Sin! So That Grace May Abound?

Are you or we tolerating sin for love sake that in Christ should not be?

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6:1-4

  Wait a minute, are you telling me that I should not sin? Even if there is grace free for all? I’m not saying anything.  God’s word speaks plainly for Him. But there is love…right? I mean “love one another” is in the book (1 John 4:7). Even Jesus said that we are to love one another (John 13:34-35).  Oh and then there are those commands to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. The second is like it to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37-40).  1 Pet. 4:8 even says love covers a multitude of sins.  So isn’t that how it works? Love is acceptance of all things as they are. You love someone for who they are, accept their faults and build a bond. So we’re good, I can sin?? 

     That sounds a little far fetched, doesn’t it? We are not to sin. Yet the argument here is presented when someone does sin.  Such passages are used to condone the continuation of sin in someone’s life.  Then at times we see Matt. 18:15-17 and Luke 17:1-4 .Why not??  Even in Luke 17:1 Jesus let us know that offense will come and we just need to forgive. He also says ‘woe to him through whom they do come.’

    Matt. 18:15-17 doesn’t show us a toleration of sin but a confrontation with it. If you note it’s not the person being attacked.  The first step is to go to them and make them known of the offense and sin. Then if they choose not to repent then you bring others into the situation. If then there is still an issue then you take it before the church.  All three of the steps are taken so that they may repent. As we see in Luke 17:1-4 if they repent upon being rebuked we are to forgive them.  No matter how many times they repent.  The key to both sections of scripture is repentance.  1 Cor. 5:12-13 lets us know we need to judge those inside the body by Christ’s standards.

    Now it goes without being said, you must first remove the plank from your own eye before you try and remove the speck from another’s (Matt. 7:1-5 & Luke 6:39-42). This doesn’t mean you can’t judge. It does mean you need to judge yourself first and judge rightly.   The judgment here is speaking of someone who has some major issues that is willing to nitpick at someone else without first fixing themselves.  We are to discern based on the fruits of another (Matt. 7:20).

    When we come to sin, sin is a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). Gal. 5:19-21 does not highlight every sin but quite a few. Gal. 5:19-21 simply lets us know we can see sin and it can be made evident in a person’s life.  So love enters the picture in how we handle the situation (Matt 18:15-17 & Luke 17:1-4). Love does not absolve what is to be done if repentance is not the end result of being rebuked. Now these next few scriptures are for the end goal to bring a person to repentance.  If they refuse to repent  there is one last step but in some cases must be taken. If you have gone one-on-one, then with other Christians, then brought them to the church and there is no change then something must be done (Matt. 18:15-17; Luke 17:1-4; 1 Cor.5:12-13). The goal of such actions is not to rid the body of this person but to separate ourselves from them that they may repent. 1 John 1:9 if we confess our sins He is faithful to forgive us. So we to must too be faithful in forgiving the repenting sinner (Matt. 18:15-17; Luke 17:1-4).

   The understanding that is present at this time is they do not want to do what Christ asks of them. If they are not willing to do as he did and walk as He walked, how can they be in the body with us? (1 John 2:5-6)  Discipline may not be liked but it is needed in some cases. We have no authority to tolerate sin. We must not tolerate it (2 Thess. 3:6). We must not associate with them (2 Thess. 3:11-15), not eat with them (1 Cor. 5:11-13), keep away from them (Romans 16:17-19), and have nothing to do with them (Titus 3:9-11). The goal is not to rid the body of the person but to expel them in hopes that they may repent and return.      

  
   However, they must repent in order to return to the body or fellowship. Sin is sin and a little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6). Therefore put away this person from your selves (1 Cor. 5:13). Discipline does end in disfellowshipping a person when they show no desire to walk as Christ walked, but a desire to walk in darkness.  As painful as it may be, there are times it is needed. It should never be an enjoyable thing. We can’t fellowship with one who walks in darkness (1 John 1:5-7) [See "Fellowship or Relationship" http://stevelynnjohnson.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-partnership.html ]  Again in these same scriptures you can see the apparent sin. It is not something that is questionable but obvious.  Side note: all must be treated the same. It does not matter their place in the body, statues and or financial means.  

     Love is not gone, just being tough.  There is only one way to the father, Jesus said. Now is that a lack of love or stating the way? (John 14:1-6). Also in Mark 16:15-16 Jesus is not lacking love but merely stating how it must be.  That being said when you obey the gospel you put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). This salvation that only comes through Christ is for all (Acts 2:38-39). Jesus says the path is narrow (Matt. 7:13-14; Luke 13:22-30), is that unloving? No. The love never leaves it is presenting and waiting for us to do our part. The same is with handling sin in the body. The love never leaves is just waiting for that person to relieve themselves of that sin (repent) and come back.  In fact, out of love, God sent His son (1 John 4:10; John 3:10-21). Yet salvation is still foolishness to the perishing and the power of God to those being saved (1 Cor. 1:18). Out of love we remove ourselves from a person in hopes they will see the error of their ways.  If they will not, then the little leaven that leavens the lump in a sinful way cannot be allowed to do its work.

      Do we tolerate sin? If so why? We see in Acts 5:1-11 a strong stance against sin. The understanding here is the same as in Joshua 7:10-12. Do we not understand that a little leaven leavens the whole batch?(1 Cor. 5:6) If there is no repentance from confronted brethren, according to Matt. 18:15-17 and Luke 17:1-4, then should we still be with them? 2 Thess. 3:6 is the same as it was for the first century church.

Are we tolerating sin for love sake that in Christ should not be?