God’s Grace Doesn’t Excuse Sin (It Encourages You To Rise Above It)
God’s grace is the foundation for both salvation and holy living, a universal offer extended to all people. Grace—undeserved favor or help, a free and unearned gift given to each of us—functions as a teacher that instructs us how to reject ungodliness, sinful behavior, or anything that lacks reverence for God.
Karin Hadadan, best-selling author of Beauty in the Stillness, writes about grace in this article and how it turns us towards God and away from sin.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.
Titus 2:11-12
This teaching has both negative and positive elements—first, saying ‘no’ to whatever opposes faith, devotion, and adherence to divine principles. Second, embracing how to live with godly elements, such as being self-controlled, righteous, and compassionate.
When we look closer, grace creates the perfect balance between freedom and discipline. It empowers us to maintain self-control rather than requiring external control, while also giving us freedom to choose paths that lead to our salvation.
Many mistakenly believe that grace means permissiveness or license to sin, but true grace actually teaches us to turn from sin while empowering righteous living. The question becomes: how can we be upright and godly throughout our lives in this present age?
In today’s world, this looks like exercising self-control with our technology and social media, maintaining integrity in our business dealings, showing compassion to the marginalized, and making ethical consumer choices that don’t prioritize comfort over conscience. We seek, we pray, we confess, we love, we honor. We deepen our faith and compel others to do the same. We prioritize our relationship with God above all else. We strive to embody the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’—those nine specific qualities that reflect God’s character. All of this becomes possible not through our own strength or determination, but through the teaching and empowering presence of grace that appeared in the person of Jesus Christ.
God’s grace is more than a gift of salvation—it’s a continual force of transformation. His grace not only saves but also teaches, guiding us to turn away from what distances us from Him and to live in ways that reflect His truth. Through grace, we learn discipline, humility, and integrity, discovering that spiritual growth isn’t about perfection but alignment.
While temptation and ungodliness still tug at our hearts, grace empowers us to say “no” to what harms our spirit and “yes” to what honors God. It shapes both our character and our choices, reminding us that transformation isn’t a single moment of change but a daily surrender to the One who renews us from within.
