For those teaching that unrepentant sin means loss of Salvation, it is high time that believers believing this understand that not only are they wrong, they are denying that Jesus’ Sacrifice for us was completely sufficient with the Father. I am not in any way saying to just go live carnally and sin all we want. Absolutely not. We should be striving to live right because of the grace God has given to us to even be eternally saved. If you believe that you can get saved and then just live carnally, because God’s grace abounds (Romans 5), you may need to reconsider that belief.
“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? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6 KJV)
After explaining to us in Romans 5 that grace much more covers our sins, some thought that meant we can just live our lives after salvation as we always have, since Christ paid for our sins. But that is the wrong attitude. Apostle Paul also rebuked the Corinthian believers as a very bad example of a group of believers living very carnally and doing things that believers definitely should not be doing. Sexual relations within families not by marriage even. Yet, the church ignored their grievous sins. Were they still saved believers? Yes and Paul addressed them as such while rebuking them. It seems they had the wrong attitude described in Romans 6; Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Did Jesus pay for just believers sins or ALL SINS from ALL TIME?
Jesus paid for the sins OF THE WHOLE WORLD on the cross. ALL SINS (past/present/future). (1 John 2:2).
Did Jesus make a partial payment for the sins of the whole world or did He pay for all sins completely and utterly?
On the cross Jesus cried out IT IS FINISHED. In the Greek that was penned it literally is an accounting phrase meaning a DEBT PAID IN FULL. Jesus did NOT make a a partial payment for the sins if the world; it was a full payment. His shed blood was SUFFICIENT to the Father! COMPLETELY SUFFICIENT!
How do we receive the forgiveness that the payment for all sins by Christ crucified died and risen provides? How does Jesus answer this question?
Was Jesusu answer to this direct question doing more good works? No. His answer was “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God..” (John 3:3). And how does Jesus tell us that we become born again in the SPIRIT? Jesus tells us CLEARLY and REPETITIVELY for importance,
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE. For God SENT NOT his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world THROUGH HIM might be saved. 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.” (John 3:14-18 KJV)
Salvation hinges on BELIEF that Jesus as the Son of God, who is God in the flesh (John 1), born of the Virgin Mary (not born in sin) never sinned in thought nor deed, willingly shed His blood and paid in full for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD so that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM and ON HIM alone is UTTERLY and COMPLETELY FORGIVEN.
BUT THERE IS MORE THAN THAT!!
From that very moment of belief on Christ a person is IMMEDIATELY SEALED by the Holy Spirit and has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30, Colossians 2). They have become a NEW CREATURE which is called THE SPIRIT. This new SPIRIT is now the REAL US. It is Holy, Righteous and redeemed COMPLETELY (2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 2:10). Our bodies are still corrupt (1 Corinthians 15:50) and not yet fully redeemed as we await our bodily resurrection at The Rapture Event prophesied by Apostle Paul.
DO believers still sin? DO YOU? Be Honest!
Yes we do. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8 KJV, where John was encouraging believers to not fall prey to the false teachings of the Gnostics heresies). Our body and MIND is still corrupt with this THING called sin. In Romans when Paul uses the word SIN, it is used as a noun and not a verb. It is not an action word. It is a THING. Our Spirit is already heaven ready and fully redeemed by belief on Christ. But Apostle Paul taught that we still need to RENEW OUR MIND (which is how we repent after our moment of salvation) by God’s Word and by help of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12: 1-3 KJV)
Jesus also prayed for us to the Father before heading to the events leading up to the cross stating the same thing. We need to renew our mind.
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17 KJV)
Are the sins we commit after our moment of Salvation forgiven?
Yes. They were forgiven in the ONCE FOR ALL SACRIFICE of Jesus on that cross (Hebrews 10:10-11). From the very FOUNDATION of the world God foreknew all sins that we would commit and yet He still sent Jesus to die and pay for them all (Ephesians 1:4)! Sins of believers are future from the cross as any sins are for unbelievers today and so they too are FORGIVEN.
But why do believers still have sin in our lives?
ANSWER: THE FLESH. We still have this corrupt body that is bent on sinning. That is why when a believer dies physically, their Spirit goes to be with the Lord but their body goes to the grave. Our Spirit is perfect and the very righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21), without sin and can enter Heaven. But as Apostle Paul states, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Corinthians 15:50 KJV)
Apostle Paul in Romans 7 shows the conflict of a believer internally as The Spirit (the new us God MADE US in an instant of our belief on Christ) and The Flesh (which has a disease called SIN). The two are at WAR with one another but make no mistake; we are not the Flesh as believers. WE ARE THE SPIRIT still residing in this BODY OF DEATH. Apostle Paul makes this very clear in Romans 7 but one can skip over and miss verse 17 and 20,
“14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, SOLD UNDER SIN.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I FIND NOT.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.” (Romans 7: 14-20 KJV)
Reading Verse 17 and then again in verse 20 is the truth that so many Christians have not grasped. Paul is saying very clearly that inside of us is the Adam, our OLD NATURE before our moment of Salvation which Paul calls THE FLESH. Our old nature always wants to sin. Whatever feels right was right with no thought given to sin against God. The Flesh is like a disease since our physical birth.
And then there is the NEW CREATED SPIRIT (2. Cor. 5:17-21) we received at our conversion and belief in the Gospel Of Grace that Apostle Paul taught.
The Spirit is now the real us and has become our very nature; though we may not act perfectly living in The Corrupt Flesh body.
The problem is The Newly Created Spirit is residing in The Flesh still and will until our bodily resurrection. Our minds have not yet been renewed completely and so our thinking is not perfect yet. We should strive in the renewing of our mind as it leads to be less deceived by the devil and his angels who scheme against us as believers. Right believing leads to better outward living.
Does the grace of God mean we have a license to sin?
Why is it that whenever the Grace of God through Jesus Christ and eternal Security of the Believer is taught it is assumed that means go and sin all you like? As if by believing the Eternal Security of a Believer that it somehow equates to us wanting to just go and sin all we want? DO YOU FORGET that we, as believers were not just forgiven.. we WERE MADE THE RIGHTEOUS OF GOD, IN CHRIST! (2 Cor. 5:21)
Believers STRUGGLE with our sins and no believer likes their sin! They may commit a sin, and even have repetitive sins, but they will feel very BAD about it. They will later have remorse. Guilt. They tell God and CONFESS the sin and agree with God that they blew it and sinned. Why can’t I stop this sinning God? Why does sin continue to happen in my life when I am now deemed to have DIED with Christ and Risen with Him (Colossians 2, Romans 6:4)? I do not want to sin! Yet, it still happens in my life. Why? BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS FLESH not yet resurrected. We struggle as Apostle Paul did.
Should we turn from our sins believing in the Eternal Security of a Believer?
YES! Paul says to the question of should we sin more with “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:2 KJV). Yes, turn from your sins and when you blow it and do sin, CONFESS IT TO GOD. HIM to help you overcome the sin. Yet, know this; you will struggle with THE FLESH until you receive new glorified bodies at your bodily resurrection when we will finally shed this disease of sin. Yes, TURN FROM YOUR SINS . Isn’t that what we want as believers? YES! But never because we need to in order to remain saved. Our sins were PAID IN FULL 2000 years ago!
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power:
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
BURIED WITH HIM in baptism, wherein also ye are RISEN WITH HIM THROUGH THE FAITH OF THE OPERATION OF GOD, who hath raised him from the dead.
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision OF YOUR FLESH, hath he quickened together with him, having FORGIVEN YOU ALL trespasses;
BLOTTING OUT the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and TOOK IT OUT OF THE WAY, nailing it to his cross;” (Colossians 2:8-14 KJV)
ONCE SAVED. ALWAYS SAVED!
Believers are secure IN CHRIST. The penalty for our sins was PAID IN FULL by Christ friends!
ENTER INTO HIS REST!
Hebrews 3:18 KJV: “And to whom sware he that they should not ENTER INTO HIS REST, but to them that BELIEVED NOT?”
Hebrews 4:1 KJV: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of ENTERING INTO HIS REST, any of you should seem to come short of it.”
Hebrews 4:10: “For he that is ENTERED INTO HIS REST, he also hath CEASED FROM HIS OWN WORKS, as God did from his.”
You no longer have to make sacrifice for your sins. JESUS FINISHED all that on the cross! Strive to not sin. Confess your sins. Renew your mind by the Word of God. Walk in the Spirit to avoid the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Be Godly. Forgive others. YES! Yet, understand that to God,
Hebrews 10:10-11: “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, WHICH CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY SINS:“
