July 5, 2025
Paul, in chapter one of his letter to the Romans, discusses his apostleship and its purpose, which is to bring about obedience to the faith. In this section, Paul tells the readers that they are called to be saints, not sinners. Sinners are what they have been, but they are now called to be saints who walk in righteousness, not in sin.
Have you ever noticed that many Christians prefer to be called sinners rather than saints? Why is that? Is it because they are trying to be humble, or because they shy away from the responsibility of living a sin-free life? Or could it be that they do not believe the Bible’s promises or understand its demand for Christians to abandon their rebellion against God?
One Christian man I attended a Bible study with would always start or end the meeting by calling all of us Christians ‘sinners.’ Most of the men thought nothing of it, but it always bothered me. Telling Christians that they continue to be sinners implies they should expect to keep sinning. It absolves them of their crimes against a holy God. Moreover, it desensitizes all Christians to the gravity of sin, making light of it. It is also clear unbelief in the promises of God, which is a sin in itself.
Almost all evangelical Christians have been conditioned to believe they are born with a sinful nature, which is the source of all their sins. They are taught that, even with God’s grace and power, they will continue to sin to some extent for the rest of their lives. That explains why this guy always referred to his brothers in Christ as sinners. That is what he has been taught.
Paul told the unrighteous ‘Christians’ in Corinth that no one, including a Christian who is unrighteous, will inherit the kingdom of God. He warned them not to be deceived. Paul then lists many sinful practices (for instance, adultery, fornication, drunkenness, idolatry, theft, slanderers, sodomy/homosexuality) and says to his readers, “Such were some of you.” He did not say, “Such are some of you”. See 1 Corinthians 6:8-10. The gospel of Jesus Christ turns sinners into saints, who are new creations. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new.
Sinful behaviors define a sinner’s life. A saint’s life is characterized by righteousness instead of sin. Are you a deceived ‘Christian’ sinner, which is common in many evangelical churches today? Or are you a Christian saint who is clean before God and man?
