Your Premeditated Pass to Sin

Romans 6:1,2 So do you think we should continue sinning so that God will give us more and more grace? Of course not! Our old sinful life ended. It’s dead. So how can we continue living in sin?

Each one of us has that one weakness, that one chink in our armour, that one … sin that keeps coming back to haunt us; to derail our faith journey. You probably already know what yours is.

I certainly know mine. And the dynamic that tends to play itself out when that one particular temptation comes our way is this: we try to resist it for a while, but that temptation to gossip, that temptation to be that little bit dishonest (again!) that temptation to … whatever, grows stronger and stronger.

And then you remember that, come what may, God’s going to forgive you because you believe in Jesus – oh yeah, I forgot about that! – at which point you give yourself a premeditated get-out-of-jail-free card; at which point you yield to the temptation. Sound familiar?

Well, time to sober up.

Romans 6:1,2 So do you think we should continue sinning so that God will give us more and more grace? Of course not! Our old sinful life ended. It’s dead. So how can we continue living in sin?

That’s a rhetorical question, in case you’re wondering. How can you?! is what God’s saying to us through the Apostle Paul here. How can you, after all I’ve done for you in offering up Jesus to die on that Cross for you? How can you?

The grace of God in Jesus Christ isn’t a ticket to keep on sinning. It’s not our license to fall to that same temptation again and again. So the next time you’re counting on giving yourself yet another premediated free pass to sin, may the Holy Spirit remind you of God’s response:

How can you?

That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.