God's Grace

"For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).

Jude wrote his letter, in part, to point out certain false teachers who were using the concept of God’s grace to promote sensuality. The term carries the idea of lust, excess, shamelessness, and insolence. Evidently they promoted the idea that God’s grace would cover such sins, and so committing them was acceptable, or at least allowable. Such is a perversion of the concept of grace, and by advocating such a view, they deny Christ, who died that our sins could be forgiven, and whose gospel of grace is a call to purity (1 Tim. 4:12).

Peter also speaks of such teachers. “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved” (2 Pet. 2:19). How horrible it is to think these individuals distort the truth of the gospel for the sake of gratifying their desires. What judgment awaits them? Jude says they are designated for condemnation, and Peter also says, “And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Pet. 2:3).

I am a firm believer in God’s grace, because without it, there’s no hope for anyone to be saved. We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). However, we must not add to nor take from what Scripture teaches. God’s grace is always available, at work through the blood of Christ as we walk in the light (1 John 1:7). But what about deliberate, unrepented sins? What about when we know what we’re doing is wrong, but we do it anyway? John earlier said we must confess our sins for forgiveness and cleansing to take place (1 John 1:9). Simon the magician was so exhorted by Peter (Acts 8:22). And Paul warned the Galatians, that to add the Law of Moses to the gospel would cause them to fall from grace (Gal. 5:4).

The point of this all is we can be guilty of turning grace into sensuality when we want to appeal to it to justify continual sin. I have lost count of those who, when confronted with active sin in their life, appeal to grace as permission to sin. The phrase, “I’m just going to rely on God’s grace,” is a false hope. There is a difference in trying to overcome sin, struggling against it, falling at times but repenting and continuing the fight of faith, than condoning sin because of grace. The words of Paul are a strong reminder of this difference. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom. 6:1-2).

Certainly none of us are perfect, and that’s not what I’m trying to say. We must constantly examine our hearts, our motives, and make every effort to align them with the will of God. But if we persist in sin, to say “I’m relying on the grace of God” is precarious spiritually. Perhaps the false teaching of many in the religious world has had an impact on the body of Christ. Perhaps the spirit of the age, the concept of God allowing just about anything and turning a blind eye to it all, is part of it, but it’s a delusion. Don’t want to worship God? No problem, grace will cover it. Want to be rich towards self, but not toward God? There’s grace. Have time to do whatever you want, but not to serve God? Grace will take care of it. Living in a sinful lifestyle, but don’t want to stop? Ah yes, don’t worry, we have grace.

Of course, I’m being facetious. But it does have an all too familiar sound, doesn’t it? Are you willing to deny Christ by taking such a view? Are you willing to exchange your soul for it? We will be judged according to God’s word and our deeds (John 12:48; 2 Cor. 5:10). Thank God for His grace, but don’t trust in grace to exonerate a deliberate sinful life. Remember what grace teaches (Titus 2:11-12).

Robert Johnson