The problem that I hear so often amongst believers, is that they still claim to be sinners after they have received Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of their life. If a man is a sinner before finding salvation, and he is a sinner after salvation, then what is the purpose of salvation? My Bibles says that "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2Cor. 5:17) The Bible states that "All HAVE sinned" but if we are in Christ, "For our sake he made him to be sin (our sin sacrifice, the Paschal Lamb) who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor. 5:21)
When we come into this world, we are born as sinners. It is not my point to show my way of thinking, but only what is the "mind of Christ." Jesus' opinion is all that will matter when we appear before the Throne of God. Not everyone who sins is a sinner. Let me give you an example: If a kid was to puff on a cigarette and then throw them down and not pick them back up, he would not be considered a smoker. A smoker is one who does it all the time and enjoys it. A sinner sins because he is a sinner. That is his nature to do so. A Christian cannot be a sinner, because that is contrary to Christ and the nature of God. Is it possible that a Christian can sin? Yes, I think most of us would say "Obviously!"
Is it possible that a person can sin from time to time and not be considered a "sinner?" Yes! We have an Advocate with Our Father in Heaven, and His name is Jesus. Through Faith in Jesus Christ and the atoning blood of Jesus, we are justified by our Faith in Christ. How does Jesus and Our Heavenly Father see us? He sees us as the "Righteousness of God through Christ Jesus, our Lord." We are now "Children of God." A child of God does not go looking for sin. A child of God's desires is to please the Father.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:12-17)
Sometimes it is a difficult thing to understand. We fight and struggle with our flesh, and we will continue to do so till we die. Most, if not all, of this battle is in the mind. Only Christ can circumcise the heart.
Sinners are from hell, they have the nature of the evil one, Lucifer or satan. Sinners enjoy their life of sin. They enjoy things like lusts, alcohol, partying, carousing, drunkenness, fits of rage, hurting others, and are totally self seeking. This is NOT the nature of one who is called apart as a Christian. Do we often fall short as a Christian? Definitely! But there is a wide chasm between being a Christian and being a Sinner. I once was a sinner, but when I came to Christ, HE made me a new creature and I was born again. My heart has been circumcised via the power of His love and the work of the Holy Spirit. Now I am no longer a sinner, but now I am a Saint of God, a Child of God, an heir to His Kingdom, and I have been adopted into the Family of God! What a rich reward we have as His children. We are heirs and joint heirs to His Throne. Now we have the same power living in us that raised Jesus from the dead.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me[e] anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14) Now as heirs of Christ, now we can do the works of Christ, because He lives in us as the Divine Symbiont. What a privilege to be a Son or a Daughter of the Most High God!
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