Rom 6:15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Greater discernment is needed in the church today with regards to understanding the difference between our position in Christ and how we should behave in Christ.
Many Christians merge their understanding of these two things, sometimes coming to conclusions which are flawed.
Our Position in Christ
Our position in Christ is the eternal standing that we have before God because of our faith. The moment God grants us faith, our position in Christ goes from condemnation (in unbelief) to salvation (in belief). Once we have faith in Christ, we are saved, justified (declared not guilty), made righteous, washed from our sins and forgiven perfectly and permanently.
Once God grants faith, there is nothing we can do behaviorally to lose, impair or even improve our position before God. We either have a perfect standing before God by virtue of our faith, or we are in a position of condemnation by virtue of our unbelief. This perfect and permanent standing before God is granted to us by His free grace alone.
If we do not understand the above, we are liable to slip into error (or false doctrine) very easily. If we say or believe that any act of ours in any way impacts or alters our standing before God as believers then we have fallen into error. Every cult and false religion in the world includes as one of its tenets something someone must do to have a right position before God.
Christianity flatly refutes this idea.
Gal 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
In Galatians 2:16, Paul is telling is that no one is going to be declared "not guilty" or found "not guilty" (justified) "by works of the law." And what Paul means by "works of the law," is obedience to God's commandments. Instead, we are made "not guilty" (justified) by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
He is speaking of our position before God. And he is teaching us that our behavior cannot and does not determine our position before God.
If we get this right, we are on the track to properly understanding our relationship with God.
Our Behavior in Christ
Now that our position in Christ is eternally secured by virtue of our faith in Him alone, we are to walk in obedience to the commandments of God.
Every single verse in Scripture, which exhorts us to obedience, assumes that we already are in a right position with God by virtue of our faith in Christ. Since behavior does not and cannot initiate or impact our position in Christ, there is no need to discuss obedience to the commandments of God before one's rightful position is secured.
This was exactly the point Jesus was making to the Pharisees, who sought to improve the outward appearance (or behavior) of man without considering his standing before God.
Mat 23:26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.Mat 23:27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.Once our "dead people's bones and uncleanness" is cured, once the inside of our cup is cleaned, the moment we come to faith in Christ, we now are to begin walking in obedience to the commandments of God. Faith first, then works.
This was the teaching of James. In perhaps one of the clearest expressions of this truth found in Scripture, James states plainly that faith (which secures our position in Christ) is useless without works (or obedience to God). Certain faith will certainly produce obedience.
Jas 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, Jas 2:16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? Jas 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Jas 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Jas 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Jas 2:20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? Jas 2:22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; Jas 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"—and he was called a friend of God. Jas 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
So certain is faith to produce obedience that James declares that Abraham was "justified by works and not by faith alone." He is not denying that faith alone produces justification. He is teaching us that the same faith that justifies us will undoubtedly produce obedience.
We are saved when we believe in Christ. And as believers in Christ, we are now to obey the commandments of God.
Jesus said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
Why Understanding These Two Issues is So Important
Once we understand and can distinguish between the concepts of our position in Christ by faith and obedience to Christ flowing from our position in Him, we will be less apt to fall into confusion or even worse, error.
If we lump behavioral obedience into gaining or improving a good standing with God (salvation, justification, righteousness, cleansing, forgiveness), we have slipped into legalism and a false gospel. On the other hand, if we believe that because of our position in Christ, we do not have to obey His commandments, or that this is no longer our concern, then we have slipped into antinomianism. Antinomianism simply means being against the law of God or being unlawful.
God did not save us so that we have freedom to be lawless. Rather, He saved us that we might walk in the same way Christ walked. Christ obeyed His Father unto death. He was the example to be imitated.
Paul asks, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?" (Romans 6:1) Sin is defined in the word of God as "...the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4) So what Paul is asking is this - are we to continue in transgressing God's law so that grace (the free gift of forgiveness) may abound? The answer is obviously, "no."
We, as recipients of God's grace, are to continue in obedience to the law of God. I will address which law in another post.
Once we have a firm grip on these two principles, our position in Christ and our obedience to Christ, many Scriptures become unlocked. Consider the following in light of what has been written here:
Joh 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
1Jn 2:4 Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
1Jn 2:5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
1Jn 2:6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Hopefully this post has been of some help to you. It is important that we be able to properly address the issues of our position in Christ and our behavior in Christ.
Understanding them leads to discernment and protects us from error, both in doctrine and behavior.