ARE CHRISTIANS SINNERS OR SAINTS?

ARE CHRISTIANS SINNERS OR SAINTS?

For some reason, Christians like to point out the fact that they are sinners.  We hear such things as:  "I am no saint."  Or, "The church is filled with imperfect, sinful people."  They do this to encourage the sinners of the world to come to church.  They do this to express their humility.  They do this because they know they have sin in their lives.

There is, however, a difference between Christians and those in the world.  Christians are saints.  They are purified.  They are set apart.  They have a holy purpose to serve in the kingdom of God.  

For some reason, we have difficulty expressing the idea that we are God's "holy ones."  The Bible says:  "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" (I Thess. 4:7).  Peter refers to us as " holy priesthood" (I Pet. 2:5) and "a holy nation" (I Pet. 2:9).  In the Revelation, Jesus is pictured riding on a white horse.  They who followed Him were "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev. 19:14). 

Christians have died to sin.  "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" (Rom. 6:6).  In verse 12 of the same chapter, Paul writes:  "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."  In verse 18, he continues with these words:  "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."  

Rather than exalting our sins, we should exalt our holiness.

Holiness is the life of a true Christian.  

He does not love the world (I John 2:15).
He denies self (Luke 9:23).
He walks in the Spirit, not yielding to fleshly desires (Gal. 5:16).
His life is filled with the fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-23).
He denies ungodliness and worldly lusts, and lives soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Tit. 2:11-12).
He abstains from fleshly lusts which war against the soul (I Pet. 2:11).
He follows peace with all men, and holiness (Heb. 12:14).
He mortifies his members that are on the earth (Col. 3:5).
He puts off the old man (Col. 3:8-9) and puts on the new man (Col. 3:10-15).
He seeks to be holy just as God is holy (I Pet. 14-16).

The Christian has repented, that is, he has died to sins (Luke 13:3).
He seeks to live like Christ (Phil. 1:21).
He is not carnally minded, but spiritually minded (Rom. 8:6).
He uses his members as instruments of righteousness to God (Rom. 6:13).

Paul sums up the Christian's life well in Romans 6:22.  "But now being made free from sin, and become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."  

My friends, the church is calling sinners out of the world.  We are calling them to be a part of "the called out ones."  We are exhorting them to be holy instead of serving sin.  If we are just like they are, then our call means little.  In fact, it means nothing.

Christians are not sinners.  They are saints.
If a Christian is a sinner, he needs to repent, confess his sins, and ask God to forgiven him (I John 1:9).  ~Victor M. Eskew~

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