by David E. Bishop
DOES SALVATION BY GRACE LEAD TO CARELESSNESS?
If a person’s future as well as his past sin is forgiven by the finished work of Christ, and salvation is really a free gift by faith alone, does this cause a person to live a life of greater sinfulness? What is to stop a person from saying “What a deal - I’ll just believe in Christ and go live a life of total depravity”? That is easily recognized as the statement of an unbeliever, who does not understand the things of the Spirit because they are “foolishness to him” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
There are three reasons why this is an unfounded objection. First, a greater understanding of God’s grace does not lead to greater sinfulness; it has the opposite effect. Second, God as a loving Father disciplines rebellious children, and sin always brings tragic consequences. One reaps what he sows. Third, the Bible teaches a judgment for the Christian in heaven where rewards and praise, or else loss of reward and shame, will result from how he conducted his life on earth. Each of these reasons will be addressed below.
THE RESPONSE TO THE GRACE OF GOD IS ONE OF LOVE AND GRATITUDE
In Romans chapters 1-5 the Apostle Paul presents how man is justified before God by faith alone. He then anticipates a natural objection. He pauses in Romans 6:1-2 and says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who have died to sin continue to live in it?” To paraphrase his argument in Romans 6, he basically says, “That isn’t the way the grace of God affects the human heart.” It rather illicits the opposite response. Who is going to believe that the grace and mercy of God inspires people to sin with greater intensity? Christians may sin for a variety of reasons consistent with the weaknesses and temptations of human frailties, but being spurred on to sin by the grace of God is not one of them. Does the Bible teach that the grace of God actually causes and inspires men to reach new heights of wickedness? Those who know the Bible best know that an understanding of the grace of God is the strongest motivator to right conduct which the human heart can know.
Though we still struggle with sin (see Romans 7:15-25), our heart’s desire is to please the One who has done so much for us - a desire that intensifies as one matures and deepens in his understanding of the depths of God’s
grace and love. As Paul says in Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not be master over you, because you are not under law but under grace.” This says that the fact that now I am not under law and do not have to pay the penalty which the law demanded (death), but instead am under “grace,” will cause sin not to dominate me. The carnal logic of the unbeliever says this will cause a person to sin all he wants, but Romans 6:14 declares the truth that grace is a stricter taskmaster over the human heart than the law could ever be.
I recall speaking to a friend of mine by the name of Joe, who had recently become a Christian through a Bible study I had taught. Over dinner he told me, “You know, Dave, I don’t have so much of those big sins anymore.” He paused, then with a look of sadness and frustration said, “But now even the little sins are big sins.” What a clear example of how an understanding of grace affects the heart far greater than the law could ever do! My internal motivation is changed. When I sin now, I sin against my own heart and am more afflicted by sin than before I was a Christian. Why? Because my heart desires to please Him, and I yearn for His approval. Just getting into heaven is not enough for me anymore; I want Him to be pleased with me - so much so that I am too miserable walking in disobedience to stay in it very long! This is the normal experience for a Christian, though a Christian can get hardened to this through prolonged disobedience, which then has significant consequences. This is the subject we will now address.
THE CHRISTIAN’S SIN
The Bible teaches there are two states a Christian can be in, though he is a Christian. He is either a “spiritual man” or a “carnal man” (1 Corinthians 3:1-4); “filled with the Spirit” or “grieving the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18; 4:30); either in fellowship and “walking in the light” or out of fellowship and “walking in the darkness” (1 John 1:6-7). These terms all refer to the same situation in which a Christian gets out of fellowship with God through sin and disobedience. This is not a good state to be in. This is a place of unanswered prayer, misery, and eventually God’s discipline. Indeed, God is not going to bless and encourage disobedience, just as a human father would not. 1 John 1:6-10 describes God’s gracious provision to enable His children to maintain their fellowship with Him despite the inevitable failures of sin and disobedience that plague us all:
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
John says in verse 6 that if we say we have fellowship with God yet walk in sin, we are liars. Note that the “we” refers to Christians; the apostle even includes himself! He does not say if we say we have “eternal life” yet walk in darkness we are liars, because we still fail as Christians. We are not possessors of eternal life based on our work of endurance in holiness, but based on Christ’s work on the cross. Verse 8 confirms this. If we try to say we do not sin as Christians, “We are liars and the truth is not in us.” John is talking about fellowship with God, and that is something very different from salvation. It is presented as an experience that can be ruptured through sin, yet regained through confession of our sins to God.
John gives this solution in verse 9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The word “confess” means to “say the same thing,” to “agree” with God on the wrongness of the act, to “acknowledge.” This is not a judicial forgiveness, for judicially all our sins have already been forgiven - past, present, and future - the moment we become a Christian. We are “justified” or “pronounced righteous” by faith, not by confessing sins, and that happens the moment we believe in Christ.
John is not writing this to non-Christians and telling them how to become Christians. If that were the case he would tell them what he states in the Gospel of John: to believe in Christ that they may have eternal life (John 3:15-18; 6:40,47; etc.). He is writing this to Christians, and telling them that if they are going to have joy and fellowship with God, they need to understand how to deal with failure in their life. When they sin they need to confess it to God, and God forgives based on the fact that sin was already paid for by Christ on the cross. This forgiveness based on confession is not judicial forgiveness but parental. It is all within the family circle. God is your Father and you are His son. This is a restoration of fellowship, not sonship.
But what if a Christian does not confess his sins and continues to walk in disobedience? What would a human father do to a continually rebellious son? Discipline him, of course! God cannot have rebellion in His own household, and God disciplines His children who get out of fellowship with Him through sin and do not confess their sins to Him. The purpose of the discipline is corrective (to bring one back to Him), not punitive. The discipline also is in love, “for those whom the Lord loves, he disciplines” (Hebrews 12:6).
In 1 Corinthians 11:17-29, Paul describes the sinful behavior of a group of believers, and then says in verse 30, “For this reason many among you are weak and sick (physical ailments), and a number sleep” (sleep refers to the death of a Christian). He continues in verse 31, “But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.” The “judging” of ourselves is the same as “confession,” in that we are acknowledging the wrongness of the behavior. And note, that God is gracious in that He is seen as waiting for the son to judge himself - but if he will not, God as a loving Father will have to administer the judgment. And what is this judgment? Verse 31 continues, “But when we are judged we are disciplined by the Lord” (also see Hebrews 12:6-11 on discipline). The Bible also mentions that discipline can get so severe that God will take the life of a believer. 1 Corinthians 5:5 says in reference to a believer who was committing incest, “I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (also see 1 John 5:16).
How many times will this confession of sin work? Will God get tired of your confessions and say, “You don’t deserve it this time” and not restore you to fellowship? But we don’t ever deserve it! Remember what the Lord told Peter concerning how many times one should forgive: “Not up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven...” (Matthew 18:22). God is free to do this and still be a just God because Christ has paid the penalty for sin in your place.
One may think, “Well, if the solution for sin is so easy, why fear falling into it?” After giving the solution of confession, John continues, “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin...” (1 John 2:1). The very fact that the solution for the Christian’s sin is that simple, based on what Christ has already done, is the very reason it motivates a person not to sin. God deals with us in grace, not only in our salvation but also in our sanctification (our daily walk before Him). In view of our frequent failures, what a gracious provision to remove our guilt and restore our joy and fellowship with Him!
For further study, read the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. While the story can illustrate a sinner’s salvation, it is better to take the two “sons” as two believers and the “certain man” as God the Father. This illustrates the cycle of sinning, no confession, discipline, confession, then restoration to fellowship. Also read the story of David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11-12:23, along with his confession in Psalm 51.
THE REWARDS OF FAITHFULNESS
• In This Life
As a Christian grows in his faith through personal Bible study, attending a good Bible-teaching church, and fellowship with other believers, he begins to grow in knowledge of the Lord. Those who are into “positive thinking,” whose byword is “believe you can and you can,” have their faith in their faith. “More faith” to them means more faith in themselves. With the Christian it is not faith per se that increases, but confidence in the merit of the object of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we mature, we become fully convinced of His total faithfulness. He never fails. His Word abides forever. When there are promises in the Scriptures that God will answer our prayers, meet all of our unmet needs, guide us in decisions, or protect us from physical harm, we know He will do it.
Some promises are only for eternity. For example, we are promised to have a resurrection body just like Christ’s (Philippians 3:21), which means we will be recognized by loved ones, will not be subject to gravity, can disappear or appear at will, can pass through walls, can be felt and touched, and can eat - as all these things Christ did after He was resurrected. It will be a body suitable for space travel, made up of some molecular structure we do not know anything about in modern science! (See 1 Corinthians 15:35-55). But God’s Word also contains countless promises for this life as well. Consider some of these promises for our physical safety:
You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes (Psalm 91:5-8a).
This is for the soldier in battle. Today the word “arrow” means bullets and shrapnel. Why does God protect? Verse 9 tells us that since we have made the Lord our refuge, “No evil will befall you.” And how does God protect? Verses 11-12 state:
For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands.
So God gives commands to angels to protect His children. Whether it is through the means of guardian angels or protection directly from God by putting a personal “force field” of sorts around you (see Job 1:10), we can be totally assured of one thing: We need not fear death! In Psalm 139:16 David writes:
Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
There is absolutely no way that a child of God will go home to heaven until it is God’s time to take him. Think of the complete peace of mind this should give the Christian soldier in battle, or in any situation at all!
There are also promises God has made concerning guiding us in decisions. Many times we are at a crossroads about our occupation, our geographic location, or some other issue. Proverbs 3:5-6 states:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (NKJV).
God promises to meet our unmet needs. Is your need for a wife? Shelter? Employment? Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:25-34; Luke 18:29-30). Romans 8:28 says that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.” It does not say all things are good, since many things that happen to us are bad. But God works it together for good. By no means will all your problems be over when you become a Christian. Hardships and trials are a part of life, frequently more so for a soldier of the Lord. But God guarantees that any difficulty and suffering that comes into the lives of His children is completely under His sovereign control, directed for our development and good, and for His glory.
What confidence and peace results from knowing that the almighty God of the universe, who cannot lie, promises to guide, protect, and control your circumstances totally for your benefit! Coming to this understanding will revolutionize your life. But only faithful Christians receive these benefits, because promises must first be known - and that only comes through being a student of the Word of God. Faith must be present, which is built up and strengthened as one becomes more and more familiar with the character of our Lord and the great stories of the Bible. God’s faithfulness to Joseph, Moses, the Israelites, David, Abraham, Job, and all the rest become part of your thinking. Comprehending the greatness of God, as understood through Christ - the depths of His mercy, love, and wisdom - all serve to transform us until we can say as the Apostle Paul, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20b NKJV).
The Christian whose lifestyle is characterized by disobedience and indifference not only suffers the natural consequences and tragedy which sin brings within itself, along with the attendant miseries and sufferings, but misses out on the peace and blessings that come from a close walk with the Lord. God is particularly attentive in answering the prayers of His faithful ones (1 John 3:22), whereas God is not going to encourage disobedience by blessing the unfaithful. Furthermore, not only does our conduct have consequences in this life, but it extends beyond here.
• Rewards in Heaven
Before we discuss an evaluation of a Christian’s life in heaven, it is necessary to eliminate confusion about “Judgment Day.” It is a false idea that one day at the end of time all the people of the world will stand before God in one big judgment and be judged according to their works to determine if they go to heaven or hell. The Bible teaches that there are two separate judgments, one for unbelievers and one for Christians. In both judgments people are judged according to their works. Yet the purpose of neither of these judgments is to evaluate who gets to enter heaven. That is only based on who believed in Jesus Christ for eternal life and who didn’t. So why have a judgment to evaluate anyone’s works, believer or unbeliever, if determining heaven or hell is not the issue? Let us look at the Scriptures.
1. The Great White Throne Judgment
This is the judgment for unbelievers.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it.... And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books... And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11, 12, 15 NKJV).
Only those whose names are “not found written in the book of life,” since they had not believed in Jesus Christ for eternal life, will stand before this judgment. The believers are shown in verse 6 of the same chapter, who are part of the several stages of the “first resurrection; over these the second death has no power.” The unsaved, since they rejected the work of Christ, will be judged and shown on the basis of their works that they deserve eternal condemnation. I recall reading a letter to the editor in a local newspaper, where a woman complained about “born again Christians.” She said, “We used to go to church, sing in the choir, and teach Sunday school. But we left the church because of those people. I think we do a good job of being pretty good human beings and we are prepared to meet our Maker in our own way.” Sadly, she will get a chance to do just that. One day she will stand before a perfectly holy God and have a chance to show Him how good she is. Having rejected the work of God’s Son on the cross, she will be shown on the basis of her own works why she deserves the sentence of hell.
Though all those before the Great White Throne have one fate, there are two reasons for this judgment. First, God will give every unbeliever an opportunity to see his guilt. Second, the degree of punishment will be determined, as the Bible tells us that God will take people’s background, light, and Gospel opportunity into account (Matthew 11:22-24; 10:5-15; Luke 12:47-48).
2. The Judgment Seat of Christ
This is a judgment for believers.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Note the Apostle Paul’s use of the word “we,” which indicates Christians only, including himself. Heaven or hell is not the issue here, but reward or loss of reward in heaven. The Scriptures are clear: “To him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5 NKJV). Nevertheless, the reception of eternal life by faith is not a license to sin. At this judgment Christ will evaluate what we have done.
Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:13-15, NKVJ).
The unfaithful person who loses reward is saved, but as though through fire - just as when a fire burns through a man’s house and destroys his possessions, but he escapes with his life. Many times Jesus told us to lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 5:10-12, 19; 6:19-21).
One may object that the very thought of working for rewards sounds kind of mercantile. Should we not be motivated by the love of God? That is still the motivation. If someone really loves God, he yearns for His approval. And rewards are nothing more than a tangible expression of the approval of God. Also consider the magnitude of reward for the sacrifice or service rendered. In Matthew 10:42 Jesus says, “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward.” Even lesser works such as these are rewarded. In reply to Peter’s question, “We have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” Jesus promises to give him a throne! (Matthew 19:27-28). What did Peter sacrifice - a fishing boat? Who would not part with a fishing boat for a throne, or stick to an investment that promises a hundredfold return? The very magnitude of these promises by Jesus have a significant effect: They tend to humble us. “Not even the vainest can pretend that their good deeds deserve to be rewarded with thrones, and their sacrifices to be recompensed an hundredfold. At this rate, all must be content to be debtors to God’s grace, and all talk of merit is out of the question. That is one reason why the rewards of the kingdom of heaven are so great. God bestows His gifts so as at once to glorify the Giver and to humble the receiver.”[1]
To some Christ will say, “I was ashamed of you” (1 John 2:28; Luke 9:26). But to others He will say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Master, you were faithful in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things...” (Matthew 25:21; Luke 19:11-27). Is it not possible for a human father of ten children to have greater intimacy and be proud of seven of them who love him - who are responsible, honorable, noble individuals - and leave a greater share of his estate to them? And yet be ashamed of the other three - who were unloving, dishonorable, and irresponsible, and consequently leave them a lesser share of his estate? But does not the father still love all of his children? Remember too that even in this we are always dealing with a merciful God. Nevertheless, knowing that we will one day stand before Him to give an account of our lives should cause us to walk soberly, and to know the “fear of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:9-11).
ASSURANCE
Sometimes the question arises “How do I know for sure that I really have eternal life?” At times this comes from hearing someone else speak of some super-emotional experience he had when becoming a Christian, and you compare yourself, thinking, “Well, I didn’t feel anything.” Other times you may hear a Christian speak of how his whole life is now changed, and yet you realize there are many areas of weakness that still rage within yourself. Adding to this are some pastors who urge people to look at their behavior and works to determine if their faith is real and whether or not they are really Christians in the first place.
But what about those like my new Christian friend who told me that he didn’t have so many of those big sins anymore, but now even the little sins were big sins? Since we all still struggle with sin, and some of us are particularly sensitive so that even a little sin is a “big” sin to them, this issue of assurance is important. One can never have a close relationship with God if he feels that failure somewhere along the way will destroy his whole experience with Him. What army shoots its own wounded and then tells its soldiers, “If you lose this battle, you have every reason to doubt whether you really are a citizen of the United States, and will find yourself banished”?
Many say that some people think they are Christians but really are not. According to them, a Christian should look at the works in his life to see if he is really a Christian. There are false professors who are not really Christians, but the criterion is not their works. Note Matthew 7: 21-23:
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
The will of the Father is to believe in Him whom He has sent. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does into come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). Apparently those people never trusted in Christ alone for their salvation. Instead, note the very basis upon which they depended: They pointed out to Jesus all the works that they did. There are indeed people who think they are Christians and are not. This is because they trust in their works instead of humbling themselves before God and trusting in Christ’s work. Experience also shows that there are many Christian cults and other religions that produce admirable morality, better
even than some Christians! Works should never be the basis on which we find the assurance of our salvation.
Concerning those in Matthew 7, Jesus said of them, “By their fruits you shall know them” (verse 20). The fruits do not refer to their works, because they did good works and Jesus nevertheless condemned them. Their fruits are false teaching, as Jesus began His discourse about them by saying “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15). Many false teachers say they are Christians, but as those who are familiar with the various cults (as well as liberal Christendom) all know, their teachings deny the truth of who Christ really is, and the way of salvation. They emphasize morality and Christ’s example (sheep’s clothing) and thereby attract many to their false message which may be the denial of Christ’s deity, the resurrection, salvation by grace, or the substitutionary death of Christ for our sins. They are false prophets in sheep’s clothing.
If someone is truly a Christian there will be good works in his life. The Holy Spirit indwells that person and he has a new nature. The problem lies in making those works the basis of our assurance on whether we belong to God. We may look at a person and not see much fruit, but only God knows the heart. Only He knows how much that person has improved from the past, his level of maturity, and all the other issues involved. A woman once told a pastor, “How can that old man be a Christian? He is the most cantankerous man I know.” To which the pastor replied, “But you have no idea how much more cantankerous he would be if he were not a Christian. You should have known him before.”
All assurance of whether a person is saved or not can only come from one place: the Word of God. Jesus says in John 6:47, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (NKJV). Does “has everlasting life” mean might have? Could have? Have until you fail? Did you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? If so, note the present tense of “has eternal life.” You have it right now as a present possession. The Bible does not teach a might have, could have, or possibly have salvation.
Note this very important truth: Our assurance lies on the promise of the almighty, all-powerful, omnipotent Son of God - who cannot lie! Do we think it would be God’s will for us to look at our work, our adequacy, and our sufficiency for the assurance of our salvation? Or Christ’s work, Christ’s adequacy, and Christ’s sufficiency for the assurance of our salvation? Which of the two, in the midst of the trials, doubts, and temptations of this life, will give the greater confidence? Which of the two will cause us to see God’s grace as greater and larger and deeper? Which of the two will cause us to love God more? The one brings our focus on ourselves, but the other brings the focus, glory, and honor to where it belongs - on Christ our Savior!
[1] A.B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve. (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1971), p. 178.
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