Creator, Father, King #266

Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED the board game Monopoly?

If so, you’re probably familiar with the well-known “Get out of jail free” card. With this card, you can do just what the card says—get out of jail immediately and without penalty if you get sent there on your turn.

In Romans 6, the apostle Paul anticipated a question he knew was going to arise from his earlier teachings on justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ. Being the wise pastor that he was, he knew that some people might think that he was preaching a so-called “Get out of jail free” theology that would give them license to behave in ungodly manners.

He knew some people might misinterpret the first five chapters and erroneously come to the following conclusion—a terribly inaccurate one, at that—in their minds:

• We are all sinners and our sin highlights God’s grace, so we should sin more in order to give God more glory for more grace.
• It doesn’t really matter how we live since God will just forgive us anyway.

Is this the way we should think and live? Paul emphatically answers this in today’s Scripture passage: “Of course not!” Nothing could be further from the truth! Paul rejects this completely fallacious way of thinking in Romans 6.

What’s It Mean?

Paul was not preaching a “cheap grace” salvation at all, and nowhere does Scripture ever support any notion of that. Our salvation came at a great cost, and we should always be humbly mindful of that.

To think we can sin anytime we want and tritely ask forgiveness is an insult to God’s holiness and to the Lord Jesus Christ, who temporarily “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7, ESV) and suffered unspeakably for our sakes so that we could be reconciled with God. That’s never to be taken lightly.

What’s more, Romans 6:6 says, “Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives.” Although indwelling sin remains, Christians are not to go on willfully sinning but should seek to live righteously like their Savior (Galatians 5:13).

Leave the “Get out of jail free” card for Monopoly games. Instead die to sin and live for Christ!

Now What?

Next time you play Monopoly (especially when you land in jail!), thank God for his saving grace.

Did You Know?

Parker Brothers began selling Monopoly in 1935.