People often say: “Do not judge me. I can do what I want because His grace is sufficient”.

Is that how God sees His grace?

No, definitely not. In the letter of Jude we are encouraged to remain true to our faith in God as taught by the apostles, and not to be swayed by false philosophies: 

“For certain men have crept in stealthily [gaining entrance secretly by a side door]. Their doom was predicted long ago, ungodly (impious, profane) persons who pervert the grace (the spiritual blessing and favor) of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality and disown and deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”

Jude 1:4

Grace teaches us that we must reject a sinful lifestyle and develop a godly lifestyle: 

“¹¹For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind. ¹²It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world…”

Titus 2:11-12

“¹What shall we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God’s grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow? ²Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?… ¹⁵What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God’s favor and mercy? Certainly not!

Romans 6:1-2, 15

We are saved by grace, but grace is not a free pass to a life of sin. On the contrary, it makes it possible for us to live a godly life:

“⁹No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. ¹⁰By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).”

1 John 3:9-10

Conclusion

Therefore: I am saved by His grace, and by His grace He gave me a new nature – a nature that does not want to sin anymore. Through His grace I am freed from the power of sin, and I can now live according to His will. Therefore, I do not maintain a sinful lifestyle but start to live according to my new nature. If I should sin, His grace is there to forgive me of my sin and enable me to get onto the right path again.

“⁹If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].”

1 John 1:9

All scripture references are from the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition unless otherwise stated