Can I not just sin if I know God will forgive me?
Introduction
This is one of the oldest and most challenging questions in Christian theology. It comes from a superficial understanding of grace—the unearned, unmerited favor of God given to us through Christ.
The temptation is to believe that because forgiveness is guaranteed, our obedience doesn't matter. This idea is sometimes called the doctrine of "cheap grace."
The Bible directly addresses this error, most powerfully through the Apostle Paul, making it clear that the Gospel demands not just a new status (justification), but a new life (sanctification).
Main: Three Biblical Rejections of Sinful License
The question "Shall we go on sinning that grace may abound?" is answered in the book of Romans, where Paul explains the true nature of salvation.
1. The Decisive Answer: "By No Means!" (The Theological Rejection)
Paul anticipates this very question and answers it with the strongest possible denial, followed by a profound explanation of what baptism and faith truly mean.
The Question and the Denial: “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?” (Romans 6:1-2).
Dying to Sin: Paul argues that when a person becomes a Christian, they are spiritually united with Christ in His death and resurrection. The act of baptism is a physical picture of this reality: the old, sinful self died with Christ on the cross, and the new self rose with Christ to a new life (Romans 6:3-4). To choose to sin intentionally is to try to resurrect a self that God has already declared dead.
2. We are Now Slaves to Righteousness (The Allegiance Change)
Before Christ, our lives were governed by sin. After Christ, our governing authority changes completely.
A Change in Slavery: The Christian life is not about being free to do whatever you want; it is about exchanging one master for another. Paul says: “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).
The New Master: Once we were slaves to sin; now, as Christians, we have been set free from sin and have become “slaves of God” and “slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18, 22). The desire to sin carelessly shows a failure to recognize the power and authority of our new Master. A truly redeemed heart will desire to please its Savior.
3. The Evidence of True Conversion (The Life Test)
A consistent pattern of intentionally choosing sin with the belief that forgiveness will cover it demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of salvation and raises serious questions about whether genuine transformation has occurred.
The Fruit of the Spirit: The life of a Christian should be marked by the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) (Galatians 5:22-23), not the works of the flesh (sexual immorality, strife, jealousy, enmity, etc.) (Galatians 5:19-21).
Holiness is the Goal: While we will never achieve sinless perfection in this life, the direction of our life must be toward holiness and away from sin. Intentional sin undermines the very purpose for which we were saved—to be made holy and blameless before God (1 Peter 1:15-16).
Conclusion
God’s grace is not a cushion for a perpetual life of sin; it is a power source for a new life of holiness.
To misuse God's grace as a license to sin is to cheapen the cross of Jesus Christ, suggesting that His sacrifice was merely a get-out-of-jail-free card, rather than a radical act of love that transforms the very core of your desires. Since you have been given the victory over sin through Christ, the Christian must choose daily to walk in that victory.
