We get that same question asked in the Bible.  Romans, chapter five, has much precious truth regarding justification, faith, salvation, and grace.  In the last half of the chapter, we learn of our first father, Adam, and how we all receive a sin nature from him.  We also learn of One who was obedient to God and has given salvation to all who believe on Him.  We read in Romans 5:19, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”  The Lord Jesus was “obedient unto death” (Philippians 2:8), and His death on the cross has made all who trust in Him to be made righteous.  What grace!  Verse 20 tells us that, “…where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”  I’m reminded of that precious hymn that scripturally says,

“Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin.”

As we move onto Romans, chapter six, verse one asks the question, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”  This is a total perversion of the doctrine of grace.  True realization and appreciation of God’s wonderful gift of grace will cause us to sin less, not more.  When we understand God’s unmerited favor, which means we have never, nor could we ever, deserve God’s grace, that will make us want to submit our wills to the Lord completely and live lives to please Him.  We find Paul’s answer to this question in verse 2, “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”  We who know Christ as our savior are truly “dead to sin”, so how could we find any pleasure in continuing in sin?  We read later in this chapter, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Verse 11).  Being dead to sin will take away finding pleasure in sin.  Being alive unto God will give us pleasure in serving our loving, gracious God and savior. 

In other places in the Bible, we are warned against misusing the wondrous grace of God to find pleasure in sin.

  • Galatians 5:13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
  • 1 Peter 2:16, “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”
  • Jude 4, “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I will close this with an exhortation to believers in Ephesians 5:2-4, “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”  (CC)  (723.4)