fact that we all need his free grace not just on the day of our salvation but every single day.
I know people that believe they will sin and that it's just part of life. But because all they need to do is pray and ask for forgiveness then it's ok. It's ok to do the same sin more than once as long as you ask for forgiveness right after. They say the only way you won't goto heaven is if you die after committing a sin and before asking for forgiveness.
I said that's not how it works. I believe that using the Bible and Gods word like that is wrong. I believe that you must ask for forgiveness not only from God but from the person you sinned against as well. Then you must repent and do everything possible to change your sinful behavior.
We should definitely repent and make amends where necessary. Depending on the sin, if we don't change our ways, we can physically die, cause others to die, or be harmed. Sin is no joke. And yet, being a sinner does not make us lose our salvation, any more than it prevented us from believing in Jesus and being saved. I see sin as a spiritual growth issue.
This is helpful. Our justification our sanctification our glorification is all by faith totally apart from works. This is hard for a lot of people to accept and even embarrassing for them to proclaim.