Question:  Hi Greg!

            I know that we receive salvation by grace and that we can do nothing to earn it.  God grants it to us by his love and through the blood of Jesus.  So after we are saved why should we “behave ourselves”?  I mean things like not having premarital sex and not going out to parties (I am a college student--you know, the typical college party).  I have Christian friends who use that argument.  Their idea is that we are sinful by nature, and we are saved by grace, so we are allowed to screw up.  When you don’t do things, people see you as weird and some don’t even want to be near you.  And I am not just talking about secular friends, but also my Christian friends.  I know I will always fall short of the perfection of God but I strive to be as Christ-like as I can and I repent of my sins (I also don’t use forgiveness as an excuse to do something I should not). 

            But why should I work at my faith if someone else who is saved but does not even bother to pick up a Bible gets the same as I get?  I know I am sounding like the brother of the prodigal son.  But it does anger me.  So why can’t I do what others do even though it is a sin and I will be forgiven?

            One last note: when I commit a sin I know better than, I get corrected and/or punished from God.  Why does it seem no one else does?  Thanks for your time.

            Sue

Answer:  Dear Sue,

            Excellent questions!  Why should we “behave ourselves”?  Why should we—and why do we?  Another question: are we required to behave in a certain way?  What can we “get away with” that God will wink at?  How big of a mess and how many times can we sin and screw up and God will still forgive?  Why be good at all if God will always forgive us?

            I know I am answering a question with other questions, but these are the kinds of real ethical issues that flow from the questions you pose.  Christians behave themselves because they are God’s children, because they know who they are and who they aren’t, because Christ lives in them, and because they are deeply committed to the one who saved them.

            What happens when we mess up?  God forgives us.  Always?  Yes, always.  So, as you ask, “why can’t I do whatever I want”?  Apparently you have “Christian” friends who do, who appear to be having fun and “getting away” with their behavior.

            One contemporary author calls this “the scandal of grace.”  The idea: God risks the fact that we will take advantage of him, that we will be human, that we will test him to the max, and by telling us that he will always forgive us, he places himself at a disadvantage.  From a human perspective, that is one view of God’s grace.  God’s grace does not make sense to us.

            Another author, Martin Luther, wrote “A Treatise on Christian Liberty” in 1520 on this same topic.  Luther addresses those who will use the freedom given to us in and by Christ as an excuse to do as they please.  As Paul wrote, “Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, but serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).  Luther elaborates, explaining that Christians are Christians only because Christ died for us, and we are saved only by God’s grace, but we are not called simply to luxuriate in our own salvation, but to be Christ-like to others.  So, just as Christ sacrificed for us, we are saved so that we might pass that along, so that others might see the works that Christ accomplishes in our lives and so are drawn to Him.

            Luther explains that Christians do not produce the works that help others, but that Christ produces those works in us.  He says, “Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works.”

            If the behavior of someone who calls himself and believes himself to be a Christian is consistently un-Christlike, then there is reason to be concerned about his new life in Christ.  To explain—we do not prove our Christianity by what we do, but Christ proves to us that he lives in us by what he does.  We must yield to his work, of course.  Paul explains that we are not saved by our works, lest anyone should boast, but saved by grace—by that we are saved to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).  Another way of saying this is that we are not saved BY our works, but we are saved FOR the work God will accomplish in us.  If works are not being accomplished in the life of someone who accepts and believes in Jesus Christ, then over a period of time there is a reason to be concerned about whether that individual has accepted the grace of God that passes all understanding.

            You note that you are aware that you are sounding like the prodigal son.  That is a common reaction for Christians who believe that others are “getting away” with something.  But our heavenly Father will decide who is getting away with something—not us kids who quarrel amongst ourselves.  Perhaps a better question is, how close do we want to get to the edge of the boundary, wherever it is?  Or, why would we, if we are Christ-centered, be concerned about how close we can get to what is unacceptable?

            Or, as you ask—“Why can’t I do what others do even though it is a sin and I will be forgiven?”  One basic weakness in this argument: we are comparing ourselves with others.  First, that is not wise according to the Bible (2 Corinthians 10:12).  Secondly, we are judging others, assuming that we understand their situation, their motivation, their heart, and their relationship with God.  But God tells us that each of us have a one-on-one relationship with Him, and that we should not judge others, ourselves, or compare ourselves to others because, among other things, there are too many things that we simply do not and cannot know (see Romans 14:1-8).

            You ask the same question David did.  Why does it seem no one else “gets caught” and is ever punished, but I am?  The book of Psalm continually related conversations with God about the wicked.  One example, Psalm 94:3, “How long will the wicked, O Lord, how long will the wicked be jubilant?”

            God’s answer is basically this: “you don’t need to worry about the wicked.  I will take care of them.  Why don’t you and I talk about our relationship instead?”

            Sue, your questions are excellent—for all of us.  Hope some of this is helpful.  May God be with you and comfort you.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht