Does grace tolerate sin?

Living in grace means rejecting sin, not tolerating or accepting it. God is against sin - he hates it. He refused to leave us in our sinful condition and sent his son to release us from her and its effects.

When Jesus spoke to a woman who was committing adultery, he said to her: “Neither do I condemn you,” Jesus replied. “You may go, but sin no more.” (Joh 8,11)Jesus' statement reveals his contempt for sin and conveys a grace that confronts sin with redeeming love. It would be a tragic mistake to interpret Jesus' willingness to become our Savior as tolerance of sin. The Son of God became one of us precisely because he was utterly intolerant of the deceptive and destructive power of sin. Instead of accepting our sin, he took it upon himself and submitted it to God's judgment. Through his self-sacrifice, the punishment, the death, that sin brings upon us was atoned for.

When we look around the fallen world we live in and when we look into our own lives, it is obvious that God allows sin. However, the Bible clearly states that God hates sin. Why? Because of the damage done to us. Sin hurts us - it hurts our relationship with God and with others; it prevents us from living in the truth and fullness of who we are, our loved ones. In dealing with our sin, which was removed in and through Jesus, God does not immediately free us from all the enslaving consequences of sin. But that doesn't mean that His grace allows us to continue to sin. God's grace is not his passive tolerance of sin.

As Christians, we live under grace—freed from the ultimate punishments of sin because of Jesus' sacrifice. As workers with Christ, we teach and praise grace in a way that gives people hope and a clear picture of God as their loving, forgiving Father. But this message comes with a warning—remember the question of the Apostle Paul: “Do you value God’s unfailing kindness, patience, and faithfulness so little? Do you not see that these very kindnesses are meant to lead you to repentance?” (Röm 2,4)He also said: “What shall we say to these things? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound? By no means! We died to sin; how can we continue in it?” (Röm 6,1-2).

The truth of God's love should never encourage us to remain in our sin. Grace is God's provision in Jesus to free us not only from the guilt and shame of sin, but also from its distorting, enslaving power. As Jesus said, "Whoever practices sin is a slave to sin." (Joh 8,34)Paul warned: “Do you not know that to whom you submit as slaves, you are slaves of the one to whom you obey—either as slaves of sin which leads to death, or as slaves of obedience which leads to righteousness?” (Röm 6,16)Sin is a serious matter, for it enslaves us to the influence of evil.

This understanding of sin and its consequences does not lead us to heap words of condemnation upon people. Instead, as Paul noted, our words should be: “Speak kindly to everyone; let everything you say be good and helpful. Make every effort to find the right words for everyone.” (Kol 4,6)Our words should convey hope and tell of both the forgiveness of sins in Christ through God and his victory over all evil. To speak only of one without the other is a distortion of the message of grace. As Paul notes, God in his grace will never leave us enslaved to evil: “But thanks be to God that you, though slaves to sin, have now from your hearts become obedient to the pattern of teaching to which you were assigned.” (Röm 6,17).

As we grow in understanding the truth of God's grace, we understand more and more why God abhors sin. It damages and hurts his creation. It destroys the right relationships with others and slanders the character of God with lies about God that undermine him and a trusting relationship with God. What do we do when we see a loved one sin? We don't judge him, but we hate the sinful behavior that harms him and maybe others. We hope and pray that Jesus, our beloved, will be freed from his sin by the life that he has sacrificed for him.

Stoning of Stephen

Paul is a powerful example of what God's love can do in a person's life. Before his conversion, Paul fiercely persecuted Christians. He was present when Stephen was martyred. (Apg 7,54-60)The Bible describes his attitude: “But Saul was pleased to die.” (Apg 8,1)Because he was aware of the enormous grace he received for the terrible sins of his past, grace remained a major theme in Paul's life. He fulfilled his calling to serve Jesus: "But I consider my life not worth mentioning, if only I may finish the course and complete the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace." (Apg 20,24).
In Paul's writings we find an interweaving of grace and truth in what he taught under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We also see that God radically transformed Paul from a bad-tempered legalist who persecuted Christians to a humble servant of Jesus. He was aware of his own sin and God's mercy when he accepted him as his child. Paul embraced God's grace and devoted all of his life to preaching, regardless of the cost.

Following Paul's example, our conversations with others should be grounded in God's amazing grace for all sinners. Our words should testify that we live a life free from sin, guided by God's firm teaching. "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's children abide in them and cannot sin, because they have been born of God." (1. Joh 3,9).

When you encounter people who live contrary to God's goodness, instead of condemning them, you should deal with them gently: "The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but gentle with everyone, able to teach, able to take offense and gently correcting those who oppose him. Perhaps they will repent and be made to know the truth." (2. Tim. 2,24-25).

Like Paul, your fellow human beings need a real encounter with Jesus. You can serve such an encounter in which your behavior corresponds to the nature of Jesus Christ.

by Joseph Tkach