Many Christians carry around a lot of guilt that keeps them from developing into the overcomers that our heavenly Father wants us to become. So many say, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” But is that how God sees us? Does He still see us as lower than a snake’s belly after all that Christ Jesus did for us on the cross? We need to ask ourselves those questions.
I’d have to ask you what your idea of a sinner is. Now, if I’m a mechanic, that means I do mechanical work habitually, on purpose, as my way of life, whether for a living or as a hobby. If’ I’m a woodworker, then I work with wood daily, habitually, on purpose. That means a sinner is someone who sins habitually, on purpose, as a way of life, right? So, are YOU a sinner? Only you can answer that. But to say you’re a sinner saved by grace is mis-identifying yourself.
If you have made Christ Jesus of Nazareth your LORD and SAVIOR, then you WERE a sinner saved by grace. But you’re not a sinner anymore, that was the OLD you. It is written in 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Galatians 6:15 says, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Can you see then how important it is to differentiate between the “old” you before Christ, and the “new” you AFTER Christ? If you can’t see yourself as a new creation in Christ Jesus, you will be forever stuck in your past, living your life as a sinner instead of a Saint. Whoa, now you’re calling me a Saint, Brother Jerry? Well, yes; you’re either a saint, or you ain’t. What’s the difference? Just one letter: “S”, which stands for Salvation. Without salvation, you’re still a sinner, and you ain’t a saint, excuse my English there, but you get the point.
Our heavenly Father accepted the sacrifice of Christ Jesus as the FULL and COMPLETE payment for the sins of all who come to Christ Jesus to be saved. Does that mean we never sin again? No, it doesn’t, but it doesn’t become a habit, either. Suppose I’m a mechanic, and that means I fix broken cars, trucks, tractors, or whatever. Suppose I work on a car one day and I can’t fix it, does that mean I’m no longer a mechanic? No, that just means there was one that I purposed to fix, but just couldn’t get it right. That doesn’t mean it’s my intention to mess up EVERY job. In reality, a few get messed up, no matter how skillful I may be.
Let’s say you’re a circus performer who walks a tight wire. It’s your intention to walk safely from one end of the wire to the other while it’s stretched above the ground. To be sure, it is NOT your intention to fall from it. BUT, just in case you do, there’s a safety net below to catch you should you have an accident. That safety net represents grace. You’ve heard this before from me: grace is a safety net, not a trampoline. Now, if you are using God’s grace for a trampoline, then I’d have to say, yes, you’re a sinner, but not a sinner saved by grace. You’d be just a plain old, unrepentant sinner, lost, with no hope for eternal life.
But let’s say you HAVE asked Christ Jesus to forgive your sins. Well then, He HAS! And on occasion you may mess up, but it isn’t your intention to mess up. It is written in 1 John 2:1-5:
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
Here’s a key in verse one that we don’t want to miss; the word AND. And if any man sin, we have a lawyer with the Father, Christ Jesus. Because of the sacrifice, death, burial and most importantly, the RESURRECTION of Christ Jesus, the sin debt is paid in full, nothing lacking, for ALL who belong to Him. What does that mean? That means sin is no longer accounted against those who belong to Christ Jesus. It doesn’t mean you will never accidently sin, it just means you are BLAMELESS, that no sin is accounted unto you. So that means you’re not a sinner anymore. Yes, you WERE a sinner, but not now. Before, you were guilty of sin. Now, all your guilt and blame was placed upon Christ Jesus, He became your substitute, and that leaves you without sin, and without blame, and therefore, you will not face the penalty for sin, which is eternal death. Instead, you receive the free gift of salvation through Christ Jesus. That is, if you do not go back into making sin your profession as you did before. There is a reason you are a new creature, did you know that? The old creature cannot inherit eternal life, only the new you can.
When you read 1 John 2:1-5 you are getting the rules for salvation. You can’t go back and live in sin and still be saved, the Bible says so. I don’t care what so-and-so tells you, the only way to salvation is through Christ Jesus, and it’s His way or no way. He doesn’t care what is “politically correct”, no, not one bit. He doesn’t care if you think something is right or wrong, because HE decides what is right or wrong, and no matter how we may try to change His mind, we won’t do it.
And if we are trying to tell God we are still sinners after He has declared we are blameless, well, good luck with that, but I can tell you right now, that won’t fly with God. If Christ Jesus is your LORD and SAVIOR, then you ARE a new creation, and you are no longer a sinner, but a saint. And that ain’t going to change as long as you are in Christ Jesus, period. Will you go through life sinless? Not likely, though Jesus did. But you CAN go through life BLAMELESS, and that is what counts when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ Jesus.
And if by some chance you don’t know Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior yet, don’t waste another minute living as a sinner. Your new life awaits you as a saint. Get to it NOW! Life is so good when you’re blameless.