Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?
Sin and the child of God are incompatible. They may occasionally meet; they cannot live together in harmony – John R. W. Stott
It will help when we speak about the subject of sin to use clear and precise language about the type of sin we are revering to. Though any sin is worthy of our damnation and is an offense to God, not all sins are treated the same by God or by people with each other or by the church in discipline. First, there are scandalous sins and small sins or sins of imperfection. There are presumptive, intentional sins and sins in ignorance, public sins and unseen sins. There are sins of omission and commission. Scripture speaks of past sins and current sins. And there is a difference between committing a sin and continuing in sin. People often speak of besetting sin or besetting temptations. We must be clear what type of sin the passage we are reading is speaking about and keep these distinct in our doctrine and practice. Though any sin is enough to send one to hell and say they have violated the commands, yet not all sins are equally heinous or dealt with the same by the body. Here are some examples. 1st from the Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q. 83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others
Explained in the Larger Catechism Q.151 are things that increase the aggravations. Clearly some sins are more heinous in the sight of God than others. One key distinction in scripture and the Confession is over 2 types of sins, scandalous and sins of imperfection or small sins.
Thomas Vincent’s answers to the question related to Q82-84 and then Q87 clarify what was meant in the Catechism. Consider how he explains the question on Repentance unto life (QA 87). Vincent expands question and answer 87 into 21 additional questions and answers to explain it thoroughly. Below is just one of the expanded questions and answers (No. 15). He uses the term gross sins rather than scandalous sins. Page 231
Q. What is that turning from sin which is part of true repentance?
A. The turning from sin which is a part of true repentance, doth consist in two things- – 1. In a turning from all gross sins, in regard of our course and conversation. 2. In a turning from all other sins, in regard of our hearts and affections.
~ The Shorter Catechism Explained from Scripture, by Thomas Vincent.
Scandalous sins are exemplified in lists like Eph 5:4, 1Cor 5:11 and 1Cor 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. NKJV
With these types of sins we follow James 5:19-21; 1Cor 5:11 and Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
Matt 18:15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. NKJV
James 5:19-Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. NKJV
1 Cor 5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person. NKJV
Church discipline is not enacted for infirmities of the flesh and imperfections of good works, which are still sins. These sins must be confessed and repented of by individuals and mortified, but the church may have no knowledge of private sins or sins of thoughts. Some sins have such impact on another or seem to have a person overtaken such that a brother may need to confront them about it. Other sins we may let love cover the multitude of imperfections and ignore these and choose not to take personal offense to them.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
1 Cor 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; … is not provoked, thinks no evil; …7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Luke 17:3 If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Note: the teaching here is specific. The subject is an illustration for forgiveness and lonsuffering in that. It is not a teaching that it is normal or acceptable for a person to continue to sin. That is taking the teaching out of context and perverting it. And the sin that a brother would be doing would be a minor imperfection, he is not stealing and lying and committing adultery with his wife over and over.
Remember that in the old covenant one who committed gross sins like adultery or being a rebellious son were not able to continue to commit these sins. They were put to death for this type of sin; which for us now would be like excommunication, putting them out of the covenant membership, proclaiming that they are not recognized as living like a Christian. This binding them from the visible church is recognized in heaven and God may allow satan to buffet them in a way He might not allow to a covenant person, but this does not mean they are barred from ever being converted as some think. It is only the same earthly action that is recognized by the heavenly kingdom, the removal from the church covenant protection. Man by his judgment does not keep one from the invisible church.
True believers should have their heart and desires turned away from even small sins, though they may commit some occasionally as frailty or infirmity of the flesh. This is not the same as wanting to keep the sin, tolerating it, avoiding all efforts to mortify it, or continuing in sin, unrepentant in these; nor is it the same as committing gross or scandalous sins, all of which would merit discipline and deprive him of assurance. The church does not exact discipline on one who commits a small sin or a sin of imperfection, or those of thoughts that are private or un-spoken. But with gross outward and scandalous sins that hurt the person and the reputation of the church, and sins continued in unrepentant, the church must discipline, possibly even excommunicate the person, showing that they are without the fruit and visible signs of conversion which is turning from all sins. Not that they are surely unconverted, but from human judgment we do not see evidence of saving faith and repentance, so we no longer offer them the benefits of the covenant and assurance of being converted. True repentance is making a change, stopping the sin, turning to a practice of obedience, not just confessing or being sorry.
Another distinction in scripture is seen in:
Acts 3:17 “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
1 Tim 1:13 but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. NKJV
Heb 9:7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance;
Num 15:27 ‘And if a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering. 28 So the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally, when he sins unintentionally before the LORD, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. 29 You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them. 30 ‘But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.’ ” NKJV
We see in the OT, which is a type for us, that a person who knowingly and intentionally sins, is cut off from the people of God, or put to death. This type points to new covenant practice of one being excommunicated, put out of the people of God or even ultimate spiritual death, if sin is allowed in their lives. This sin is willful intentional gross violation of the law of God in action not just thought. Nowhere in scripture is an ongoing struggle with this category of sin, which loses over and over, shown as normal, acceptable, inescapable or to be tolerated in a Christian? Rather we are warned:
Heb 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. NKJV
One may say Heb 10:26 is limited only to the context of true faith. But note how this corresponds exactly with our previous verses; in the OT example, a man can be forgiven a sin that is not done knowingly and intentionally; but one done presumptuously, willfully, he was stoned or cut off from the people of God. There is no tolerance for presumptuous, intentional or continual sin in the believer’s life or a desire for sin.
Deut 22:23 The woman who did not cry out for help when caught lying with a man, was stoned because she was judged compliant, but had she cried out for help she would be innocent because it was not willful compliance.
Secret sins and obvious willful sins are again distinguished in:
Ps 19:12… Cleanse me from secret faults. 13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. NKJV
Christians also sin when they do not do good works perfectly. To sin is to miss the mark of God’s perfection. So we are constantly sinning in that sense. When we would do good, evil is present with us. We are never perfect and so we are sinners. We also sin by omission, not knowing all our duty or neglecting to do some good or reprove evil around us. But these sins are not the same as an active volitional decision to commit a sin because we lust for or desire and take pleasure in it. More on this distinction in sins later from John Owen.
Also there is a difference in committing a sin once and continuing to commit a sin over and over. We are to repent and mortify or put sin to death, not allow it to reign over us. A Christian may commit a sin and there is forgiveness for them if they repent; but continuing in sin is a person who has not repented, turned from that sin to obedience.
Confusion also comes when the “struggle” we have with temptation in this world is referred to as a struggle with sin. Our struggle should not be that we are failing and sinning regularly. The Christian struggle is that we are tempted to sin often and have to say no, over an over to our flesh and the world. We should have no struggle with sinning; our struggle should be with temptation to sin from the flesh and the world. Indwelling sin in our flesh regularly is influencing us. It taints all the good works we would do with things like pride, arrogance, selfishness, impatience, etc., so that the good we want to do, we never do perfectly. This indwelling sin is ever present with us, disgusting us and causing us to weep and lament our life and even good works before God. The exciting deliverance we long for in heaven is not just to be free of all actual sin, but to be free of the continuous temptation from our flesh and battle with the world that we have to constantly say no to. It will be bliss to be free of the struggle with the indwelling sin nature that never gives us any peace or rest. We have to be constantly resisting it, because we hate the pleasures of this world, our fleshly desires for it and we hate the temptations being aroused. The fight is not that we keep falling into the same sins, rather it is a constant or frequent struggle not to yield to temptation to sin. We struggle to not even entertain them in our thoughts. We stay on watch all day to turn from them to think on good things, Phil 4:8, so we do not get tempted or yield to it.
Mark 14:38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. NKJV
Acts 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. NKJV
1 Thess 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. NKJV
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you NKJV
Heaven will be a relief because we will be free from the constant bombardment of the temptations in this world, our flesh and the sin nature. As for actual sins, one had better stop practicing sins here and now. Not that they become perfect in all areas, but the known temptations and besetting desires that come on them and weaken them and have caused them to sin in the past must be resisted and mortified. We can not allow ourselves to think of any one of them as really a good or pleasant thing that God is depriving us from enjoying. That they look pleasing is a deception they are not good for us at all nor can we occasionally allow ourselves to have them, let alone continue to desire them.
Those who love these things in the world and feel deprived and want to do them, even if they restrain themselves, are not converted or at least have no reason to hope they are. Their struggle is still only with doing them or not doing them, which even the unregenerate, to some extent, do from light of nature. They do not have a heart desire against them because they displease God, and a new desire to do right and please God, but they still suppress them. That was the plight of the unconverted and the experience of the Jews in the OT which Paul contrasts in Romans 5-8. This is what he is trying to explain to the OT saints, Jews and Gentile proselytes, why it is and how much better it is now in the new covenant because of Christ’s work and the Spirit. Christ freed us from the bondage of the sin nature, Law is written on our hearts, pouring out of the Spirit, etc.
The true convert has a new nature with new desires against sin and to obey God. It is this heart and motive change which more clearly identifies the true believer from the outward professor, who like the Pharisee only controls More