Sinner or a Saint?

Many times I hear people who are saved say they are just a sinner saved by grace, or that we are all sinners. The phrases sometimes can be a little irksome to me because I’m sad to see as Christians we don’t realize our new identity in Christ. The church is having an identity crisis and that’s the reason why a lot of the times we see churches or "Christians" compromising to the present evil times. It’s because we are trying to mix the old man with the new or as the Bible states it we are trying to pour new wine into old wineskins (Matthew 9:17).

The Bible says we become a new creature when we come into Christ Jesus.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - 2 Corinthians 5:17

So that means we have a new nature, a new name and we now belong to our heavenly Father who sits on the throne.

We must realize that we are now a child of God and we will be called a new name. In the Bible Jesus even would change the names of the Apostles he chose, and if you notice when reading the letters to the Churches in the New Testament they always address the audience as Saint’s now. We are no longer sinners, for if we were Christ death would've been in vain. He died so we could put to death the old man (sinner).

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. - Romans 6: 10-11

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Romans 6:6

Let’s define what a sinner is. The New Testament Greek word for sinner is hamartolos and it means:      1. Someone who practices sin or is devoted to sin.

2. A person who is not free from sin

3. Sinful and wicked men

As the Bible says there is power in the tongue, and it can either bring life or death (Proverbs 18:21). If you find yourself still being a slave to sin, it’s probably because you’re still identifying yourself as a sinner (or you need to repent and dedicate your life back to Jesus) A sinner is someone who is a slave to sin. In Christ Jesus we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6). If you keep seeing yourself as a sinner, someone who is still a slave to sin, you will keep acting that way.

Think about it, a teacher is called a teacher because he/she teaches. An author is called an author because he/she writes. It’s the same with any other profession or label that you give yourself.

Those who are born again through Christ Jesus are no longer sinners and it's only by the power of Christ that this is so. That’s the beauty of Jesus coming to die on the cross for us, so we can be free in all areas and become totally new in him, in this way we can live a life worth pleasing to God. The devil wants you to keep thinking he has a hold on you. There are so many false teachings that have crept in the Church because the devil wants us to have an identity crisis. But the devil is a liar, we will use the full armor of God and know that we are a new creature in Jesus. I encourage you to live that new life of victory and freedom through God’s never failing Grace. And if you are still living as a sinner, but call yourself a child of God, that's being a lukewarm Christian, and God says he will spit those types of people out of his mouth. Repent and turn to God so you can live a holy life that's pleasing to Him. You can not have one foot in God's kingdom and one foot in the world. You can do this!

God’s Grace is Limitless,