In an online discussion with pastors after the Chuck Smith scandal, one of the pastors asked me to share my thoughts on whether or not forgiveness is available to the believer who plans to sin. This is a key question, not only in relation to the advice Pastor Chuck gave to a vulnerable pregnant woman, but because we see so many women entering abortion chambers empowered to kill their babies because of their overwhelming assurance that God will forgive them. Although one of the pastors in the discussion deemed this a “theological train wreck,” I thought it might be worth posting here for your consideration. What follows is an edited version of what I wrote to these pastors:

You asked me to share my thoughts on whether or not forgiveness is available to the believer who plans to sin. To help you understand my thoughts on that question, I suppose I must begin by briefly explaining some thoughts on grace. Too often we view grace in the primary context of forgiveness of sins, and by so doing we make grace (practically speaking) an enabler of sin (by cushioning its blow). But God’s grace is not given to enable us to do evil, but to do good. (Perhaps that will be seen as a radical thought, because of Romans 3:12, but stay with me here. Let’s consider a bigger scriptural perspective on what is “good.”)
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