Read: Romans 3:1-8
Devotion: There is a common sentiment that, “the ends justify the means.” We often hear it in movies or books where the hero or the villain is doing something that is morally wrong but justifies their actions by saying that their actions will bring about a greater good.
A classic example is Robin Hood. He steals from the rich to give to the poor (who are oppressed by the rich).
A more modern example is Thanos in the Avengers movies who believed that he must wipe out half of the universe’s population to save the universe from running out of resources. Thanos justifies his desire to erase half of all life in the present by claiming he is preventing an even greater suffering in the future.
But this sentiment of the ends justifying the means isn’t only found in fictional worlds. There are many who try to justify their sin with the “good” that they intended by it, or the “good” that may come from it.
A common example is, like Robin Hood’s sin, theft. When a father steals from a store to feed his hungry family, there are many who will not condemn the sin, and there are even those who will applaud the father for doing what it takes to feed his family.
A modern real-life example of this attempt to justify sin was the assassination of the UnitedHealthcare CEO in 2024.
There are large swaths of people who have come to the defense of the killer, in protests, social media posts, fundraising efforts, and calls for him to be released from prison after his capture, all because they see health insurance companies and CEOs as evil. Though the supporters of the murderer would agree that murder is evil, they would say that this murder was justified because it resulted in a net good of one less CEO in the world. The question is, are good ends a justification for sin?
The answer is no. There are absolutely zero legitimate justifications for sin.
Paul dealt with this very same sentiment in his day. Some were charging him and other faithful preachers with teaching that since salvation is by grace and not by works, and because God’s grace is magnified in the salvation and forgiveness of sinners, then why not just continue to sin and commit even greater sin so that more of God’s is revealed (see Rom 3:5-8; 6:1)?
The argument proceeds as follows: The greatest good is knowing God through Christ (John 17:3). In the forgiveness of the sinner, God reveals more of his gracious character. Therefore, we should sin more so that even more of God’s grace is revealed. Let us commit evil so that a greater good will come of it. Not only that, but since our sins bring about the revelation of God’s grace or justice, which is an ultimate good, then why are our sins being counted against us? The ends justify the means.
Paul said that those who were attributing it to his teaching were slanderous and deserved condemnation (Rom 3:8). In other words, their argument is so obviously wrong that it is abundantly clear that they are guilty and opposing Paul’s teaching in bad faith.
The reason this opposition to what Paul taught about grace and salvation in the gospel is so clearly off is because of how abundantly unjustifiable sin is. Sin does not spring from a desire to glorify God. It does not spring from a desire to “bring about a greater good.” There are no ‘noble’ sins. Sin comes from our own desires (James 1:14-15). Desires that were either originally good desires, like a desire to be married, that we then twist or make an idol out of that then leads to sin, like sexual immorality. Or, we just have wicked, vile, unnatural desires that are sinful from the get-go (Jude 7).
Just because God is faithful to bring about good outcomes from evil actions (see Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28), doesn’t mean our evil desires and sinful actions are somehow justified. Sin is sin no matter what may result from it. All sin is treason against the sovereign Lord of the universe and worthy of death. We must remember that and never attempt to justify our sin.
