Message
Around 1980, I heard a message that was based on the doctrine of unlimited grace from a preacher in Ilorin, a state capital in South West Nigeria. He taught that if a person is born again and wants to commit a sin, such as adultery or fornication, all the fellow needs to do is to inform Jesus beforehand. He even taught that such a person should pray in this manner, saying, “Lord Jesus, thank You for Your finished work on the cross at Calvary. Thank You for making me the righteousness of God in You. I am about to commit so and so sin, and when I am done, I will come back to tell You that I am sorry.” Unfortunately, he deceived many people, and I am sure that those who followed him and didn't truly repent before they died have ended up in hell. I do not want you to be deceived by such preachers who twist the truth about God’s grace. Anyone who sins willfully will go to hell, except he or she genuinely repents. If you do not believe me, read :
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
The purpose of grace is not to give you a license to sin without any consequences; rather, it is to enable you to live above sin such that it will no longer have any power over you. One of the popular Bible verses that preachers of the unlimited grace doctrine usually use to deceive people is :
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Those preachers quote the first part, which says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, but leave out the part that says that they must not walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit. In other words, the works of the flesh listed in must not be found in them, but the fruit of the Spirit in must be seen in them. It is only for people who walk in the Spirit that there is no condemnation. For those who choose to keep walking after the flesh, however, they will be condemned.