A Question About Grace

I received this question from a sister in the faith. I am posting so that it may help someone else.

Question
So a co-worker and I have been doing a great deal to understand the concept of grace. Of course we know the "book" definition of what grace is. However, if Jesus died to save everyone from sin and God's grace is for everyone, what is the motivation to live right?
For the non-practicing Christian that is.
Meaning they believe, but they aren't walking in it daily.


Answer
I want to say right off the bat that Grace is not a get out jail free card. The Christian has to understand the price Christ paid on the cross for our salvation. Now if a “Christian” can look upon the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and not feel any conviction and motivation to live for Him something is wrong. The grace of God is the motivation. John says we love Him because he first loved us. Paul teaches that any man in Christ is a new creation. The old has passed away behold the new has come. The grace of God makes us free but it does not make us WILD. We are not free to break the laws of God. No on the contrary the love and grace of God compels us to please Him. If we say to ourselves we can do what we want because we are forgiven, then we are acting contrary to what teaches. We should live for the ONE who died for our sins and not for ourselves. Lastly, the Bible teaches20God is not mocked. Paul says in Galatians, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

The Christian should be all about living for Christ and being dead to sin. The grace of God frees us from the condemnation of the law so that we are free to walk in righteousness. Romans 6:11-14 says, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

One last thing. In the Bible believing is doing. To believe something and not act in accordance with it is an indication that one may not believe as they say they do. I do not want to oversimplify because we have our flaws however pressing toward the mark of the high calling realizing our shortcoming is not the same as living a rebellious life. Remember is it our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that teaches us that a tree is known by its fruit. In other religions there may be categories of “practicing” and “non-practicing” but in Christ you are either with Him or against Him.

There is an article that I will find on the Mortification of Sin by John Owen if any are interested. It is deep reading but worth it (it can be found on the web).