31st July 2015 Radio Message by Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako

The points of Grace and Sin have become a contentious issue in the church of recently: The younger people and their preachers are emphasizing the Grace of God and have been understood by some of the listeners as promoting moral laxity and is used by youth as license to indulge in sinful acts. The older preachers, however, tend to see a big danger in this, and have out rightly condemned it to be a false teaching.

The new preachers who believe they have received a new revelation about Grace tend to minimize the older preachers as perpetrators of legalism, bondage and therefore in an error.

This ought not to be if Scripture is clearly understood, balanced and taken in context. It is therefore my intention in this series to harmonize the teaching on Grace and Sin. There is no need for disagreement.

The Genesis of Grace and Sin

The fall of man is probably the saddest story in the entire Bible. It clearly gives us the genesis of sin within God’s Grace. Sin is described as “missing a mark” or “falling short” of a required standard”. Grace is “Unmerited favor”. God had created mankind and exalted him by Grace. Man did not work hard, so as, to be created in the image of God, nor did he merit being superior to all other creation – it was simply by the Grace of God.

Up to the point of sin, man was perfect in nature and there was no need for the law. Man had his total freedom, to will and to make a choice. That freedom of choice is one of the attributes he shares with God up to this day. He was clothed in a garment of righteousness, and in constant fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden. Man was the head of the universe with full dominion over every thing God created on earth.

However, in that Grace God gave man very clear instruction, not the law. The instruction was not to eat of a specific tree in the Garden of Eden. The consequences were clearly spelled out to Adam in case he misused his freedom and undermined God’s Grace. It is much the same with the saints. God holds accountable any one under Grace who commits irresponsible acts of Sin and does not repent of it.

In the early church the Apostle Paul’s anticipated that some people would think that because there is Grace, they are at liberty to go against God’s instructions Romans 6:1-2; 11-14. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

Sin is a reality that a believer must not ignore, and must deal with. To think that when we receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, sin is no longer a factor is not right.

Another illustration of God’s Grace versus sin was that of Israel as a special nation. It was by God’s Grace that Abraham was chosen to become a special nation. God promised in a covenant to give them the land forever.

[To read the complete message, please click on this PDF file: 8-1-15-Sin-and-Grace-1]