Is eternal security a license to sin?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Eternal security is not a license to sin but a call to live in the new life we have in Christ. Paul makes it clear in Romans 6:1-2 that grace is not an excuse for continuing in sin, because believers have died to sin and now belong to righteousness. While Christians still struggle with temptation, the Holy Spirit convicts, restores, and empowers us to walk in obedience (John 16:8; Galatians 5:16). Sin does not remove our salvation or God’s love (Romans 8:38-39), but it damages intimacy with Him and harms both ourselves and others (Isaiah 59:2). True obedience flows from love—because God first loved us, we desire to honor Him through obedience (John 14:15; 1 John 4:19).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament doesn’t directly teach about “eternal security” in the New Testament sense, but it does emphasize God’s covenant relationship with His people and the consequences of sin. God’s people were called to live faithfully, and disobedience had real consequences—even for those chosen by Him. For example, in Deuteronomy 28, blessings follow obedience and curses follow sin. Being God’s people calls for faithful living.
• Psalm 1 contrasts the righteous and the wicked, showing that those who “delight” in God’s law bear fruit, while the path of the sinner leads to destruction. These passages illustrate that being in God’s covenant relationship brings assurance and favor, but it also carries responsibility to live in obedience; even in God’s protection, sin is not without consequences.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Once we are saved and forgiven of all of our sins, can we just do whatever we want and use God's forgiveness as an excuse or license to sin? Paul answers this question in Romans 6:1-2: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?"
• When we are saved, we are no longer bound to sin (Romans 6:6-7). In fact, we are now bound to Christ.
• Romans 6:16-18 explains that once we were slaves to sin, but once we are saved, we no longer live for sin because we have been set free. Instead, we now live for righteousness: "Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness."
• As believers we have been made new in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). While we still struggle with sin and temptation in this life, we are covered in Christ’s righteousness in the eyes of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). We do not belong to sin but to righteousness. To use eternal security as a license to sin would be to deny who we are in Christ.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

How can we, who have been saved from sin, its hold on us, and its eternal consequences, continue sinning after we are saved? This does not mean that we will no longer sin. However, it means we will not want to continue in sin. We will recognize and repent from our sin. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, restores us when we have sinned, points us to truth, and enables us to live for God. Our security and assurance of salvation is not a license to sin.

Not only does sin go against the grain of who we are in Christ, sin results in death (Romans 6:16, 23). While sin will not result in the eternal death of believers or immediate physical death if we lie or steal or cheat on a test, it still has negative consequences. Sin leads to distance in our relationship with God. Our eternal security is not threatened when we sin, nor is God's love for us. However, our intimacy with God is threatened. Sin also impacts other people, including ourselves. When we sin against Him, we experience the symptoms of spiritual death, such as discouragement, confusion, loneliness, and the like.

Perhaps the most compelling reason to avoid sin is God's love for us. John tells us that we love God “because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Jesus said that if we love Him, we will obey Him (John 14:15). Because we trust in God's love for us and that He works for our good (Romans 8;28), we also trust His commands. We know that in obeying Christ we find life. His motive for us to obey Him are not to boost His ego. His commands are for our benefit. Knowing that these come from God's love, and motivated by the love we feel in return, we desire to obey.

UNDERSTAND

• Eternal security is not a license to sin but a call to live as new creations in Christ.
• Sin damages our intimacy with God and has real-life consequences, even though it doesn’t remove salvation.
• True obedience flows from love for God and the Spirit’s guidance, not fear or obligation.

REFLECT

• How does knowing your salvation is secure influence how you respond to temptation?
• In what areas of your life might you be tempted to treat God’s grace as a license to sin, and how can you redirect your heart toward obedience?
• How does God’s love motivate you to pursue righteousness rather than give in to sinful patterns?

ENGAGE

• How can we encourage others to live faithfully in Christ while still acknowledging our struggles with sin?
• What are practical ways to distinguish between freedom in Christ and using grace as an excuse to sin?
• How does understanding the consequences of sin—spiritually and relationally—help us live more obediently as believers?