There are people who study a body of law very carefully, but not to find out what their obligations are. Rather they seek some weakness in the law whereby they can avoid their obligations.

Tax law is an example. Some people study the tax law, not to see what tax they should pay, but to see how they might avoid paying the tax they should.

Some people look at God’s law in a similar way. They are the...

Loopehole Seekers

There are those who think they can find loopeholes even in God’s law. They interpret the kindness of God as a weakness they can exploit. "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world..." (Tit 2:11-12).

If "the eyes of your heart be enlightened" (Eph 1:18-19), the grace of God will have appeared to you in its true light. But if you have let your spiritual sight become distorted and darkened, the grace of God will have appeared to you in a different and false light. You will see it as something that lets you trick God, and you will make...

A Foolish Plan

People sometimes make a plan like this:

"I want to be saved, but I want to do something sinful too. So here’s how I'll do both. First I will fall from grace for a season by entering into sin. After I have enjoyed my season of sin, then I will restore myself to grace by repentance and prayer. That way, I get to do the sin I wish, and then I get to escape the punishment for it. That’s a clever plan isn't it? The grace of God has appeared to me, teaching me that I can live in ungodliness and worldly lusts, and not live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world, yet still be saved."

Such a plan to seek "the pleasures of sin for a season" (Heb 11:24-25) is very foolish, because there is...

No Loophole In God’s Law

The Bible answer to the "clever" plan has a simple Bible answer: "God Is not mocked" (Gal 6:7). The Bible is straight about the results of the clever plan. It will go horribly wrong.

of the following passages:

"If we go on sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying fear of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries... It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

(Heb 10:26-31)

When people sin so deliberately and wilfully, "it is impossible to renew them again to (genuine) repentance because to themselves they crucify the Son of God again, and put him to an open shame" (Heb 6:4-6 10:26-31).

The Bible is so clear about how people ought to live.

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

"But you have not so learned Christ --if so be that you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That you put off concerning the former conduct the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

(Eph 4:17-24)

Make No Mistake

In the face of such clear teaching we should make no mistake. John writes, "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin" (1Jn 2:1). He goes on to say that if we do sin, "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1Jn 2:1-2). It is clear that Christ is the Advocate of those who try not to sin but who slip back unintentionally and unwillingly. This is what John calls "sin not unto death" (1Jn 5:16-17). On the other hand, those who sin deliberately and wilfully have no advocate and in their case "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" (Heb 10:26). This is what John calls "sin unto death" (1Jn 5:16).

Make no mistake about this. Those who believe they have found a loopehole in God’s law are deceived.

"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

"But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

(2Pe 2:20-22)

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