Saint or Sinner

How many times have you sat in a church service and heard the preacher talking about sinners and, in your mind related to that term? How many times have you heard someone ask, "Are you a sinner?" and wanted to respond to the affirmative? Who are you really? Are you a born again child of the Living God? Are you sure, by the word of God, that you are bound for heaven when you die? Of course if you are doubtful about your eternal life with God, then that is another issue and should be dealt with in the only effective way possible; by the truth of the word of God. The question that is important here and the answer that is needed is if you are a child of God, does God think of you as a sinner? Good question huh?

Let's look at some facts from the word for a few minutes. How many times in the scriptures does God refer to his people as sinners? Now there are three places in New Testament scriptures that seem to infer that this is the case. II Co. 12:11 refers to the Apostle Paul when he declared himself to be the chief of sinners. The word chief means "the first" or worse than some others. Apparently Paul is not referring to his present condition at that time but of his participation in the persecution and killing of the Christians before he was apprehended by God and converted. In Jam. 4:8; "cleanse your hands ye sinners," is apparently calling this person to repentance and salvation. Jam. 5:19-20 here the "sinner" is to be turned from the error of his way and from death. Because this is most likely spiritual death, it appears that this person is an unsaved person. Throughout scripture the presence of unsaved among the saved is recognized, as in I John 2:19. The consistency of the scripture is to refer to the unsaved as "sinners" and not God's people.

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3 "Ye must be born again." Now this infers a new beginning, a new person, a new creature as II Co. 5:17 states it. I find nowhere in the word of God any reference to a Christian being a "sinner saved by grace." That is to water down what God has done according to this verse. This verse says "ALL things have become new..." Now when someone is born into this world physically, there is a new person on the earth, unique in every way and no one has ever been or ever will be exactly like that person. The new birth or spiritual birth is just as unique and just as profoundly a new and different as is the physical birth. God says (and we really should not question God) this newly born Christian is unique in every way and is a brand new person, a new creation of God in every way, a child of the living God and a part of God. 1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Romans 8:11 tells us that our flesh is quickened by his Spirit which is in us, so we are not only new in spirit but our flesh benefits as well.

How do you think of yourself; as a sinner? Pro 23:7 for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: According to this scripture, if you think of you as a sinner, then that is probably the way that you will act. If you think of yourself as wicked, or slothful, or lustful, or dishonest, or hateful, or seditious, or disruptive, or covetous, or fill in the blank, you will likely be just exactly that. God knows that the way we think greatly affects how we live our lives. Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, and lovely and of good report. How do you see yourself? Does how you think of yourself match these tests? If not, then maybe we need to change our thinking.

God refers to us over and over in the word as saints. Are you really a sinner? Why do we find it hard to refer to ourselves as saints when God over and over again in his word refers to us as his saints? And while we are making moot points here, let's consider another. There will be NO sinners in heaven, only saints. Let's look at some of the other things that God says about us as his people. Now of course we still have the flesh to contend with and Paul said of the flesh, Rom 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing::" However God tells us that the flesh was crucified when Christ was crucified and therefore is now dead according to several references. Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. The word also says in Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

John 1:12 I am God's child
John 15:15 I am Christ's friend
Romans 5: 1 I have been justified
Romans 8:1-2 I am free forever from condemnation
I Cor. 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him
I Cor. 12:27 I am a member of Christ's body
Eph. 1:1 I am a saint
Col. 1:14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins
Col. 2:19 I am complete in Christ
Col. 3:3 I am hidden with Christ in God
Phil. 3:20 I am a citizen of Heaven
I Cor. 3:16 I am God's temple
Eph. 2:10 I am God's workmanship
Eph.2:6 I am seated with Christ in heavenly places

These are just a few of the things that God says about us as his people. And this is just a smattering of how God views us as his peculiar treasure in Christ. We must assert these things to ourselves as we use the weapons spoken of in II Corinthians 10:4 in battling with the forces of evil that would defeat us. We must agree with God about whom we are in Christ and when the enemy attacks, assert these things speaking against the powers of evil. "I am complete in Christ; I am a child of God, I am Christ's friend, I am a saint of God, I am free forever from condemnation, I am hidden with Christ in God." You may have to do this many times a day before you begin to believe it yourself, but remember, you must labour on this as well as anything else in the battle; and it is a battle. Satan would have you believe that you are a worm, a defeated being that has no power against strongholds or your own personal weakness. We must battle as much as is necessary in order to agree with God about who we are and what we are - saints of God, a royal priesthood, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, complete in Him, justified, citizens of heaven, God's workmanship, and on and on and on. Let's believe God for who we are and what we are in Christ our Lord.