Is Grace A License To Sin

Often when I comment on YouTube or other outlets. I run into some people who make this claim:

“We live by the Spirit, and no longer have to obey the law.”

As if the Spirit who wrote the commandments and is always in agreement with Yehovah and Yeshua would advise you not to follow the Torah. Kinda hard to believe walking in the Spirit would make you want to murder, steal, adultery, lie, covet, have another God before Him, take His name in vain and disregard any other commandment.

This always comes up when you’re trying to defend the Word of Yehovah and obedience to His law. I also understand where the miscommunication comes from. The problem is; teachers of the Bible have been told for so long we are not saved by works; and this is absolutely true. But, what does it mean to be saved by grace?

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

To be saved by grace means, unmerited mercy given to you when you do not deserve it.

Let’s continue with the verse after Ephesians 2:8 which so many use as proof we are not to do any works.

Ephesians 2:9 “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Let’s use an example of being saved by grace and not of works.

You’re driving down the highway and there is a law in that city that says “You shall not drive faster than 65 MPH on the highway.” Even though you know the law, you decide to drive 80 MPH because you are late to work and if you do not make it on time your boss will fire you.

Your fleshy lust for the money your job provides causes you to disobey the law and put the pedal to the metal and drive 80 MPH down the highway.

While speeding down the highway a police officer catches you speeding on his radar. He switches on his lights and speeds off after you. Finally catching up to your car and pulls you over. The officer steps out of the car and walks up to your window. You roll the window down and the cop says;

Officer: Do you know why I stopped you?

You: I may have been driving a little fast back there officer.

Officer: License and registration please.

You hand the officer your information. While he is looking over your information, you decide to plead your case to the officer.

You: Sir, please can you have mercy on me for speeding. I acknowledge I broke the law and I am sorry for my offense. Can you please pardon this transgression?

Officer: You know what! I am a compassionate person. I will pardon you for this offense. GO AND SPEED NO MORE!

You have just received grace and forgiveness and it was not of anything you did by works. Yeshua came and died in your place, not of anything you deserved. The driver of the car and all of us have been saved by grace for our offense.

Now, what does the driver do because he has been given mercy? Does he turn on his car and rev his engine and kick up rocks on the officer’s car and speed down the highway for receiving grace. At any time did the officer do away with speeding on the highway? Did he do away with any laws that pertain to driving?

No!

So wouldn’t it seem very offensive to the officer that had such mercy on the driver, only to have the driver completely ignore his command to “speed no more”

What did Yeshua say to the woman caught in adultery?

John 8:10-11 “Straightening up, Yeshua said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Master." And Yeshua said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

He had mercy on her, but then He didn’t say “It’s ok if you do it again” He said; “Go, and sin no more.”

Adultery was against the law of God. Then Yeshua again says the same thing to a man He healed.

John 5:14 “Afterward Yeshua found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you."

These people were given grace but were told to then begin to obey the Torah because the definition of sin is given in…

1 John 3:4 “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”

Obviously lawlessness would mean; someone void of keeping the law or by ignoring it.

This is what saved by grace means! It means you were dead to your sins and guilty sentanced to death.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Master."

Yeshua was innocent and took the penalty for you, Yehovah offered His Son in your place. Nothing you did deserved that mercy. Although what does the Bible say about those who willingly continue to practice sin (Breaking the law) after receiving grace.

Hebrews 10:26-31 "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. A man who disregards Moses' law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be judged worthy of, who has trodden underfoot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance belongs to me," says the Yehovah, "I will repay." Again, "Yehovah will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

By continuing to sin, is just like speeding off and kicking up rocks on that officer's car. We trodden down the Son of God underfoot and insult His grace when do such things. We were saved by grace, not given grace to continue sin.

Matthew 1:21 "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins."

Yeshua saved us from our sins, not in our sins. We are to repent from sin. Repent is stop and turn from; as in "Go, and sin no more"

Although we are sinful man and are not perfect which means we will from time to time, fall! So how is it possible to be saved?

1 John 2:1 "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yeshua Messiah the righteous."

Ask yourself a question, why need an advocate for sins if the law is no more but the Bible states this:

Romans 4:15 "because the Law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression."

This clearly says there is a law because Yeshua is our Advocate for breaking it. Also the wages of sin is death and the last enemy is death. That is when sin will be eradicated from the universe. If death is still present then the penalty which brings it about must be present as well.

How come we are allowed to sin and still be saved?

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We have this ability until probation is up. At some point the time will come when those who are sinners have no hope of salvation and those who are saved are sealed with eternal life.

Revelation 22:10-12 "And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. "Let the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy." "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.

If we don't have to do anything, how come Yeshua says "I will reward those for what they have "DONE."

This would involve doing something. I understand why people think the law is done away with. Many will say Yeshua fulfilled the law, so we don't have to keep it. Problem with that is there isn't one verse stating this is the case. In fact, the verse they claim Yeshua does away with the law; says the exact opposite.

Matthew 5-17-18 "Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished."

The word "Fulfill" here people claim means "Do away with." Well let's examine that. The Greek word used here is "Pleroo"

Strongs #G4137 πληρόω - PLEROO

To make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full

to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally

I abound, I am liberally supplied, to render full, i.e. to complete

Notice none of these definitions mean "to do away with" if this was the case then Yeshua did away with righteousness at His baptism.

Matthew 3:15 "But Yeshua answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him."

The same word "Pleroo" was used in this verse also. So if it meant to fulfill and do away with, then righteousness is no more. But, is that even possible because God says righteousness is everlasting.

Psalms 119:142 "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth."

Many people will not fully understand that because the law doesn't save us, it is the representation we are saved. If you believe, you will obey the one we follow.

Romans 6:16 "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?"

So let's address verses people have trouble with dealing with that makes them believe the law is done away with and now we can disobey the commandments of God.

Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace."

This verse is clearly not speaking about the law of God. We know this because then Paul seems to speak of this later in the letter.

Romans 7:7 "What then shall we say? Is the Law sin? Never may it be! But I have not known sin, except by Law. And indeed, I had not been conscious of coveting, if the Law had not said, "You shall not covet."

He even says the Law is holy...

Romans 7:12 "So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good."

So what sense does it make by saying it's bondage being under something that is holy, good, perfect?

Or do people just not understand Paul's writings as Peter previously warned about.

2 Peter 3:15-17 "Regard the patience of our Master as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you; as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness."

If people would look into the original Greek word used in this verse for "Wicked" they would find it's

Strongs #G133 ἄθεσμος "ANTHEMOS"

ath'-es-mos; from G1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of G5087 (in the sense of enacting); lawless, i.e. (by implication) criminal: wicked.

Peter warned this would happen, people would not be fully able to understand Paul's writings and end up twisting his words into making him appear lawless (Doing away with the law of God)

Let's ask Paul himself believed and followed.

Acts 24:14 ""But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets."

The problem is people don't understand Paul speaks of more than just the Law of God. He speaks of the law of sin and death also. Being under this law means you are in bondage to death because your under a curse.

Romans 7:25 "Thanks be to God through Yeshua Messiah our Master! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Romans 8:1-2 "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua. For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

This is the law we are set free from, not God's Law. The Scriptures say God's Law is freedom and liberty.

Psalms 119:44-45 "So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts."

What we always must remember is by no means does the law have any salvation ability. It's by faith we are saved. Which is why we find verses like this:

Galatians 2:15-16 "We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners, yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Yeshua Messiah, even we believed in Messiah Yeshua, that we might be justified by faith in Messiah, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law."

This verse simply says the law will not save you, but nowhere in the Torah does it say it will save you. The Law (Torah) is an agreement between the people of God and Yehovah Himself. Everyone has always been saved by faith; for example:

Genesis 6:7 "Yehovah said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of Yehovah."

Genesis 15:6 "Abraham believed in Yehovah; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness."

Abraham had faith, how about some of the great men of the Scriptures, were they saved by faith.

Hebrews 11:20-22 "By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave instructions concerning his bones."

Hebrews 11:23-25 "By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill treatment with God's people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time."

Hebrews 11:31 "By faith, Rahab the prostitute, didn't perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace."

Hebrews 11:32-34 "What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets; who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee."

It was always by faith, but these men and women strove to obey the will of Yehovah anyways.

What is Yehovah's will?

Psalms 40:8 "I delight to do your will, O my God: yea, your law is within my heart."

Works cannot and never will be able to save us, but they do show who is saved and who is not. If you are truly saved you will desire the will of God. His will is the commandments He required for His people. If you love God you will keep His commandments. Not to be saved or for any merits, but because it pleases Yehovah.

1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome."

Who does Satan hate the most?

Revelation 12:17 "So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Yeshua."

Who are the saints of God?

Revelation 14:12 "Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Yeshua."

Can't you see:

James 2:14 "What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?"

James 2:21-22 "Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected."

Obedience is the sympton of a follower, not for salvation but out of love.

1 Samuel 15:22 "Samuel said, "Has Yehovah as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of Yehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams."

What does Yeshua Himself say to those people who reject and ignore His Father's Law in the last days?

Matthew 7:22-23 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Master, Master, did we not prophesy 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."

Why would Yeshua fulfill the Law of God and do away with it, only to tell His people at the last day "Depart from me you who practice lawlessness." How is that fair?

Or is grace not a license to sin at all, but forgiveness for the penatly we were under. Now we are to strive to be new creatures reaching for righteousness to the best of our abilities.

If the Torah was done away with then Yeshua would definitely have told His followers before His death. But, did He? It appears He said no such thing because after His death on the the tree. This is what His followers did.

Luke 23:56 "Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment."

They didn't even finish annoiting His body for burial. The Messiah and their Master! Think about it, why in the world would they stop this special moment in the middle of the process, unless Yeshua made it clear "The commandments of God are to be obeyed at all times!"

Does grace or faith mean do away with the Law of Yehovah? Let's as the Scriptures...

Romans 3:31 "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law."

Hope this helps. To sum up, we are saved by grace by nothing we did but to continue to do nothing shows we have no faith at all.

James 2:20 "But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

Yehovah bless you.