Last week I brought up this idea of seeing ourselves as “saints” instead of “sinners.” It’s brought up a lot of discussion here at the Pizza Ranch Support Center, so I’d like to revisit this again. So often we talk of ourselves as “sinners saved by grace” and this is of course true, but sometimes that simply gives us the “okay” to sin. There is so much more to it:

1. Yes, everyone has sinned. (Rom 3:23)
2. Yes, the penalty for sin is death. (Rom 6:23)
3. We know that…Jesus Christ died for us while we were still sinners. (Rom 5:8)
4. We also know that to be forgiven of our sin we must believe and declare that Jesus is Lord. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ. (Rom 10:8-10)
5. So then, as Jesus believers and Christ followers…as saints:
   1. We now have a removal of our deserved punishment. (Rom 3:25)
   2. We are now declared “NOT GUILTY.” (Rom 4:25; 5:18)
   3. We are now free of the debt of our sin and guilt. (Rom 3:24; 8:23)
   4. We are filled with the Holy Spirit. In us, around us, and flows out of us. It gives us power, guides us, increases opportunities and witness (Acts 1:4-22:30)
   5. We have power to live a Christian life. (Rom 8:2)
   6. We will become more and more like Jesus. (Rom 5:2; 15:16)
   7. We can pray powerfully, and with authority (Rom 8:26-27)
   8. We will be in heaven some day in glory. (Rom 8:18-19, 30)

This is why we should see ourselves as saints instead of sinners. We are set apart. Period. We are saints. Don’t just be okay with and declare yourself a sinner. We’re more than that. Fight your sin by claiming that. Do we or will we sin? Yes. Know that God is not repelled by that, He does not give up on us, and we don’t need to feel condemned. Run to Him quickly and repent. Just like the OT prophets, Jesus, and the NT writers said to do. May each of us claim our “sainthood.”

Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Photo by Jessica Ruscello on Unsplash