Q: Pastor Christy, how do you reconcile grace with Scripture that says believers cannot continue in habitual sin and that God judges according to deeds, like Romans 2:4–10?
A:
First, thank you for asking this question sincerely. I genuinely respect your heart for holiness and your desire to honor Scripture. This is not a small question, and it deserves a thoughtful, honest answer rather than a soundbite or a spiritual mic drop.
Romans 2:4–10 is indeed a powerful passage. Paul speaks about God’s kindness, patience, and judgment, and yes, he says God will repay each person according to their deeds. That sounds terrifying at first glance. If salvation depended on our behavior, most of us would need to start panicking immediately and probably cancel lunch plans to repent full time.
But context matters.
Romans is not a book of random verses stitched together to scare people into behaving. Paul is building a legal argument. Romans 1 exposes obvious sin. Romans 2 turns the spotlight on the religious and moral crowd who think they are safe because they know better. Paul’s goal is not to describe how believers stay saved. His goal is to expose self-righteousness.
In Romans 2, Paul is essentially saying, “If judgment were truly based on works alone, then let’s be honest. Who survives?” Spoiler alert. No one.
That is exactly why he lands the plane in Romans 3 by saying, “There is none righteous, not even one.” Romans 2 sets the trap. Romans 3 springs it. The point is not that some people succeed at righteousness through works. The point is that no one does.
So when Paul says God repays according to deeds, he is describing divine justice in principle, not salvation in practice. He is showing us the standard, not the solution. And the standard exists to prove our need for grace.
Q: But does that mean grace gives people permission to live in sin?
A:
Absolutely not. Grace does not excuse sin. Grace dethrones it.
Here is where the conversation usually goes sideways. We confuse identity with behavior. Scripture makes a clear distinction between living according to the flesh and occasionally walking in the flesh. Those are not the same thing.
When someone belongs to Christ, their spiritual identity changes instantly. That is a completed act. The flesh does not magically disappear, but it loses authority. Sin no longer defines who you are. It no longer owns you. It no longer has the final word.
That does not mean Christians never sin again. If that were the requirement, church membership would consist of two people and one of them would be lying.
What it means is this. Sin is no longer your nature. It is no longer your master. It is no longer your identity. You are not a sinner trying to become righteous. You are righteous learning how to live free.
Q: What about habitual sin? Scripture warns against continuing in it.
A:
This is where we need to slow down and define terms carefully.
Habitual sin is often treated like a legal category, as if God has a spreadsheet tracking frequency. Three times is grace. Four times is rebellion. Five times is hell. That is not how Scripture works, and that is not how relationships work either.
The real issue Scripture addresses is not struggle. It is trust.
A believer may struggle with the same sin for years while still trusting Christ deeply. Another person may appear outwardly moral while inwardly trusting their own righteousness. Which one did Jesus confront more harshly? It was not the struggler. It was the self-assured.
Repentance in Scripture is not primarily about behavior modification. It is about a change of mind. Grace changes how we see God. Grace changes how we see ourselves. And over time, that inner transformation produces outward fruit.
Fruit grows. It is not stapled on.
Q: So how does holiness actually happen?
A:
Holiness is not produced by fear of wrath. It is produced by the revelation of love.
Romans 2:4 says it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. Not terror. Not threats. Kindness.
When people are told their acceptance depends on performance, they either pretend or they break. When people know they are already accepted, they finally have the safety needed to change.
That is why transformation fueled by grace lasts, and transformation fueled by shame does not.
Grace does not say sin does not matter. Grace says sin does not get the last word.
Q: But does God still care about our actions?
A:
Of course He does. Actions matter. Choices matter. Fruit matters.
But works are evidence, not currency.
We do not obey to be saved. We obey because we are saved. We do not pursue holiness to earn love. We pursue holiness because we are loved.
Even the most passionate defender of Romans 2 still sins daily. In thought. In motive. In pride. That is not an accusation. That is the human condition. Which again proves Paul’s point. Grace is not just how we start the Christian life. It is how we survive it.
Grace does not lower God’s standard. It meets it in Christ.
Q: So what is the takeaway for believers reading this?
A:
Stop measuring your standing with God by your worst day or your best behavior.
Let grace do what it was designed to do. Change you from the inside out.
If there is sin in your life, bring it into the light, not to be threatened, but to be healed. If there is shame in your heart, let it be replaced with truth. If there is growth happening slowly, do not despise the process.
God is far more committed to your transformation than you are. And He is far more patient than we give Him credit for.
Grace does not excuse sin.
Grace removes its power to define us.
Sin may describe what I do sometimes.
Grace defines who I am always.
If you have any questions or want to go deeper email me at info@funnychristy.com.
Whether you love me or love to hate me you are still my lover.
Jesus loves you and so do I!