Answering the Lie:
“So You Think You Can Just Sin All You Want?”
When we are out preaching the Gospel, we sometimes hear people say things like:
- You can’t just live your life however you want and expect to go to heaven.
- So you think you can just sin all you want and still get to heaven?
- You think all you have to do is believe in Jesus and live how you want?
That’s the accusation I hear all the time when preaching the Gospel of GRACE. But let me say this loudly and clearly:
YES—Salvation is free. NO—That doesn’t mean God wants you to live in sin.
YES—We’re saved by grace through faith. NO—Grace is not a license to live wickedly.
That mindset doesn’t come from Scripture—it comes from people who don’t understand grace.
1. The Misconception: ‘Grace Means Sin Is Okay’
The misconception here is that people believe that we are preaching that grace means sin is okay. Not once in the Bible does God say that sin is okay. Not once do we preach that sin is okay. But people love to put words in our mouth. Happens all the time. People love to make people say something they didn’t.
Romans 6:1–2 – “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.”
Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
God already knew from eternity that people would make this false accusation. “Oh, you’re saying it’s okay to sin since we have believed in Jesus Christ and have everlasting life.”
So, what does God do? He puts in the Scriptures. These words were written from eternity. He already knew what sinful man would do.
In Romans Chapter 6, Paul, through the Holy Spirit, responds to this very same accusation that people throw at us today. He doesn’t soften grace. He just answers the error in thinking. And this is a huge error to make that could send these people straight into the depths of hell once they take their last breath.
If they believe they have to live a good life to get to heaven, they believe in themselves and their own good works. They will be sent to hell. That’s why I am preaching this today. I don’t want them to get sent to hell. God doesn’t either so he put this in the Bible.
God’s Grace is not Permission to Sin
God’s grace is not permission to sin – it’s power to overcome sin. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Look, God says that the more we sin grace will increase. He says this directly. But we shouldn’t be sinning so grace will abound. The Bible says, “God forbid.” We are dead to sin as a new creation so we SHOULD walk in the Spirit and not the flesh.
I want to show you what was said before Romans Chapter 6 begins. We are the beginning of Romans Chapter 6. What was said, in the Bible, directly before this? Here’s what we see at the end of Romans Chapter 5.
Romans 5:17-18
For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
All men are under condemnation because we have sinned. But there’s one righteous. That’s God. That’s Jesus Christ. “Even so by the righteousness of one the FREE GIFT came upon all men unto justification of life. A free gift isn’t something you work for and earn. Salvation is free to you. It wasn’t free to Jesus. He worked for it.
Romans 5:19-21
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
By the obedience of ONE shall many be made righteous. Our obedience doesn’t save us. We haven’t been obedient. Sin increases. Grace increases. But we don’t continue in sin as if it’s okay. We are supposed to be getting things right by walking in the Spirit of God.
In Romans Chapter 6, Paul didn’t correct the message of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. He corrected the wrong application of it. When people think they have to live a good life to be saved, they aren’t understanding the grace of God.
Why People Think Grace Means It’s Okay to Sin
People believe the fear of hell is the only way to keep people moral. If there’s always this threat of hell, then people will continue to try to do good. Parents try these things. “If you do that, you’re going to hell.” For example, people in Pentecostal churches will tell their daughters that if they wear pants they are going to hell.
And these kids live in a constant fear of hell. Parents believe this to be a good thing. But, you can go find the kids that were threatened like this and see what they have become. Lies don’t help anyone.
People believe that if they aren’t earning their way to heaven that they will just go wild. “You want me to tell my children they can be saved from hell forever and don’t have to worry about going to hell ever again?”
A child of God is saved forever and should not be driven by fear of the judgment in hell. Instead, they should be driven by the love of God and gratitude towards God for saving them.
2. The Reality: Liberty Is Real
The reality, the truth, tells us that liberty is real. What is liberty? Liberty means being free to do what’s right – not being forced, but choosing to follow God because you love him. That’s liberty. Liberty is like being out of a cage – not so you can do something bad, but so you can run free and choose to do what’s good.
Galatians 5:1 – “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…”
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
What are we free from? These other people are still under bondage. We are not because we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.
- What are we free from?
- The curse of the law (Galatians 3:13)
- The burden of performance-based salvation (Romans 4:5)
- The fear of condemnation (Romans 8:1)
We are free from all of those things that these other people are still under. The Bible tells us these things, but the people won’t hear these things. For example, a man on Tuesday of this week wouldn’t listen. He thinks he has to continue to live a good life, repent of sin, turn from sin, and continue doing that or his heart isn’t right and he won’t go to heaven.
I asked, “Can I show you from the Bible?” And he doesn’t want to see the Bible. This always tells me something. People who proclaim to follow the words of the Bible don’t want to see the Bible. “No, I don’t need to see that.”
But they do. They are still under the curse of the law. Still trying to earn salvation, which can never happen. And they are under the fear of condemnation. They never know they are going to heaven. But they won’t be going.
Colossians 2:14 – “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances… nailing it to his cross.”
Colossians 2:14
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
- Jesus didn’t die so you could be in bondage to rules, but walk in the Spirit.
- The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ sets us free from the law.
- We are now able to do good and there is no law against good.
3. The Warning: Don’t Abuse Liberty
Now we have liberty. We are set free to do good. But there’s a warning that comes with this. Don’t abuse the liberty you now have with Christ. Liberty is not a license to sin.
1 Peter 2:16 – “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness…”
1 Peter 2:15-16
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
People will accuse us of saying that it’s okay to now go out there and sin. But here’s the thing. The lady who was laying on the couch watching TV the other day was the same woman telling me that her good works were getting her to heaven. While she’s laying on the couch watching TV she is telling me her good works get her to heaven.
I am the one out preaching the truth of the Gospel, doing good works, and telling her that our good works don’t save us. This is irony. Happens all the time. I am not out preaching that it’s okay to sin. Sin is evil and wicked. But, if we do sin, and we will, after we are saved, we are already forgiven of those sins.
- Liberty is not a cloak for carnality. We aren’t saying to live in the flesh because we are saved.
- If you sin because you think you’re “free,” you’re abusing grace, not understanding it. Don’t sin because you know you’re going to heaven anyway. That’s abuse of grace.
- Abusing the grace of God will not turn out good for you. You won’t go to hell because you are saved. But God can make your life a living hell if you want to continue in sin.
Titus 2:11–12 – “For the grace of God… hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts…”
Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
We SHOULD live according to God’s word. But that’s not a must to be saved. “What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” We now need to do what God has asked us to do. We now have the ability to do that because we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit with us. We can walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
- Real grace teaches holiness. God want us to be holy through the Spirit of God.
- Not to be saved—but because we are saved! We should be holy. We should not sin.
4. Biblical Examples:
I want to go over a few examples from the Bible that teaches we are saved by the grace of God and that God’s grace abounds for his people in any situation.
Lot – A saved man who lived a compromised life (2 Peter 2:7-8)
2 Peter 2:7-8
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
- He vexed his righteous soul because he was living in a place that was wicked with sodomites all over the place — but God still delivered him.
- This shows that salvation can’t be lost — but sin still has consequences. You can be saved and continue in sin and you will pay. Not in hell. But you will suffer in this life. Others may suffer because of your sin.
The Prodigal Son (Luke 15)
Luke 15:15-16
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
- He was hungry because he wasted everything. He was going to eat with the pigs. But he was always a son — even in the pigpen.
- His fellowship was broken, but his relationship remained. You can break fellowship with God but you’re still his child if you have believed.
- God doesn’t kick His children out of the family — but He will let them reap the pain of sin. He will allow you to reap the pain of sin because you won’t listen. He warns you.
Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians 5)
1 Corinthians 5:5
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
- Saved people — yet Paul calls out their sin harshly. They were fornicating or having sexual relationships outside of marriage. You need to be married. If you ignore this, look at that verse. God will deliver you to Satan to destroy your flesh.
- Even in discipline (God will punish you and correct you), Paul still calls them brethren.
- They were judged in this life (v.5) so the spirit may be saved. They are saved but doing wrong. God still delivers them.
There are more examples of this all throughout the Bible – all over the Scriptures. Liberty is not a license to sin. God will punish. God will destroy. You don’t want to sin especially as a saved person – a child of God. Don’t do it.
5. The Motivation: Love, Not Law
So, again, we get falsely accused of preaching that it’s okay to sin once we are saved because we are always saved. We preach that you’re still going to heaven no matter what sins you commit the rest of your life (the Bible teaches this) but it’s not okay to sin because God will punish you.
Our motivation to do good is not because we could go to hell if not. Hell is no longer an option. We now do good because of the love of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:14 – “For the love of Christ constraineth us…”
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
- Love is a stronger motivator than law. Jesus loved us. He died for us. So we want to live for him. This doesn’t save us. But we love Jesus so much that we want to do what he’s asked us to do.
- We don’t serve God to stay saved — we serve Him because we are saved. We love him because he first loved us. I don’t do this to get to heaven. I’m already going to heaven all because of Jesus. Because of that, I serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:1 – Present your bodies a living sacrifice… which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
- We serve not out of fear of Hell, but because we’ve been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20).
- We SHOULD present our life as a living sacrifice to God. Don’t live your life for all these other things out there. Live your life for God. Not to get to heaven.
You giving your life to God doesn’t get you to heaven. The life of Jesus gets you to heaven. But now, serve God. This is a reasonable service. He’s given you everything. It’s a free gift. Now, serve him because of what he has done for you. You don’t have to serve him to get to heaven. But this is a reasonable service to the Lord God Almighty.
6. The Results of Real Liberty:
You have liberty in Jesus Christ to do all the good that you want. Do evil and get punished. Do good and get rewarded. God promises this. Do wrong and get evil. Do good and get blessed. Here are the RESULTS of real and true liberty.
Galatians 5:13–16 – “…use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another… Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Galatians 5:13-16
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
- Liberty gives us the freedom to obey, not the excuse to rebel against God.
- The Holy Spirit inside us gives us the power to live right — not to earn salvation, but as a testimony of it.
Again, being saved doesn’t give you a license to sin. If you think it does, you’re going to be in for a big surprise. “It is a FEARFUL thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” When you become a child of God, he is now your Father. And a good Father will punish his children when they do wrong.
Closing Challenge:
To close this out today, don’t let the fear of man silence your message of free grace. Don’t water down salvation to make legalists feel better. Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel — it’s the power of God unto salvation.
Yes, a believer can still sin.
No, that doesn’t mean they’re not saved.
Yes, liberty is real.
But that liberty leads to gratitude, not rebellion.
Believing “IN” the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t lead to us thinking we can go sin and do whatever we want. No, we receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who guides you into all truth. We don’t want to sin against God. I know that I don’t have a license to sin. That’s crazy talk. That is the definition of the thought of foolishness which is sin in itself.
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
1 John 5:13
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
The Bible, God himself, tells us that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus as we walk “IN” the Spirit of God. We can know we have eternal life – saved forever. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ – nothing else. We are not saved by following God’s law. If so, then Jesus Christ didn’t need to die on the cross for us.
But he did so we know that we are only saved through Jesus Christ. All glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Being saved is not a license to sin.
Liberty in Christ isn’t a license to sin — it’s the power to finally live free from it.
Let’s pray.
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