Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it”? (Romans 6:1).  Good question Paul.  The answer is many people that claim to love and know the Lord have not died to sin.  This study may not be received by many but my prayer is that those that need their eyes opened will read and receive it.  Understand that only Jesus is perfect and we all sin.  But do we take God’s grace as permission to sin?  Have you really understood that with God’s grace also come consequences?

The word of God tells us that God’s forgiveness has no limits (Psalms 103:12). When we repent from sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). But many people take God’s mercy and grace for granted, and use His forgiveness as an excuse to continue sinning.  We are told more than once the sexual immorality (adultery, fornication and pornography, etc.), thieves, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God; or in simple terms, will not go to heaven (Romans 6:6 and Rev 21:8). Here Paul is not talking about just sin, he is talking about “habitual sin”, deliberate sinning.  Hebrews 10:26-31 speaks to habitual sin.  Verse 26 says “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins”.  The words “going on” and “deliberately” mean that you are continuing in this sin willfully without confessing it, without repenting, without battling it. The words “no longer remains a sacrifice for sins”, means if Jesus sacrifice for our sins is rejected, there remains no other sacrifice that can cleanse.

Fornication is a sin that many people “continue sinning deliberately”.  The world expects and encourage whoredom and perversion but God tells us we are in the world but not of the world.   When we are born again in Christ we become adopted children of God, joint heirs with Christ Jesus.

When we turn our lives over to Christ we are crucified with Him; It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20).  Has the lust of the flesh made us lose sight of this terrible offense against God?  Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? The Lord tells us that “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body”.  (1 Cor 6:18-20).

I have met many people that confess to fornication where some have asked for forgiveness of the sin, but in reality the lust is so gratifying they really do not want to give up the sexual idolatry.  They are trying to serve two masters, which cannot be done? They will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first.  From many women that claim they want to walk with Jesus, I hear “ I want a relationship with this man, so I have to please him sexually.  From the men I hear, God will forgive me; I am a man and I have needs that need to be met”.  Question, Ladies that choose man over God and use sex to hold a relationship, does it work?  Jesus will never leave or fail you.  Has man failed you?  Men, those of you that must have sexual lust satisfied, God says He will satisfy all your needs. Sex is a lustful desire not a need. If one is too weak to turn away from sexual sin, we are told to get married. God honors marriage not lust.  Do you really believe that God will answer your prayers if you are waddling in sin?

Verse 27-31 continues with, you will face a “fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries”. You would face “punishment and judgment; It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.  And, how can anyone ignore 1 John 3:8-9 which says …

“Whoever makes practice of sinning belongs to the devil and no one born of God makes sin a practice, because God abides in him and he cannot keep sinning”. Again, here John is addressing habitual sin.

God has warned us in His word, but are the consequences really understood?  What conditions have we identified for those that continue habitual sins?

  1. They will not inherit the kingdom of God
  2. They will be exposed to a “fury of fire”
  3. They belong to the devil
  4. They will face God’s judgment forever

This sounds and is severe. But the good news is, it is not too late to turn those conditions around.  God has not given up on you; you turn away from Him.   With the Holy Spirit, you have the power to say no to temptation, and the power to change.  The blood of Jesus is powerful enough to wash away all your sin, even habitual sins. You are never beyond forgiveness. if you belong to Jesus, you must not continue to succumb to the sin;

  1. Confess and repent sincerely. God knows if you really have a change of heart or if it is lip service
  2. Ask God for forgiveness believing and trusting that he will.
  3. Pray and ask God to help you overcome the sin
  4. Realize that God will not let you be tempted beyond your ability to resist (1 Cor 10:13).
  5. Submit yourself to the Lord. Resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7)
  6. Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5).
  7. Try to work out what situations, decisions, activities or friends lead you into the sin, and then take practical steps to avoid them
  8. When the temptation tries to overwhelm you, speak to the devil “I walk by the Spirit, and I will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16)

If you trip, get back up and start again, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. God see all and will never leave you. As long as you hate the sin and are battling with the help of the Holy Spirit, it will not overcome you.