Sinners or Saints?

Why do we refer to ourselves sinners? If we are saved and have truly accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior we can not be sinners. Now...don't think for a second that I'm claiming we (especially me) don't sin, but at least listen to my argument and evidence as I present my case.

Romans 3:23 tells us  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We still sin, we stumble, we fail. We hurt others and we hurt God. We chase after our own desires and can be incredibly self-absorbed. 

Romans 5:19 tells us of the causing issue “For as by the one man's disobedience (Adam) the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience (Jesus) the many will be made righteous.”

1John 1:8 continues by lining us out “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

The only place in the bible where I can find a saved follower of Christ referred to as a sinner is when Paul pens 1 Timothy 1:15…that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost, even educated men such as Paul can misspeak. 

Lets look at the evidence listed in scripture that says we're not sinners...

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

That passage tells what a sinner is, if I follow Christ can I practice those things as a normal way of life?

When we trust Jesus with our lives, He transforms us into completely new creatures, with new hearts. And these new creatures are no longer called sinners as their identity, but are instead called saints. Go read through the New Testament, and look for what believers are called. Saints, beloved children, holy ones…but never sinners.

Look at the way Paul greets believers in the New Testament. He doesn’t write, “Greetings, you filthy sinners!” No, he says, “to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints…”(Romans 1:7), and “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling,” (1 Corinthians 1:2), and “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1). It’s not just the greetings, either. Take in some of these other verses:

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

*1 Corinthians 1:2 - called to be saints together

*2 Corinthians 1:2 - with all the saints `

*Ephesians 1:1- To the saints who are in Ephesus 

*Ephesians 2:19 -  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God

*Philippians 1:1 - To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers   and deacons

*Colossians 1:2 - To the saints and faithful brothers

*Colossians 1:27-28 - To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

*Jude 1:3 - “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”

*Romans 8:27 -  “and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

What does all this mean and does it matter?

It matters immensely. What we believe about what happened when Jesus saved us affects the here and now of our lives at our deepest level. Believing that we are identified as saints, rather than sinners, changes how we approach our relationships, our work, our rest—our entire lives. It changes everything. When we trust Jesus with our lives, He transforms us into completely new creatures, with new hearts. And these new creatures are no longer called sinners as their identity, but are instead called saints. Go read through the New Testament, and look for what believers are called. Saints, beloved children, holy ones…but never sinners.

 

In closing it's my opinion that it is a clear biblical truth that all are born in sin and all have a sin nature. Saints, on the other hand, are not born saints; they become saints by being reborn. Because we have all “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), we are all in need of spiritual rebirth, without which we will continue in our sinful state throughout eternity. But God, in His great mercy and grace, has provided the (only) means for turning a sinner into a saint—the Lord Jesus Christ, who came “to give His life as a ransom for many.” When we confess our need for a Savior from sin and accept His sacrifice on the cross on our behalf, we become saints.  *We are not saints because we have been declared to be saints by a church, nor can we work our way to sainthood. Once we are saved by faith, however, we are called to certain actions befitting our calling as saints of God. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16). Saints are not sinless, but the lives of saints do reflect the reality of the presence of Christ in our hearts, in whom we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

 

Today, ground yourself first in what Jesus says about you. Remind yourself that your new heart has all of Jesus living within it, fully accessible to your maturing behaviors. Read the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, reminding yourself that these are now true of your new, Jesus-fused heart. Then go and live. You’ll fail. You’re still getting used to this new heart. But when you fail, put your trust in the work Jesus has done and believe that regardless of your behavior, you are new, you are a true saint, and that you’re learning how to believe that.