Sin Boldly

“Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1)

Greetings, Fighter,

“Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?”. That may sound like a question that only a true religious nerd would ask but it’s actually something we have all thought about.

In the East they call it ‘Karma’. In the secular West, we call it, ‘getting your comeuppance’. The idea is that every action has a consequence, and that, sooner or later, the consequences of your actions catch up with you. ‘You reap what you sow’. Paul said that too (Galatians 6:7). Even so, he didn’t really believe in Karma – not in any strict sense anyway. He believed first and foremost in forgiveness, which involves leaving your past behind.

Paul believed that through Jesus ‘God was reconciling the world to Himself’ (2 Corinthians 5:19) and that forgiveness was freely available to everyone. Indeed, the worse your mistakes, the more forgiveness was on offer, meaning that we can all (in Martin Luther’s words) ‘sin boldly’, confident that God has our backs!

Let’s pause here for a moment and recognise what a truly unreligious sort of thing this is to suggest. Karma is at the heart of all religions, Western and Eastern. God rewards good and punishes evil. It’s fundamental! Indeed, the great philosopher, Immanuel Kant, believed that we all have this insight imprinted deep within us as our fundamental religious instinct. If we do wrong, we will end up paying for it – if not in this life, then in the next. Who is Saint Paul to question that?

I remember many years ago, having a discussion with my friend, Sheikh Mansour, while we were on a long car drive together. I don’t remember his exact words, but he said something like, ‘Islam is really quite simple: if you do the right thing by God, you get closer to God. If you do wrong by God, you move further from God’. I responded by saying that my understanding of the Christian faith was equally simple: ‘if you do the right thing by God, you get closer to God. If you do the wrong thing by God, God loves you anyway.’ Can it really be that simple?

If things are as simple as Paul suggests, there’s one obvious objection – namely, what is the point of religion? Why work hard at doing the ‘right thing’ when there are no negative consequences for doing the ‘wrong thing’. Indeed, if more sin only leads to more grace and forgiveness, “should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?” Paul had an answer to this, but it’s not what you might expect.

“How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:2-4)

There it is, and It’s beautiful! Should we sin more so that grace might abound? No! Why would we want to do that when that’s not who we are any more? We are living the life of Christ now. We have been buried with Him and we have been raised with Him, and if the spirit of Christ is living in us, how can we do anything but live as Christ lives and love as Christ loves? It’s not about rewards and punishments. It’s about living out who we are.

Justice is a beautiful thing, but God’s justice is about more than everybody getting what they deserve. It’s about grace and love and mercy and forgiveness. It’s about being one with Christ and living out our life in Christ by living in love.

Our Sunday Eucharist

We had yet another wonderful Sunday Eucharist last Sunday, with Karyn and Father Mark joining me on the panel, and Father Ola giving us a pre-recorded homily on Romans 5. Karyn gave us an update on the situation with Julian Assange, and Mark shared some of his amazing history with his dog. The recording is below.

This week we’ve got a full panel, with our friend from Washington State, Doug, joining me, along with the two Andrews – Madry and Logan. Expect some fireworks! I’ll be broadcasting from the bush but am trusting we’ll have a good reception. Tune in from around 11.45 am on Sunday via  www.thesundayeucharist.com, or on Facebook , YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Let me work your corner

Thank you once again to all of you who support Fighting Fathers Ministries through your prayers and through monthly financial contributions. If you’re not contributing financially and you can afford to, it would be greatly appreciated if you could go to Patreon.com and sign up to either:

• Enrol in the Fighting Fit training program
• Access member-only training videos
• Engage in the members-only forum (see below)

• All of the above +
• One-on-one mentoring via email, phone, or Skype

• All of the above +
• Unlimited training at Father Dave’s Old School Boxing Academy

• All of the above +
• One weekend per month at Binacrombi Bush Camp.

Every dollar helps keep the wheels turning – the websites, the newsletters, the broadcasts, the boxing club and the bush camp. Sign up at Patreon.com.

What’s On?

• Friday, June 23^rd to Sunday, June 25^th – @Binacrombi
• Sunday, June 25^th – Our Eucharist from midday via thesundayeucharist.com or via Facebook , YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn.
• Tuesday, June 27^th – Boxing from 6.30 pm @The Fight Lab
• Thursday, June 29^th – Boxing from 6.30 pm @The Fight Lab
• Thursday, June 29^th to Saturday, July 1^st – Binacro
• mbi planning meeting.

You’ll notice that I’ve deleted my up-coming boxing match, scheduled for July 28. My opponent pulled out!

All is not lost. We found another opponent, but then he pulled out, so I’m now looking for someone else to replace him. I’m full of hope but appreciate your prayer. If I’m going to have any chance of continuing with my boxing, I need a fight soon. The problem is that the Combat Sports Authority aren’t licensing other people my age, and they won’t allow me to fight anyone whom they consider too young for me. I’m praying that God will provide me with the right opponent.

Let me close by sharing some of the other articles I’ve published this week:

•  I’ve published a transcript, along with the video, of Father Ola’s homily on Romans 5 to the Fighting Fathers’ member site.
•  I’ve shared my thoughts and a video on American’s ongoing theft of Syrian oil. I still shake my head in disbelief sometimes. Why do we allow this to happen?

On a lighter note, I do hope you enjoy today’s dad and daughter pics, taken on the last day of Vivid in Sydney.

May the Lord bless and strengthen you for the work to which you have been called.