Does grace enable sin? (Galatians 2:16-18)

Live video and notes for my message at Central Church of Christ in Stockton, CA for October 3, 2021.

The text was Galatians 2:16-18.

Romans 7:15-25 and Romans 5:20 – 6:2 were also read during worship.

Occasionally I like to remind readers of the resources I am using as I preach through Galatians. They are:

J.V. Fesko, Galatians, The Lectio Continua Expository Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Jon D. Payne (Powder Springs, GA: Tolle Lege Press, 2012).

Martin Luther, Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (1535): Lecture Notes Transcribed by Students & Presented in Today’s English, trans. Haroldo Camacho (Irvine, CA: 1517 Publishing, 2018).

Philip Graham Ryken, Galatians, Reformed Expository Commentary, ed. Richard D. Phillips and Philip Graham Ryken (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 2005).

John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians: Only One Way, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1968).

Live video of the message is below. Sermon notes are below that.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Saved by Amazing Grace: The life of John Newton

Even people who’ve never stepped inside a church building know the song “Amazing Grace.”

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.

What many people don’t know is the remarkable story of the man who wrote it. 

As a young man, John Newton was a slave ship captain, and an atheist who blasphemed and cursed so much, it even made other sailors blush. 

As an older man, John Newton was a pastor of a prominent church in England. They had to build on to the sanctuary because so many people came from all over to hear him preach. This man who had once hated the very idea of God.

Along with his friend William Cowper, John Newton published a hymnal that contained some of the most enduring songs of the church—songs we still sing more than 200 years later. Like “Amazing Grace.” This man who used to come up with creative ways to take the Lord’s Name in vain, writing songs that testify so beautifully to God’s grace.

And this man who once captained slave ships, as an old man, became a fiery abolitionist who preached against the evils of the African slave trade.

A young member of the British Parliament named William Wilberforce was a member of the church where John Newton preached. He was so convicted by Newton’s preaching against slavery, that he led the movement in Parliament to abolish the slave trade.

How was it that this man, who hated and blasphemed God, came to write such glorious hymns? How was it that this man who once made his living kidnapping Africans to sell as slaves, became the catalyst for ending slavery in Great Britain?

It was only because of God’s amazing grace! You see, when John Newton wrote his famous hymn—he was really writing the soundtrack of his own life.

The whole time John Newton was working on slave ships, he was miserable. He would often stare over the side of the boat, and think about throwing himself overboard to drown. Later, he said it was only the secret hand of God that held him back.

In “Amazing Grace,” John Newton wrote these words: Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. ’Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace shall lead me home.

It was March 10, 1748 when the secret hand of God that had been holding John Newton back from suicide revealed itself to him.

That was the day God hurled a ferocious storm at Newton’s ship. As the wind and waves lashed the boat, Newton was sure the ship would be destroyed. And for some reason, instead of cursing, he called out: Lord, save us!

Something moved him to pray in the storm. And miraculously, the storm cleared and his ship survived.

As soon as the ship was able to dock in Ireland, John Newton went to a church and confessed his faith in Christ.

I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.

John Newton

And as he grew in God’s grace, he came to see that the whole time he had been piloting this ship with kidnapped Africans to the living hell of slavery, he’d actually been steering his own soul closer and closer to literal eternal hell.

And here are John Newton’s final words. My memory is nearly gone. But I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.

St. Paul’s Amazing Grace Gospel (Galatians 2:16)

You know, John Newton could have also written “Amazing Grace” about the life of the Apostle Paul.

Looking back over his youth, as an old man, Paul said: I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man. 

Even so, in His grace and for His own glory, Paul says God showed him mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief, 1 Tim. 1:13.

John Newton used to kidnap Africans and sell them into slavery, until God opened his blind eyes. Likewise, Paul was kidnapping Christians and voting for them to be put to death.

Until, by God’s grace, Christ laid hold of Paul and the scales of unbelief fell from his eyes. I was once lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see, could’ve been St. Paul’s song, too.

God—by his grace alone—saved Paul. 

And the Gospel Paul preached was always some version of what we heard in our readings today. From Galatians 2:16: a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.

People are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.

With no qualifications on that message. No back-tracking. No equivocation.

You see, once you put your own effort into the Gospel equation, it’s no longer by grace. Paul makes this clear in Romans 4:5. Grace is for the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly.

Is grace a license to go on sinning? (Galatians 2:17-18)

Last week, we answered the objection that salvation by grace through faith alone—not by works—makes us lazy.

And the answer to that objection—remember—is, Because God’s grace doesn’t make you lazy—it makes you alive!

Now, in today’s reading, Paul is going to answer another common objection you’ll hear to the Gospel, when its preached in its purity and sweet simplicity.

Isn’t grace alone just a license to go on sinning?

Listen—this objection is a road that leads to nowhere, and it was already worn out back when Paul was preaching the Gospel.

We heard this in our readings from Romans today, too. Paul’s Gospel of salvation by grace alone assures us that where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more, Rom. 5:20. 

That’s supposed to be a word of comfort for struggling saints: You literally can’t out-sin God’s grace!

Or, like John Newton said: I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior. 

But even in Paul’s day, there were folks who wanted to twist the word of grace to mean something dangerous: What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?, Rom. 6:1.

Here’s the logic: You say the more we’ve sinned, the more grace there is. That seems like a perfect arrangement: I love to sin, God loves to forgive. Why don’t I just sin even more?

Now, listen—that’s absolute blasphemy against the Gospel. 

Even if you’re just trying to make the point that you don’t really believe salvation is by grace alone, even to entertain this question is slander against God’s grace. 

Keep those words off your lips, and if the thought even crosses your mind—please beg God for mercy for even having such an evil thought.

Any time Paul heard this objection, he always had the same answer: Absolutely not!, Rom. 6:2. He just cut it off right there. 

He came up against this kind of objection in his battle with the false teachers in Galatia.

He laid out the Gospel—God declares us righteous in His sight by His grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone—and not because of our works or efforts or feelings.

And he immediately follows it up by answering the objection. He knew the objection was coming! Look at v17:

But if we ourselves are also found to be “sinners” while seeking to be justified by Christ, is Christ then a promoter of sin?

CSB

See, it’s the same objection. You have people who are saying: Paul, this teaching of yours is very dangerous!

If you tell people God will accept them through trusting in Christ alone, apart from good works, you’re actually encouraging them to be lazy at best, and to go on breaking God’s laws at worst!

After all, if God really declares bad people righteous, on the basis of Christ’s obedience—what’s even the point of being good? Couldn’t we just do whatever we want, and live as we please?

And Paul has the same answer for them: Absolutely not! 

And listen, Paul’s absolutely not is very strongly-worded. The old King James translated it, God forbid. Paul’s basically saying: Yikes on bikes! Heck no! No way, dude!

He’s saying: If you even imagine that’s what the Gospel is all about—if you even have to ask, you don’t know. You don’t get it.

So there’s three points of application I want to make here—two from this verse, one from verse 18.

Application 1: Christians are still sinners

First, justified sinners are still sinners.

We absolutely will still be found sinners while, by faith, we’re looking to Christ alone for justification. That’s kind of the point and reason for the Gospel. 

The German Reformer Martin Luther came up with a phrase to describe this constant tension within the Christian life: simul justus et peccator. In English: The Christian is simultaneously righteous in God’s sight, and still a sinner.

Even as an old man, Paul said: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst, 1 Tim. 1:15.

And John Newton said much the same on his deathbed: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.

Here’s Paul, who wrote the book on God’s grace—thirteen of ‘em, actually. And John Newton, who wrote the soundtrack. And they’re at the end of their lives, not saying: I used to be a rotten sinner; but, I am a great sinner; I am the worst sinner I know. 

Just because they weren’t out enslaving Africans or persecuting Christians anymore doesn’t mean they’re not still sinners!

What did we hear Paul say in Romans today? I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing, Rom. 7:19.

Paul was an old man, a mature Christian, an apostle writing scripture. And still, he said: I still haven’t defeated sin. I still keep finding myself not doing the good I want to do, but doing the evil I don’t want.

Why? Why aren’t you living victoriously over your sin anymore, Paul? He explains that in v20: Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

In other words—I still sin because sin still lives in me. I hate my sin. But it’s still there with me. 

The difference between a Christian and an unbeliever isn’t that the Christian sins less. It’s that we used to live in sin—but now, sin still lives in us.

We used to love our sin. But over time, a Christian learns to see their sin, to hate it, to struggle against it.

But you need to understand, sisters and brothers—you are not any better than Paul. If he was still struggling with the same old sins as a mature Christian and an apostle—don’t you know you will, too?

The difference between a Christian and an unbeliever isn’t that the Christian sins less. It’s that we used to live in sin; but now, even though sin still lives in us, we hate it and struggle against it.

Here’s the reality: There’s a constant civil war going on inside every Christian, between our sinful flesh, and the Holy Spirit living in us. 

The sin in us is always trying to reassert itself, against the good and perfect will of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Christians will not be sinless until the resurrection, when God raises us with immortal, imperishable, and incorruptible bodies. Incorruptible means you won’t even be able to sin anymore. That’s what we hope for, what we long for.

But now—you must fix the eyes of your faith on Christ alone, and rest upon God’s grace alone—for everything. Christ must be your all in all: your righteousness, your holiness, your wisdom, and your only comfort in life and in death.

So as you look to Christ alone for salvation—you are still a sinner. If someone doesn’t “get” that, they haven’t understood the Gospel. 

Application 2: Grace doesn’t enable sin, it makes us able in spite of our sin

Second—God’s grace doesn’t enable sin.

Look at what it says at the end of v17: If we’re still sinners, even after we’ve been declared righteous, is Christ then a promoter of sin?

Literally, is Christ the servant of sin? Isn’t He just enabling us to go on sinning, guilt-free?

Absolutely not!, Paul says. Grace does the exact opposite.

In Titus 2:11-12, Paul says: the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age.

In other words, God’s grace teaches us to Say No! to sin, and Say Yes! to godly living.

God’s grace deals with our sin. God’s grace forgives our sin. God’s grace teaches us to hate our sin, because we love our Savior. God’s grace teaches us to say no to sin. And when Christ returns, God’s grace is going to resurrect us, sinless forever.

To say that God’s grace enables us to sin, would be like saying that wheelchairs enable paralysis. 

No, wheelchairs enable paralyzed people to actually get out of their houses and live. And God’s grace enables people who were dead in their sins to go and live.

To say that God’s grace enables us to sin, would be like saying wheelchairs enable paralysis.

Eventually God’s grace is going to raise us with sinless bodies, as Christ’s holy and perfect bride. 

Between now and then, it’s best to remember the words of St. Augustine: O Lord, everything good in me is due to you. The rest is my fault.

When you sin, you’re doing what comes natural to fallen humanity. When you find that you’re victorious over sin—God’s grace did that.

Application 3: Law-keeping cannot save, or make sinners righteous

The third application is going to come from v18: If I rebuild those things that I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.

So what does Paul mean by that? I’ll summarize what he means, and then I’ll explain what he means.

Paul is saying: Law cannot make sinners righteous.

We always have to make sure we’re not sneaking law into the Gospel box. 

And that includes both God’s Law—that’s any word in scripture that commands you do do anything, or judges and condemns you for not doing it—and especially the laws we make up.

Like: a good Christian will read her Bible this much, will be giving this much to the church, will be spending this much of his time doing evangelism and good works, a good Christian doesn’t smoke or play cards or listen to this kind of music … Etc.

Law says do. Gospel says done.

Law says: Do this and live. Gospel says: Jesus did it, now go live.

Here’s what Paul’s getting at in v18. 

He’s saying: If I relied on God’s grace alone to save me—not anything I’ve done; but now I’m trying to go back and trust my own good works to stay saved—I’m building up what I once tore down. 

And even if my outward conduct looks better than someone else’s, I’m still committing a deadly sin. Because I’m rejecting the grace of God, and the finished work of Christ, to trust in my own works.

The Law of God is holy, true, and just. But it cannot save sinners. It cannot make sinners righteous. It was never meant to do that. In fact, Paul’s going to make this exact point later on in the letter. Gal. 3:21: if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.

No law, no amount of rule-keeping, no amount of obedience or acting good or whatever adds anything to your salvation. 

God’s not sitting around in heaven, drumming his fingers, wishing you would come up with some grand gesture—something hard and costly to do—to prove your salvation to Him, or your faith in Christ. If that’s what you think the Christian life is all about, you haven’t understood grace. 

The Law cannot save, but God’s grace does

So let’s conclude by going back to our friend John Newton.

He was a slave trader. Now, God’s Law says: Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death, Exodus 21:16. 1 Tim. 1:9-10 calls slave traders ungodly, lawbreakers, and disobedient.

Now, that Law is true, holy, and just, because God is true, holy, and just. God’s Law rightly condemned John Newton.

But it wasn’t the Law that saved John Newton. It wasn’t the Law that took him off the slave ship, and raised him up as a powerful enemy of slavery. It was the Gospel that did that. It was God’s amazing grace that led John Newton home to God.

And grace will do that for you, and me too. It will lead us from slavery to sin and death, to our eternal home with God, to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. And, as John Newton taught us to sing: When we’ve been there then thousand years, bright shining as the sun; We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.