Paul’s critics were saying that his gospel that people could be considered righteous in God’s sight by faith in Christ alone, apart from works of the law, was a message that promoted lawlessness. So also in our day, there can be a concern that preaching too much grace gives people an excuse to sin. But as Paul explains in this passage, it is the assumption that our obedience makes us more acceptable to God that is far more dangerous, because, among other things, it nullifies his grace and implies that Jesus died for no purpose.