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 Bro.
Turner:
Is
the person who commits one sin of the flesh lost, outside of God’s
grace, until he confesses his sin? RG
Reply:
This
is but one of dozens of like questions that come our way. “If
I am driving 5 miles over the limit and have a fatal accident?”
“If an unusual temptation “overtakes” me?” and so, on
and on. Why do not these brethren lay aside the trivia and get
to the core of the matter? Must I remain faithful to the
Lord? Whether they realize it or not, the theology that
spawned this current rash of such questions is the “P” of
Calvin’s TULIP — Preservation of the elect. Others know it
as “security of the believer” or “impossibility of
apostasy.” Can not our brethren see that the emotionalism,
rationalizing, and hypothetical cases that would excuse, ignore,
or count of no moment one sin, would, viewed with a like
subjectivity, do the same for all sins.
We
can receive God’s grace “in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1). I fear
some “in and out of grace” statements have given a
connotation to “grace” that is contrary to N.T. usage. God
loved us ‘while we were yet sinners” (Rom. 5:8) but we must
come to Christ for His blessings. Grace is extended to erring
saints, in that Christ intercedes for those who call on Him
(Heb. 4 :16).
Sins
of the flesh are still sins, and an improper attitude toward any
sin is a rejection of God (Jas. 2:11). But one who questions
each deed of his life, and seeks
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to find in the doing some
assurance of salvation, may be suspected of a reliance upon
himself that could be characterized as a “walking after the
flesh.” It seems to me a life of faith, of trust in Jesus
Christ, is far more positive and optimistic than that. “Forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14)..
At the same time, it is difficult to conceive of one who is “walking
after the spirit” or “in the light” as trying to excuse any
sin.
It
seems to me that 1 Jn. 1:8 makes it clear that one who claims to
be a Christian, striving to walk in God’s light, will
sometimes fail. “Walking in light” is a manner of life, a
general pattern, which is not canceled by a specific or
single act; for despair and frustration at our own weakness may
yet remain, and one’s desire and further effort may yet be in
the direction of right (Rom. 7:21-24). But an effort at
self-justification is a further step in the wrong direction —
a giant step toward darkness. So John urges us to continually
confess our sins (present active); an expression of attitude
like “rejoice evermore” or “pray without ceasing,” and
analogous to being faithful to the Lord. With such an attitude
we can be assured that Christ will forgive our sin (1 Jn. 2:1;
Heb. 7:24-25). Knowledge of this was enough to make Paul rejoice
(Rom. 7:25). We should remember, this was the Paul who “buffeted
his body” to keep it in subjection.
Finally,
remember that God knows our heart, and judges righteously.
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