If God forgives every sin, why bother obeying Him?

It’s a question many people don’t ask out loud—but many live as though they believe it. After all, our culture says happiness matters more than holiness, and sadly, many who claim to follow Christ have adopted the same mindset.

So does it really matter how we live?

Does God simply want us to try our best? Are the commands in Scripture merely good suggestions? Or does how we live our lives, daily, in the small things reveal something far deeper about our relationship with Christ?

Today we’ll wrestle with one of the most important questions every believer—and every professing Christian—must answer. Romans 6 explains why grace never becomes an excuse for sin, but instead becomes the greatest motivation for holy living.

Welcome to “God’s Word Day by Day,” where I blog through the Bible in a Year. I hope you’ll join me every day. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here or subscribe and watch on YouTube.

Today’s Readings:

Esther 9 & 10
Psalm 91.1-6
Proverbs 22.12
Romans 6

Why Bother Living Right?

Romans 6:

No Big Deal

A couple of years ago, I met with a young woman who was a professing believer. She had gotten involved in a relationship and lifestyle that were contrary to God’s clear commands. Yet, she had been brought up in a Christian home and knew the Bible pretty well.

She listened politely to my counsel, but I had the sense that she had already made up her mind. So, I simply asked her, “How do you reconcile your decision with what you know is right?” She said she knew the Bible said it was wrong, but she felt she could always get it right later.

Why Bother?

So why bother living right? Has the world changed, and has the Bible failed to keep up with those changes? Is it merely a book of suggestions? A way to have a better life, but still optional?

And even if our choices are sinful, since God forgives all of our sins, why not just live any way we want and confess them later?

It is true, as Paul has been explaining in the previous chapter of Romans, that we are saved by grace and kept by grace rather than by any “good works” of our own. We could do nothing to save ourselves, and no amount of good works will cause God to love us more. If we are truly believers, saved and converted by God, we can’t lose our salvation (Jn. 10.28-29).

So, does that mean how we live is really no big deal?

Not a New Question

This isn’t a new question. Paul addressed this issue here in Romans 6:

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (vv. 1-2).

While our obedience shouldn’t come from some feeble attempt to stay in God’s good graces, we should understand that God didn’t just save us from an eternity in hell; He set us free from our bondage to sin. Ephesians 2.10 says:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

So, while our salvation comes entirely as a result of God’s grace (Eph. 2.8-9), He doesn’t just save us; He also changes us. 2 Corinthians 5.17 says:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Our good works are the evidence of a changed life (Eph. 2.10; Lk. 6.43-44), and our lack of desire to live righteously is often evidence of an unredeemed life.

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matt. 7.21-23).

Many Will Say …

Did you notice that phrase, “Many will say …”? There are many people in the church doing some “religious” things who don’t have a genuine relationship with Christ. They may give intellectual assent to the truths of Scripture, but they have failed to see their sinful state and need for a Savior. They have never really put their faith and trust in His finished work on the cross, which is the only basis for entry into the kingdom of heaven.

So while they may go to church and say the right things about what they believe, the fruit of their lives on a day-to-day basis is often not the fruit of a changed life.

So, why bother? For starters, the desire to “bother” is part of the change God works in our hearts when He saves us. And if we have no desire to live righteously, no desire to grow and change, and no conviction about living contrary to God’s Word, we should be concerned about the genuineness of our salvation.

If that describes you, go to God. Confess your sin. Ask Him to grant you repentance that leads to salvation and a changed life. Your eternity could hang in the balance.

But what about those of us who do have a relationship with Christ, who knowingly continue to make sinful choices?

Truth is Relative

We live in a world that believes truth is relative and that we can all decide what’s right and true for us. Sadly, even many churches have caved in to the culture’s demands about right, wrong, and truth. They have thrown aside God’s clear commands concerning sexuality, refuse to call people to repentance, and claim that Jesus loves everyone. Many fail to preach the gospel. Instead, Sunday sermons are more like positive thinking pep talks than calls to obedience and Christian living.

Is the Bible Just a Book of Good Suggestions?

But even those of us in more biblical churches are sometimes living in ways that are contrary to Scripture. Couples live together without ever marrying or, at least, live together until a convenient time to get married.

Others raise their hands in praise to God and then fight all the way home from church. They yell at the kids, refuse to forgive those who have hurt them, and gossip about others, even their brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.

When challenged, they say things like, “Well, I’m still a work in process” or “God knows my heart.” None of us has indeed arrived when it comes to Christ-likeness. That is a lifelong process. But for a believer who loves God, obedience is not an option.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (Jn. 14.15). Notice, He said, “You will.” And the disciple who recorded those words later said, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn. 5.3).

So, what do you see in your own life? Is there a desire to live righteously, no matter the cost? Are you a good repenter when you fail? Are you encouraging others to do the same?

Today’s Other Readings:

Esther 9 & 10:

God’s Word Will Stand

So we come to the end of the book of Esther and our glimpse into the lives of the Jewish people still living in exile. The conflict we saw between Haman and Mordecai actually reached back to the time of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, when the ancestors of Haman attacked the Israelites. Because of it, God declared a curse on them, which included their total annihilation.

500 years later, Saul defeated them and was told to destroy them along with all their animals. Because he disobeyed, their lineage continued and culminated in this tribal feud between Haman and Mordecai.

But God’s purpose and declaration ultimately stood.

Psalm 91.1-6:

My Refuge and Fortress

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

This is perhaps one of the best-known psalms. It’s been read and prayed throughout the centuries by soldiers and others in danger. It talks about God’s sovereign care for His children.

Proverbs 22.12:

The Words of the Faithless

The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, but He overthrows the words of the faithless.

We have just seen a picture of this in the story of Esther. God used imperfect people like Esther and Mordecai to preserve the knowledge of Him and overthrew the enemy’s plans as declared through the words of faithless Haman.

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk about running to God when we want to run away, the basis for biblical hope, and eternal security.

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Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥