Is there ever a good reason to sin?
I know that most would say no without even thinking about it.
But what if your sin brings glory to God?
What about Rehab? She lied to save the Israeli spies.
Robin hood stole from the rich to give to the poor.
Surly these are good reasons to lie and steal! Right?
Just like everything else in life, we ought to see what God’s Word says about sinning to the glory of God.
(To be clear, the context of the passage below is about a distorted mindset that our sin makes God look good, therefore how can God judge us for making him look good? However the principle can also be applied to our everyday sin in reference to trying to do the right thing. “How can God judge us for trying to do the right thing?” Just like the above comments point out.)
The Apostle Paul makes mention of this in Romans 3.
“5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.”
I recall a story about a woman who said that she steals in order to feed her children.
She had a very low income and was desperate for financial help. She said she would rather steal than prostitute herself.
What an awful reality!
Surely God understands the situation and is willing to pardon this woman and her pilfering.
Surely God will overlook these acts based on her circumstances, right?
Wrong.
In the above text Paul makes it very clear that sinning to the glory of God does not exist! It is impossible!
If it were possible to sin to the glory of God Judas would be the hero of all mankind, for he is the one whose betrayal of the Lord of Glory lead to salvation for all who believe!
But it’s not possible. Judas did a dreadful thing.
We must remember that God can always use human sin to bring about His Glory (Gen 50:20), but we shouldn’t be trying to do that of our own accord. Even Rehab was guilty of this.
God hates sin (Psalm 5:4). Those who love God should hate sin (Psalm 97:10). And there is no circumstance that makes sin less sinful.
Sin is the very thing that separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).
Paul again, addresses this issue in Romans 6.
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life…6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him…11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”
To the lady I mentioned earlier, my advice would be to trust the Lord for salvation, provision & contentment and believe what the Bible teaches in this area. Seek out help from a local congregation and meditate on Philippians 4:10-13.
- God desires and blesses obedience – 1 Sam 15:22; John 13:17
- Only the blood of Christ can pardon our sin (no matter how well intentioned it is) – Rom 5:6-11
Friends, don’t sin for any reason.
“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl 12:13).
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD” (Jer 17:7).