No, grace is not a license to sin.
Scripture directly addresses this question in Romans 6:15 and answers with a strong rejection. Les Feldick teaches that grace frees believers from the law's system, but it does not allow the old Adam nature to reign or permit believers to do as they please. Romans 6:14 states that sin shall not have dominion over believers because they are under grace.
Romans 6:14 — This verse directly says sin will not have dominion over believers because they are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:15 — This verse asks the exact question of whether believers may sin because they are under grace and answers with a strong rejection.
Romans 5:21 — This verse shows that grace reigns through righteousness, not through sin.
Scripture directly addresses the idea that grace permits sin. Romans 6:14 explains that sin shall not have dominion over believers because they are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:15 then poses the objection raised by Paul’s teaching—should believers sin because they are not under law but under grace?—and answers with a forceful rejection. Romans 5:21 presents grace and righteousness working together through Christ, not grace as an excuse for sin.
Les Feldick teaches that grace is not license, a phrase he emphasizes repeatedly. He insists that being under grace does not mean believers can do as they please or sin as they please. Paul's question in Romans 6:15 about sinning because we are under grace is answered with the strongest possible rejection; Les suggests a better translation is 'banish the thought' (Clip 5). While believers are set free from the legal system of Israel, God's mind on sin has not changed, and what was abominable under the law remains abominable today (Clip 1). The old Adam nature still tempts believers, but grace does not give that nature the right to rule (Clips 3, 7). Grace is the attribute of God that saves the person who recognizes he is a fallen, condemned sinner and believes the gospel plus nothing (Clip 2). It also changes conduct, because not all lawful things are edifying and believers are watched by others (Clip 4). Clip 0 emphasizes that grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ, not through sin.
Romans 6:15 raises the exact question of whether grace permits sin and answers with a strong negative. Les Feldick highlights that a better translation is 'banish the thought' rather than the milder-sounding King James phrase (Clip 5). He repeats throughout that grace is not license, and that believers are not free to do as they please (Clips 1, 3, 4, 6).
Les teaches that being under grace means believers are not under the ritual and stipulations of the Law of Israel (Clip 3). However, this does not remove moral restraint. God's view of sin has not changed; what He called abominable in Leviticus remains abominable today (Clip 1). The believer is not under the law, but sin still matters and conduct still matters (Clip 4).
Les teaches that every believer still has an old Adam nature that constantly works to cause sin. The new nature is divine and cannot sin, but the old nature does and succeeds too often. Grace does not give that old nature permission to rule; believers are to keep old Adam in subjection (Clip 7).
Grace Reigns Through Righteousness
say, boy, have both barrels loaded and be ready with all the scripture at your command and be able to bring them to a knowledge of what the book is trying to say. All right, so as old Adam has reigned under death, misery, my, look at the world's misery tonight. And what is it caused by? Old Adam, it's the man's sinful nature.
Grace Does Not Mean Do As We Please
That doesn't mean we can just do as we please, or that we can go ahead and sin as we please. No, that's not Grace. Now then in the next verse, what then? Shall we sin because we're not under the Law, but under Grace? And what's the answer? God forbid! Don't think such a thing. We're still under God's providence.
Sin Shall Not Have Dominion
Verse 14, for sin, that old Adam nature, shall not have dominion or control or a reigning rule over you, for you are not under the law, you're under what? Grace. Now, few people comprehend the grace of God. I think most people understand the definition, its unmerited favor, but that's as far as they can go with it.
Grace Is Not License
Now then, remember Paul is the one, in fact you're in Romans, yet go back to chapter 6 so you see it with your own eyes again, because this is something that I found our whole television audience is responding to. That they have never realized this complete difference between Law and Grace. Letter after letter comes expressing this, and so now I want you to see it again with your own eyes.
Not All Things Are Expedient
I never imply that we are now free to do as we please. Oh God forbid! You know I�ve said it over and over, grace is not license. And so here again he�s making it so plain. Yes there is no law that forbids him from doing anything, because he�s not under the law. But not all things are good for him, and so consequently he�s not going to do whatever he thinks he�s free to do.
Banish the Thought
They are not a set of doctrines, and we're not under them as Israel was, and all of their legalistic priesthood and their sacrifice and so forth. That's what Paul is referring to. We're not under that legalistic system. We're under grace, and that's as different as daylight is from dark.
Law Has No Power Under Grace
Shall we sin, or in other words, exercise our liberty? Shall we sin because we are not under the Law, but under Grace? And God forbid. But do you see the differences there? You're not under Law, you're under Grace. And the whole book of Galatians is written to prove that very fact, that under Grace the Law has no power over us.
Keep Old Adam in Subjection
Is it possible to live without sin? Is it possible to live sinless? No, it's not possible. Not because the new nature can sin. We know it can't. And I maintain the new nature is divine and it cannot sin. But what did I say a few moments ago? What is in there opposite our new nature? That old Adam, see? And that old Adam is working on us constantly to sin. And he succeeds too often.
Romans 5:21: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
This verse shows that grace reigns through righteousness, not through permission to sin.
Romans 6:14: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
This verse explicitly says sin will not have dominion over believers because they are under grace.
Romans 6:15: What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
This verse records the exact objection and its rejection.
No. Romans 6:15 asks this very question about sinning because we are under grace, and the Bible gives a strong negative answer. Les Feldick states plainly that grace is not license and that believers are not set free to do as they please (Clips 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
This is Les Feldick's suggested way of translating Paul's strong rejection of the idea that grace gives anyone the freedom to sin. The thought is not merely discouraged; it is to be banished completely (Clip 5).
Les says no, not in this life. The old Adam nature remains and continually tempts the believer to sin; the new nature cannot sin, but the old nature too often succeeds. Instead of excusing that battle, grace calls believers to keep old Adam in subjection (Clip 7).
Watch the Teaching: Why Grace Is Not a License to Sin — Romans 6 Explained