Written By Ken Alexander

Let’s be very clear. Salvation comes only by God’s grace alone founded on the life and work of Christ Jesus on the cross where He died for the sins of all who will place their trust and faith in Him. This is the gospel. God created a plan whereby sinful and incurable mankind could be redeemed in Christ Jesus and whereby my record of life becomes His record and His record becomes mine. Christ took our sins past, present, and future upon His shoulders on the cross and made us a new creation, dead to sin, freed from sin, and alive in Christ Jesus (Romans 6).

It is inevitable that when TTW posts the truth about God’s Word as to how we should now live given our new life in Christ, that someone will view the post as condemnation for those who have not walked according to the Word, and who may have committed a terrible sin. One woman recently asked, “What about grace for those who have had an abortion?”

The answer is that the work of Christ will cover all sins for those who believe in Him. The apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Spirit has answered the question, “What about grace” when he writes, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How can we who are dead to sin live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1,2). God’s Word vehemently denies that one can continue to live in sin and practice gross and immoral sins. Such a one should not expect that he/she is saved. It is not a bad thing to ask oneself, “Am I truly saved?” If you are living in a mire of sinful behaviors, know that sin and Christ are incompatible.

“But what about grace?”

The fact that grace can cover all of our sins, including the worst sins of murder, abortion, adultery, divorce, abusive unkindness, and pride, does not mean they are covered if one blatantly continues in sin after they believe they are saved. They may not be saved.

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted of the good word of God, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

We strongly believe, as do most biblical scholars, that these verses apply to those who thought they were saved and covered by God’s grace, yet have never been saved. They have learned the Word, maybe loved the Word, but have never come face-to-face with Christ by faith. They trample God’s grace under the foot of blatant, ongoing, gross sins thus taking for granted God’s grace which they have not yet received.

It’s not as if God does not know who is saved and who is not. Hence, we believe that He only saves those who He saves, thus one cannot lose their salvation; for they never really had it in the first place. One cannot be united with Christ and then be separated from Him. One cannot be saved and not believe unto the end (Hebrews 3:14). Yet for the saved God has promised us that:

“Neither death nor life, nor angels or principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor death, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39).

So, is an abortion covered by the grace of God? Yes, it is. As awful a sin as it is, the blood of Christ has the power to grant forgiveness for all sins. If the blood of Christ is not sufficient to cover all our sins, we are all in serious trouble; for this would place us back under the law and in need of works righteousness.

“For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8,9).

There is nothing we can do to earn our own salvation, nor to lose it, once we are in Christ Jesus. But Jesus makes it very clear that those who are truly saved will be known by the fruit that they bear. No one can fully judge whether someone is truly saved or unsaved, but we can judge the signs of new life in others and see the fruit that they bear in obedience to God’s Word.

So, you had an abortion? If that was before finding Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, please accept the forgiveness that God has granted you and walk joyfully in newness of life with a heart set to please your Lord. Yes, you may still have strong remorse for killing the life of your child. Our regrets and sorrow over past sins is not, and should not be taken from us, but we can find the joy that comes from our union in Christ and place our regrets for past sins on the cross where they belong. Dead to sin, freed from sin, and alive in Christ Jesus cannot mean that we allow past sins to control our heart, mind, and emotions. We must move forward into new life and heed Christ’s admonition to “Go and sin no more.”

Did you have an abortion or some other heinous sin after you were saved? This is far more serious because you have trampled under foot the grace that God has granted you. This does not mean you are unsaved or will lose your salvation. The same blood of Christ that saves us from our sins, saves us from even our future sins IF we are truly saved. And the truly saved person will not go back and wallow in the mire of sin over and over again. Why? Because just as a tree bears its own fruit in its season, so too the believer bears the fruit of the life of the Spirit of God who indwells us.

So, what about those who are living in and practicing sin? Those who are addicted to their sins and cannot break the chains of sin that are upon their lives. Can they be saved?

Yes! If we truly love the Lord Jesus, we cannot give up the battle against sin. We cannot throw our arms in the air and claim that God’s grace will save us, so we can continue to wallow in the mire and filth of sin. We must grow up into Christ Jesus or risk God’s discipline in our lives, even the risk of death, to save our souls. One must fear God when living in sin as He is not a Father who will allow us to go on and on willfully sinning. And we should ask ourselves “Am I truly saved?”

YES! Should be the answer of the believer who is caught in the bonds of sin. “Yes, I love you Lord and believe in you Jesus, please help me with my unbelief.” It seems that most sins are a result of ignorance or unbelief. If we truly believe that the Spirit of God lives inside of us, how can we divorce our spouse who has not abandoned us or committed adultery? How can we go to church with hands lifted high in praise yet be living in adultery, belittling and disrespecting our spouse, refusing to provide, or keeping a decent home. Who can stay sucked into the addictions of porn, alcohol, or laziness. Such things are incompatible with the love of God and with who we are as saints in Christ Jesus.

The scriptures are clear that after we come to Christ we are no longer sinners, but saints! But I don’t feel like a saint, but much more like a sinner! We all did at one point as we started growing up into Christ. God will grow you up, and as He does you will find the Spirit working to eliminate sin in your life. You will gain an understanding of who you are in Christ Jesus and the grace He has given us to walk in newness of life. The more you believe God in His promises, the more the promises will come true in your life.

So, what about grace? God’s grace is available to all who are willing to surrender their hearts, mind, and soul to the Lord Jesus by faith and believing the truth of God’s Word. If you can look back and see the work of God in your life, don’t panic over your sin but place it on the cross, yet be willing to listen to the Word and the Spirit who will live mightily within you if you allow Him to do so. Do not quench the Spirit when TTW teaches a hard but important lesson from the Word. Embrace it, even if you cannot yet fulfill it; and in time, by embracing the truth, God will uproot the lies you are telling yourself and plant the truth fully in your life so that you may bear the fruit of righteousness. The righteousness you have already been granted in Christ Jesus.

The same grace by faith that saves us will grow us up into Christ, and deliver for us the abundant and free life that Jesus has promised God’s children. God is “the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Don’t envy those who are finding God’s good rewards here on earth of a terrific marriage, godly family, and abundance in so many ways. Instead, determine to join them, not by trying harder, but by choosing to believe in God’s promises and to walk in them. Life will still not be perfect, and we will have sins and sorrows afflict us. Sin will never completely disappear in this life, but in Christ we will find His joy and abundance in this life or the next.

Abraham, the father of faith walked all over the Middle East looking for the Promised Land and did not find it in His lifetime. Yet, when we stand beside him in the New Jerusalem and ask him:

“Father Abraham, has God been true to His promises?” He will say to us, “Sons and daughters, look around you and see that every square inch of my wanderings is now filled with the city of God. And my sons and daughters are like the number of the sand of the sea shore. God always delivers on what He has promises. But will you by faith believe Him? Not just part of His Word, but all of it, so that you may find a life abundant and free?”

 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Romans 8:10,11