A christian would know that being just and not sinning would not help him achieve grace - so there is no reason for a christian - that is one who believes in the risen christ - to act morally.
In his exposition of the need for and mechanics of the Gospel, Paul in Romans, deals with a couple of natural objections that will be raised by someone who hears the gospel message of salvation by Gods grace only (man cannot do anything to enable his salvation like you have been told).
One objection is "what about the law?" The gospel does away with any notion that a man can be saved through his adherance to the law. You see that argued against frequently enough here. Such argument requires insertion of ideas not contained within the gospel. For instance, Jesus commands: "do", "don't do" have the words "try to/try not to" inserted on front of them. For all would accept that one cannot obey these commands all the time thus "try to"
must be the intention. But that is gospel-in-my-own-image-and-likeness territory.
The other of the few objections that can be raised by the gospel of grace is "sure, that means I can do anything I like at all and still get into heaven". This is more or less what you are saying above. Paul has been expounding on the mechanism of salvation by faith and has talked about the assurance a Christian has of his destination (in Romans 4 and 5). Then the objection arises from Kongstad who has listened to this argument:
so there is no reason for a christian - that is one who believes in the risen christ - to act morally
At the start of Romans 6, Paul takes the place of you in posing this very objection to the gospel he is presenting:
quote:
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
The answer?
2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Did you see it? "Died to sin". Look at his indignation. "Don't you know what has happened to the person on being made a Christian - have you not been listening to what I have been saying?!!" A Christian is a person who does not share the natural mans mindset anymore. Whereas before, as a natural man, he was an enemy of God (said Paul earlier) now he is a son of God. He occupies a different place. He has been adopted. This is not to say a Christian will not sin - he will. Desparately at times. But it disturbs him, he dislikes it, he wishes he didn't and takes steps to avoid sinning.
A Christian has a very good reason to act morally (although that is not to say he will). Not to ensure his salvation - for that is certain. A Christian has come fully to see the ugliness of sin, the complete and utter depravity of all sin. Any sin. He has come to detest sin.
There is no stronger motivation to act morally than for a person to detest sin. In comparison, the law or threats of the law are no match at all. As we all well know...
Edited by iano, : No reason given.
™ Version 4.2
