No — God's forgiveness of every sin is not a license to sin.
Les Feldick responds to the license question with 'Absolutely not.' Salvation cancels the believer's unpayable debt and credits God's righteousness to his account, yet the believer is still called to walk, work, and live pleasing in God's sight. Grace forgives completely, but it never gives permission to keep sinning.
Romans 4:5 — Les uses this verse to show that the believer's debt is canceled and God's righteousness is credited by faith — the foundation for complete forgiveness.
Scripture itself answers the objection that forgiveness leads to license: 'What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?' (Romans 6:1-2). The same gospel that forgives is grounded in Christ's removal of the written record against us: 'Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross' (Colossians 2:14). Forgiveness in the Bible is a cancellation of debt, not a permit to keep sinning.
Les Feldick is emphatic: complete forgiveness is not a license to sin. He says God forgives past, present, and future sins based on His grace, but when asked, 'Does that give me license?' he answers, 'Absolutely not.' Believers are still to walk, work, and live pleasing in His sight. He repeats that grace is not license, but the attribute of God by which He can forgive and cleanse the most vile sinner who believes the gospel. At the same time, Les teaches that once a person is saved, God no longer holds their sin against them. The slate is wiped clean; there is no sin controversy between God and the believer. Even future sins are under the blood, and no believer will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ with sin on their back. This is why he cautions believers not to interpret every trial as punishment for unconfessed sin. Les distinguishes between forgiveness at salvation and confession after salvation. The believer does not beg for forgiveness; instead, when we sin, we recognize it and call it what God calls it — we confess it. The objection that this kind of grace produces license is exactly what Paul faced: he was slanderously reported as teaching that believers may sin that grace may abound.
Romans 6:1-2 poses the very objection: 'What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?' The Scripture itself rejects the idea that grace gives permission to sin.
No. Les says God's grace forgives past, present, and future sins, but that is not a license. The believer is still obligated to walk, work, and live pleasing in God's sight. Even though the sin debt is canceled and God's righteousness is credited to the believer, the Christian life is not lawlessness.
Yes, but not by begging for forgiveness. Les teaches that salvation settles the sin question forever; God has wiped the slate clean. Yet in the believer's daily walk, when sin occurs, God deals with it through confession — the believer must recognize the sin and call it what God calls it. This is not re-forgiveness; it is the believer agreeing with God about the sin.
No. Les is emphatic: 'Never, never.' A believer's sins are forgiven and under the blood; Christ took care of them, so no believer will stand before Him with sin on his back. God has removed the sin controversy, and the debt is gone.
Not necessarily. Les tells believers who are going through trying times and wondering if it is because of an awful unconfessed sin to remember that they are a child of God. Their sin is gone; God put a no-fishing sign over sins buried in the deepest sea. The old concern of having sin on your back is exactly what was removed at salvation.
Les notes that anyone who truly preaches the gospel of grace as Paul did can expect to be accused of teaching that saved people have license to sin. Paul himself was slanderously reported. But this accusation does not change what grace is: grace is not license; it is God's power to forgive and cleanse the worst sinner.
Debt Canceled, Righteousness Credited
Les explains that, like Paul offering to pay Onesimus's debt, God cancels the believer's unpayable sin debt through faith in the gospel and credits the riches of heaven to the believer's account.
Grace Forgives Everything But Is Not License
Les directly answers the license question with 'Absolutely not' and says God forgives past, present, and future sins, but believers must still walk and live pleasing in God's sight.
Wiped Clean, Then Confession for Daily Walk
Les teaches that God wipes the slate clean at salvation and no longer has a sin controversy with the believer; daily failures are then handled through confession.
Forgiven People Forgive Others
Les shows that the believer who has been freely forgiven by grace can extend forgiveness to others, rather than treating forgiveness as something to earn.
Not Asking to Be Saved; Confessing as Believer
Les clarifies that 'no need to ask forgiveness' applies to an unbeliever seeking salvation, while a believer who sins is not licensed to do so but is to confess and agree with God about the sin.
Grace Is Not License
Les states plainly that grace is not license; it is the attribute of God that enables Him to forgive, cleanse, and call righteous the worst sinner who believes the gospel.
Justification and Forgiveness Together
Les connects justification and forgiveness: God declares the guilty sinner just as if you have never sinned because the believer is forgiven, and the two are bound together in salvation.
Sins Gone Forever — No Fishing Sign
Les assures believers that their sins are under the blood and will never be brought up at the Judgment Seat of Christ; they are buried in the deepest sea with a no-fishing sign.
Romans 4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Les uses this verse as the scriptural basis for God canceling the believer's debt and crediting righteousness by faith.
Romans 6:1-2: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
This is the Bible's own answer to the objection that forgiveness is a license to sin.
Colossians 2:14: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Christ removed the written record of sin that stood against the believer, so the debt is gone.
No. Les Feldick says 'Absolutely not.' God forgives past, present, and future sins by grace, but grace is not a license. Believers are still to walk, work, and live pleasing in God's sight.
Yes. God deals with a believer's daily sins and failures through confession. You do not beg for forgiveness, but you recognize the sin and call it what God calls it.
No. For a child of God, sin is not on your back; it is forgiven and gone. Les tells believers going through trying times to reject the idea that their trial is due to unconfessed sin.
No. Grace is God's ability to forgive and cleanse the worst sinner who believes the gospel. It is never a license to continue in sin.
Watch the Teaching: Why God Imputes Righteousness Without Works — Romans 4