Introduction

This Bible study as most I have written is designed to rid the believer of any doubt regarding God’s love for them and their complete and total forgiveness in Christ. It is only satan who wants you to doubt your total forgiveness and righteousness in Christ which leads you to doubt God’s love. Satan knows that doubting these truths is specifically what keeps a believer trapped in reoccurring sin and ineffective for God. These studies are designed to renew the mind.

This study goes in depth with abundant scripture to prove that once a person places their faith and trust in Jesus, they are no longer under the law, they are under grace where sin has no dominion over them. The Bible is clear that sin is specifically defined as transgression of the law and where there is no law a person’s sins are not counted against them. Get your Bible out and study with me. If you have any questions, comments or objections, I really hope you will post them below the study or contact me through private messenger.  

Study

Most know that a Christian is a person who trusts in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We even tell people this, but then we end up squabbling about who a real believer is.

To resolve this dilemma, the definition I am using for a Christian is a person who is trusting Jesus for their salvation and looking for a way out of sin, not a way to continue in sin.

Some Christians fall into sin more than others. Many have never discovered a way out of sin simply because the church tends to focus more on behavior modification than a person’s transformation into the image of Christ. The fact is: the law we point them to is designed to reveal sin so the person sees their need for Jesus. In doing this it actually arouses and empowers sin. The bible says this explicitly, and we will review these verses further in this article.  

If in using the law we do get people to stop a hurtful behavior, we are doing things exactly as the Pharisees did in Jesus’s time. Jesus called those Pharisees “white-washed tombs…full of dead men’s bones.”

In other words, the law drives sin underground. Those corrected by the law will still sin, but hide it out of fear. This makes it even harder to spot them and see that they are not born again. Ultimately it leads them to believe it is more about what they do than what they believe, and this may leave them lost in the end (Gal 3:1-6).

The Bible's way out of sin is to understand: we are no longer under condemnation. We need to realize how much God loves us. We are completely forgiven for our sins and have been placed under grace where our sins are no longer counted against us.

I want to clarify that I am against sin, and the sins we commit as believers are wrong. They can get us into all kinds of problems here in this life, but you will see that according to scripture they are not held against us by God.

The truth about how God sees you and your sin will set you free. It will lead you out of sin and condemnation.

If you are a person who claims to be a Christian and you are looking for a way to sin instead of a way out of sin, you are most likely not born-again. This article can still help you by showing you what a great and loving God we have and why you should trust Jesus as your savior, but you still need to go back to the basics of the gospel.

A New Covenant of Grace and Truth Came by Jesus

A pillar of the New Covenant for those who trust in Jesus is found in the following verse.

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more” (Heb 10:17).

This next verse is further confirmation of this truth.

“…that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:19).

In this article you will learn, not only does God not count sins against born-again believers, he did not count the sins against anyone for 2,550 years after the fall. God did not count the sins of anyone, including unbelievers, during this time period. He most assuredly will keep his promise to not count the sins of those who are trusting in his only begotten Son today.

If you believe right, things will change on their own as the fruits of true belief replace the deadly symptoms of unbelief.

From personal experience and the testimony of many others, the assurance freedom from condemnation provides is what leads a person to go and sin no more.

From the Beginning

1. I want to make this point as we will come back to it later.  The only thing God warned Adam of if he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, was that he would die. (Gen 2:17).

2. Adam was deceived by God’s real enemy (Satan), and Adam’s one act of disobedience led all of mankind (born under Adam) to inherit a sin nature.

The bible says we were made sinners. In other words, we did not need to commit one sin to become sinners. We sin because we are sinners. We have an inherited nature. 

“For just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners…” (Rom 5:19a NIV).

We had no choice; we were born with Adam’s fallen nature into a fallen world. God sees this, and his desire is to save all who will believe him. Adam’s sin was actually unbelief in what God had told him. Everyone who was born after Adam has the same choice to make– to believe God or to not believe God.

A sin can only be counted a sin when a law has been transgressed.

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4 NIV).

Read more about the truth of how you were made a sinner here.

3. From the time of Adam’s one act of disobedience to when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, by God's free choice, humanity was not under the law.  When I use the word “law” here, I mean a command like we see Adam violating or the Ten Commandments like Moses gave.

 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type** of the one who was to come (Jesus)” (Rom 5:12-14).

Note this: God knew that man was committing sins during this time, but the bible is very clear that where there is no law, sin is not counted against man.

“Type** of the one who was to come” refers to Jesus. Another name the Bible uses for Jesus is the second Adam (1 Cor 15:47). Where the first Adam failed in unbelief, the second Adam did not. Born of a virgin out of necessity, Jesus did not inherit the sin nature we did.

4. During this 2,550-year period without the law, we see some who are righteous (right standing) before God. With no law, for certain we know they aren’t called righteous based on their law keeping. We see that Noah and his family and Abraham are righteous by faith.  

 “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Heb 11:7).

“And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness (Gen 15:6.)

“For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith” (Rom 4:13).

In Hebrews 11 we see what is called the Hall of Faith. Every person listed was declared righteous by faith.

In the entire Bible, Old and New Testament, when you see a person called righteous before God, you can be certain it was simply because he believed God. Not one person was declared righteous because of his law-keeping or good works. Therefore by default, an “unrighteous” person is one who does not believe God. Again this has nothing to do with the lack of law keeping or good works. If you stick with this definition, it will really help you understand scripture. It will also help you avoid any possible condemnation from incorrectly interpreting a righteous person in the bible, as a perfect person you need to be like.

You can learn more about God’s righteousness by reading these: Only Way to be Righteous , I Am The Righteousness of God in Christ , Seek First His Righteousness.

5. During the 2,550 years between Adam’s sin and the Ten Commandments, we also see rampant sin as bad or worse than we see today. Any sin you can think of today could be seen then, too. This is the period of Noah’s flood and Sodom and Gomorrah.

We also see what appears to be God’s wrath and punishment for sin in the flood and Sodom for instance. However, scripture is very clear that this could not have been punishment for sin. Sin is the transgression of the law.

“…for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law (Rom 5:13).

“For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression” (Rom 4:15).

“For all who have sinned without the law, will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law” (Rom 2:12). 

“For apart from the law, sin lies dead” (Rom 7:8b).

Let’s make it clear that God did not approve of what was going on during this time period. He was grieved in the heart that he had made man. But God is just and true to his word. His word states that sin is not counted where there is no law. 

My point here is not that God approved of their sin. Nor that apart from the law, God cannot step into our world and stop man in their tracks to stop sins. The point is that scripture is very clear that sins committed apart from the law are not counted against man. This tells us that there must have been another reason that God stepped in. I will address this in a further point.

If you understand the fact that we had no choice to be born with an inherited sin nature into a fallen world, you will begin to understand we are not God’s enemies. We are not the bad guys, we are the fall guys, and God is very aware of this truth. The entire bible is the story of our loving Father rescuing and saving us from Satan’s plan to kill, steal and destroy.

You will see further confirmation in this article that the untold number of sins committed during these 2,550 years, were definitely not counted against mankind. Additionally, we will review the fact that Jesus went and preached the righteous for the unrighteous, which is the gospel, to the departed spirits of the people from this time.

They were given a chance to hear and believe the gospel because without the law they did not know what sin was. Many years later in the letter to the believers in Rome, Paul told us he did not know sin except by the law.  

6. While there are many sins man can commit, in the end, the bible teaches there is only one unforgivable sin, the sin of unbelief. God wants mankind to believe that we can be right with God apart from our actions, solely because of what Jesus has done. God’s enemy Satan, is doing all he can to keep mankind in unbelief.

The reason God had to step in at times like the destruction of Sodom and in Noah’s time, was for the greater good of mankind as a whole because he loved us. He wanted to give all who would believe the chance to believe.  God stepped in to preserve a remnant of believers. We have determined that being “righteous before God” always means righteous by faith. It means they believed God.

God stepped in so there would be believers to bring the Messiah through when the time came. 

7. In the time of Noah, we see only eight people getting on the Ark. They were the only ones left who believed God and were therefore righteous.  It is also possible that Noah was the only one that believed God and God brought Noah's family because of Noah's righteousness. If there had been more believers, they would have gotten on the Ark, which is an Old Testament picture or shadow of Jesus, like a symbol or metaphor. Today we see the same thing. Anyone can come, but those who do not believe do not come to safety.

The following verse confirms that the non-believers (unrighteous) in Noah’s time were the ones who did not board the Ark, even though God had great patience with them. God still gave them a chance, as this verse also tells us. Jesus proclaimed the righteous for the unrighteous, the gospel, to those unbelieving spirits who lived in the days prior to the law being given by Moses. 

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in **prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water” (1 Peter 3:18-20).

But the Scripture **imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe” (Gal 3:22).

Further confirmation is seen in these verses that Noah and his family were the only ones who believed God.

if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly (godless man, ungodly persons); if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly (godless man, ungodly persons); and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly (believer) from trials, and to keep the unrighteous (ungodly, unbeliever) under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. 2 Peter 2:5-10

Noah's obedience to the faith, revealed the unrighteous, those who did not believe. Their unbelief is what led to their destruction. This is the same way unbelievers are revealed today.

But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him. By faith [with confidence in God and His word] Noah, being warned by God about events not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his family. By this [act of obedience] he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith. Heb 11:6-7 Amp

The unrighteous in the Bible are always unbelievers. This verse is talking about the obedience that is prompted by faith.

[Prompted] by faith Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed along with those who refused to believe and obey, because she had received the spies in peace [without enmity]. Heb 11:31 Amp

8. We see the same situation in Sodom, 500 years after the flood. In the time of Sodom where there was no law given by God. Remember, we have learned “righteous” means those who believe God. In Gen 15:6, we see Abraham (who was declared righteous by what he believed) negotiate with God for any believers (righteous) in Sodom.

In Gen 18:22-33, Abraham gets God to agree not to destroy Sodom if there are only ten (believers) righteous people in Sodom. The whole story is presented here:

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

“So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said [to God], ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ 26 And the LORD said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’

27 “Abraham answered and said, ‘Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’ And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.’ 29 Again he spoke to him and said, ‘Suppose forty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of forty I will not do it.’ 30 Then he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.’ He answered, ‘I will not do it, if I find thirty there.’ 31 He said, ‘Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.’ 32 Then he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’ 33 And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place” (Gen 18:22-33).

Obviously, there were not ten people left in Sodom, who believed God. Lot and his family were the only righteous ones, the only ones who believed God. Actually, Lot may have been the only one who believed, but God in his great love for mankind allowed Lot’s family members to come. God even offered to let the two men betrothed to Lot’s daughters escape, but they laughed, did not believe God and did not leave with Lot. In the end, two angels are sent to remove righteous Lot and his family from Sodom before it is destroyed. See Genesis 19 for the full story.

I wanted to point out here, that death is not necessarily punishment as some might think. Death is the wage that sin pays. Death and sin are both enemies of God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Cor 15:26

God can and does use death to spare the righteous from evil.

The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Isa 57:1 NIV

The following verse simply points out how difficult it was for Lot who believed God, to be in the midst of a city of unbelievers. Maybe you know the torment of being the only believer in your family, but can you imagine being the only believer in your town? Worse yet, can you imagine being the only believer left in the world as Noah found himself? Belief is identified by increasing good fruits and unbelief is identified by the deadly symptoms of increased sin. Believers are naturally tormented by the unbelief and increasing sin of the unrighteous. 

and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 2 Peter 2:7-8

9. The fact that God was not counting man’s sins against them during this time is further confirmed by Hebrews 9:15. It states that Jesus’s death redeemed those who transgressed the law of first covenant, the Old Covenant Law of Moses. The verse does not mention those who lived before the law of Moses when many great men of God lived like Abraham and Noah. Much of the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, who now reside in Heaven, is dedicated to those before the Law of Moses. We know from scripture these people did commit sins. Since they did commit sins, and Hebrews 9:15 does not say Jesus redeemed them from these sins, we have more evidence those sins were not counted against them.

“Therefore he (Jesus) is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant” (Heb 9:15).

10.    God brings the law solely to lead people to the Savior.

A) Brings the knowledge of sin 

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20).

“What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’”  (Rom 7:7).

B) Empowers sin to condemn.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law” (1 Cor 15:56).

C) Stops the sinner’s mouth from justifying itself leaving the whole world guilty

“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God” (Rom 3:19).

D) Acts as a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ and ends when we come to Christ        

 “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our schoolmaster until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (Gal 3:23-25).

God brought the law to lead mankind to the savior. His intentions towards man were always grace. This is confirmed in Romans 5:20 which tells us that when the law came, sin increased, but grace abounded all the more to compensate. The fact that grace abounded all the more confirms for us that grace was already present before the law came. Grace has always been God’s plan.

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, Rom 5:20

11. Another important point is the Bible states that there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood.

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Heb 9:22

Therefore, a necessary part of the law was the requirement for an animal sacrifice. Most notably this was an unblemished lamb, offered to cover the person’s sin, bringing the person temporal forgiveness.

Since it is clear from scripture that sin was in the world prior to the law, but  sin is not counted against a man where there is no law to transgress (Rom 5:13), a sacrifice by a person for their own sins was not necessary until the Old Covenant of Law was given by Moses. This is further evidence that during the 2,550 years from Adams disobedience to the Law of Moses, man was under grace. God freely choose to not count man’s sins against them, just as he does now with those who place their trust in Christ, where God wants them. Mankind’s salvation has always been God’s end goal desire (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Tim 2:4). 

12. Jesus comes on the scene and replaces the Old Covenant of law with the New Covenant of grace and truth.

Galatians 3:25 just told us that once we come to Christ, we are no longer in need of the law. We are under the New Covenant, our sins committed under the Old Covenant of law given by Moses are forgiven as Hebrew 9:15 states.

“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant” (Heb 9:15).  

The Father’s will was for Jesus to come and do away with the Old Covenant of law and establish the New Covenant of grace.

“When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will.’ He does away with the first (Old Mosaic Covenant of Law) in order to establish the second (New Covenant of Grace). And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10:8-10).

Also see these verses on the covenant change: Heb 7:18-19, Heb 8:7-8, Heb 8:13, Heb 10:1, and 2 Cor 3:7

Read Here on New Covenant.

13. Remember:

A) Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— Rom 5:12

B) The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 1 Cor 15:56.  Without the law, sin in powerless to kill.

C) By taking away the law, sins power to kill, Jesus removed the fear of death which had kept us in a life of slavery to sin.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Heb 2:14-15

D) Once we trust in Jesus, God, by His free choice, places us under grace so that sin will no longer have power/authority/dominion over us, to kill us.

“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Rom 6:14).

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities (Satan) and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col 2:13-15).

 “But now we are released from the law [Law of Moses], having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit [Law of Spirit of Life]and not in the old way of the written code” (Rom 7:6).

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death [Old Covenant Law of Moses]” (Rom 8:2).

“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Rom 3:27-28)

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Rom 5:2

Read an in-depth article here: Christians Are Not Under the Law of Moses, Our Standard is Much Higher.

14. Today those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior are born again under Jesus and no longer under Adam.  

We are forgiven for all sins, made righteous without one act of righteousness of our own, but by Jesus’s obedience.

“…so by the one man’s (Jesus) obedience the many will be made righteous”  (Rom 5:19). 

“For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).

Not being under the Law of Moses means we are under grace. We are in a somewhat similar situation with regards to the law as Abraham and Noah, since sins are not counted under grace. Sin is still very present in the world and in our own personal lives today like it was in theirs. However, sin no longer has the power to kill us and we are no longer slaves of sin as they were.

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.  Rom 6:17-18

15. This also means as a believer you do not need to fear verses that list some sins that you as a Christian have not been able to find your way out of yet. 1 Cor 6:9-11, Gal 5:19-21, Eph 5:3-5 and 1 Tim 1:8-11 are some verses that many Christians might see themselves in currently and fear they might lose their salvation. Satan and some believers use these verses to condemn believers, create fear and doubt of their salvation.

The reason Christians might see themselves here is because we still sin. While these verses list many so-called bigger sins, they also list very basic sins like lying, coveting, impurity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, rebelliousness, and being ungodly and sinful. Sin would include worry, doubt and fear too. The verses go on to say that people with these titles will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 

I want you to think about something for a second. Did you ever tell a lie, steal, or commit any of the other sins I just listed? Now when you end up in heaven, will a liar and a thief be in heaven? No. 

Before his conversion, the Apostle Paul was putting to death Christians. Would he be called a murderer in heaven? Absolutely not!  It is only common sense that none of those titles will be in heaven. You are washed clean by the blood of Christ, a new creation in Christ. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. God sees you as holy, righteous, sanctified and perfect in Christ right now all because of what Jesus alone did for you. Read here.

Now that you are a believer, who is under grace and not under the law, as scripture clearly teaches, these actions while still wrong, would not be counted against you. Believers are under grace and not under law.

Think about it, if you told a lie and there was no law, you could not be charged with lying, called a liar, because you did not break the law. 

Remember – the definition of a born-again Christian I am using is a person who trusts in Jesus and is looking for a way out of sin, not a way to continue in sin.

The following verse clears this up even more. It tells us the law is not for the righteous (believers). It is to be used specifically for those who are unrighteous (non-believers). This is to show them their sin and lead them to Jesus, just like it did with us. Then they are no longer under the law. Once you grab hold of the fact that you are no longer under the law, many difficult verses are easy to understand and explain.

“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.  We also know that the law is made NOT for the righteous (Always a Believer by Faith in Scripture) but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me” (1 Tim 1: 8-11). 

If you are an unbeliever and do not walk in faith, you are still subject to the condemnation the law brings. All of the sins I have listed here are counted against you. If you are a believer and walk in faith, none of them are. This is reflected in this verse “...For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Rom 14:23). In other words, if we believe, trust in Jesus and proceed in faith, sin is not counted against us. 

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb 11:6).

I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:8

16. This does not mean Christians should sin just because sin is not counted against us. While our salvation may be easy to obtain, it was not cheap. God gave his only begotten son whom he loves dearly, and Jesus gave everything for us.  All sin is wrong, and this is why Jesus had to do what he did for us. Just think how you feel when someone lies or steals from you.

Sin hurts the sinner and those exposed to the sinner. Our sin can repel unbelievers and leave them lost. Besides, there will not be any of this activity in our eternity. 

God has set us free from the letter of the law that kills and wants us to walk in the spirit that gives life (Read here). The spirit of all of God’s laws is love (Rom 13:8-10), and it is much higher than the letter, and it is the only thing that fulfills God’s written law. (Read here). The knowledge that the spirit of all of God’s laws is love, tells us a great deal about God’s character.

This knowledge will set you free from sin. Meditate on the truth that not one sin of an untold number of heinous sins was counted against all of those people from Adam to when Moses gave the law. Now believe the truth that as a follower of Jesus you are under the same amazing grace. 

We do not go out looking to sin, but when we do sin, God in his great love for us has freely chosen to place us under grace so our sins cannot be counted against us. Meditate on this truth and allow God’s love and grace to overflow in your life. If you hang onto this truth, from this day forward you are free. You will see yourself fall into sin less and less. You will be less inclined to sin for the right reason: your love and gratitude for your heavenly Father. 

If you love your neighbors, you will not lie or steal from them, cheat or murder them. If you walk in the spirit of the law (love), the letter of the law will not even see you. God does not want us to sin, but when we do there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

We no longer do right because of the fear of punishment or the possibility of losing our salvation. We will love much because we will realize we have been forgiven much (Luke 7:47, 2 Peter 1:9). 

There is absolutely no condemnation (Rom 8:1, John 3:18) for those who believe just as Jesus tells us. We will see a wellspring of life well up in us. Peace, joy and gratitude will reign in our lives, and we can be of good use for our Father. We will want to share this incredible news. Grace is our teacher now.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2: 11-14).

Love is the only thing that can fulfill all of God’s laws. 

“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.  For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom 13:8-10)

“It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor 13:5 NIV).

17. This is really good news! You cannot lose your salvation for sinning because sin is not counted against you where there is no law. The bible is very clear on this. Even though you see sin in your life, God sees you as righteous in Christ.

“Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psalm 32:2).

“Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin” (Rom 4:8 ESV).

"BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT." (Rom 4:8 NASB)

"Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." (Rom 4:8 KJV)

Now you can serve God in a new and living way.

“But now we are released from the law (Law of Moses), having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit (Law of Spirit of Life) and not in the old way of the written code” (Rom 7:6).

How does the law apply to Christian today? Read: Christian Ambassadors Have Diplomatic Immunity

You cannot lose your salvation for not confessing or forgetting to confess your sins. Read here.

The bible says there is only one unforgivable sin and it is unbelief. Read here.

Jesus never called a believer a hypocrite. Read here.

Read more about the new and living way Christians are under.

Read articles about the New Covenant, more evidence we are not under the law, you cannot lose your salvation by not confessing your sins, and many more in-depth and life-changing studies here.

New Covenant Bible Studies