Ask a Pastor Column

Q: Does God ever exercise judgment on Christians, or does his grace mean that we can live however we want to?

A: The grace of God means a great deal for Christians: forgiveness of sins, cleansing of impurity and a whole range of new blessings for life (Ephesians 1:3-14). God goes from being our judge to becoming our Father. This change in relationship means we no longer need to fear the eternal penalties for sin (John 10:28); we are forgiven in Christ (Colossians 2:13) and will not come into judgement (John 5:24).

However, it is not God’s intention to let us dive back into that sewer or leave...