I am a sinner Reba1. I pray daily for grace and if a day goes by and I don't sin I praise God and thank him for the grace. If I do sin, I ask forgiveness and pray for more grace. As I am now two years from my eightieth birthday the sinful urges no longer have the power they once had and I can now rest more from the fray, I've never been a drinker and 20 years ago I was delivered from smoking so nowadays life is easier. I find that rather than trying to be a sinless Christian, I tend to use my time being there for people with my car, my tithes and my time, as for stoning people, why would I want to do that. being a street musician I occasionally meet gay people and if one looks past their perversion there are some canny people out there. I have tattoos and they are something I regret. bless you. Trevor
Greetings Trevor,
Isn't it wonderful, our Lord takes us as we are sinner(s), it doesn't matter if we have tattoos top to bottom of our body, it doesn't matter if we have rings in our ears, nose, navel or elsewhere, it doesn't matter if we have committed adultery, stolen, coveted, etc, etc. Unlike this world that looks for what it considers better people (on the surface), God takes us as we are filthy sinners, bright scarlet sinners, and makes us His, He makes us righteous, it puts us onto the right path, the righteous path, from then we are to practice righteous all the days of our lives.
Some saved souls consider themselves sinners, I understand this, but I personally, taking scripture as our guide, do not believe as saved souls we are sinners!
Those who are not saved are sinner(s), the saved have been washed in the Blood of Christ, our sin(s) have been washed away. Now I am sure you will say brother, but I am in the flesh and will sin. You would be spot on brother if you said that, we both agree.
The difference I feel is that lost souls are weighed down with their sins, they cannot get rid of them unless they come to God through Jesus. They therefore are 'Sinner(s)' But the saved soul has been washed clean of all past sin, our sin(s) have been washed clean and remembered no more. But I am sure you will say brother, we still sin, scripture confirms this, the flesh is weak. The difference is in the word, the difference is in The Word. Sinner(s) are those that sin and sin and sin again and never repent. The saved soul is not a sinner, but will commit sin. Single not plural. Scripture goes on to say 'we' saved souls are to practice righteousness.
I do not consider myself a sinner brother, though like you I will sin, but when I sin, like you repent and aim not to do that sin again. As we get older in Christ we sin less, it is through faith and the Holy Spirit 'Renewing of our mind'.
1 John 3:7-8 (NKJV)
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Psalm 119:172 (NKJV)
My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
When we become new creations, born again, we are made righteous, but have a long way to go to be fully righteous, something we will not attain in this life, but we are to work towards that goal,
by practicing righteous all the days of our life. A good example of being built up over time I think is Ephesians 4:11-16
The Truth has been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, that we might know what God has for us and to know righteousness over sin.
1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (NKJV)
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
God takes us as we are SinnerS, He wipes away our past sins to make us righteous, we are to practice righteousness, there are many scripture confirm this, we should look at ourself as saved souls becoming more righteous day by day, not sinners. We sin, we repent, we are forgiven, we practice righteousness. We aim not to commit the sins again, one by one we will, especially at first, each time we repent and are forgiven, we don't look to sin again, our aim is to become righteous by practicing righteousness. God takes us as we are and prepared us for the day we will be righteous and with Him.
Ephesians 4:17-32 (NKJV)
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
When saved, we no longer walk as the sinners do.
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
When saved we are to... put on the new man, the sinner man has gone, the new man is being made righteous, true righteousness and holiness.
We are to practice righteousness, our sin(s) have been washed away, our sin is forgiven straight away, as we practice righteousness the number of times we 'sin' become less, we are becoming more righteous through the renewing of our mind, we are being made ready for eternity with Christ Jesus our Lord.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Practicing righteousness.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
My dear brother, I know you know these things, the only reason for this post is to bring to light the Truth in The Word, for all to pray about and consider for themselves.
Are we sinners, based on scripture I certainly think not, but know that many believers still think this. Does it affect our salvation, no, providing we aim not to sin, which is practicing righteousness.
Will we sin as saved souls, we sure will, scripture confirms this also as we know. But we sin, singular, we are not sinners, plural, as those of the world are.
We have been called out of darkness, out of the sinning world, we no longer belong to... sin, the world and the devil... we belong to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God in Jesus Name Amen
Shalom brother
