Christian Living

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Saints or Sinners: We Can Be Either

Bible references from
The Rainbow Bible
King James Version
And Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Do we want to be saints or sinners? We need to reflect upon our life and what we want from
it and how we want to live it. Jesus had more than a few words about both of these spiritual
conditions.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Sin is "any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of
God" (1 John 3:4; Rom. 4:15), in the inward state and habit of
the soul, as well as in the outward conduct of the life, whether
by omission or commission (Rom. 6:12-17; 7:5-24). It is "not a
mere violation of the law of our constitution, nor of the system
of things, but an offence against a personal lawgiver and moral
governor who vindicates his law with penalties.

The soul that sins is always conscious that his sin is (1) intrinsically vile
and polluting, and (2) that it justly deserves punishment, and
calls down the righteous wrath of God. Hence sin carries with it
two inalienable characters, (1) ill-desert, guilt (reatus); and
(2) pollution (macula).", Hodge's Outlines.

The moral character of a man's actions is determined by the
moral state of his heart. The disposition to sin, or the habit
of the soul that leads to the sinful act, is itself also sin
(Rom. 6:12-17; Gal. 5:17; James 1:14, 15).

The origin of sin is a mystery, and must for ever remain such
to us. It is plain that for some reason God has permitted sin to
enter this world, and that is all we know. His permitting it,
however, in no way makes God the author of sin.

Adam's sin (Gen. 3:1-6) consisted in his yielding to the
assaults of temptation and eating the forbidden fruit. It
involved in it, (1) the sin of unbelief, virtually making God a
liar; and (2) the guilt of disobedience to a positive command.
By this sin he became an apostate from God, a rebel in arms
against his Creator. He lost the favour of God and communion
with him; his whole nature became depraved, and he incurred the
penalty involved in the covenant of works.

Original sin. "Our first parents being the root of all
mankind, the guilt of their sin was imputed, and the same death
in sin and corrupted nature were conveyed to all their
posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation." Adam
was constituted by God the federal head and representative of
all his posterity, as he was also their natural head, and
therefore when he fell they fell with him (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor.
15:22-45). His probation was their probation, and his fall their
fall. Because of Adam's first sin all his posterity came into
the world in a state of sin and condemnation, i.e., (1) a state
of moral corruption, and (2) of guilt, as having judicially
imputed to them the guilt of Adam's first sin.

"Original sin" is frequently and properly used to denote only
the moral corruption of their whole nature inherited by all men
from Adam. This inherited moral corruption consists in, (1) the
loss of original righteousness; and (2) the presence of a
constant proneness to evil, which is the root and origin of all
actual sin. It is called "sin" (Rom. 6:12, 14, 17; 7:5-17), the
"flesh" (Gal. 5:17, 24), "lust" (James 1:14, 15), the "body of
sin" (Rom. 6:6), "ignorance," "blindness of heart," "alienation
from the life of God" (Eph. 4:18, 19). It influences and
depraves the whole man, and its tendency is still downward to
deeper and deeper corruption, there remaining no recuperative
element in the soul. It is a total depravity, and it is also
universally inherited by all the natural descendants of Adam
(Rom. 3:10-23; 5:12-21; 8:7). Pelagians deny original sin, and
regard man as by nature morally and spiritually well;
semi-Pelagians regard him as morally sick; Augustinians, or, as
they are also called, Calvinists, regard man as described above,
spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1; 1 John 3:14).

The doctrine of original sin is proved, (1.) From the fact of
the universal sinfulness of men. "There is no man that sinneth
not" (1 Kings 8:46; Isa. 53:6; Ps. 130:3; Rom. 3:19, 22, 23;
Gal. 3:22). (2.) From the total depravity of man. All men are
declared to be destitute of any principle of spiritual life;
man's apostasy from God is total and complete (Job 15:14-16;
Gen. 6:5,6). (3.) From its early manifestation (Ps. 58:3; Prov.
22:15). (4.) It is proved also from the necessity, absolutely
and universally, of regeneration (John 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:17). (5.)
From the universality of death (Rom. 5:12-20).

Various kinds of sin are mentioned, (1.) "Presumptuous sins,"
or as literally rendered, "sins with an uplifted hand", i.e.,
defiant acts of sin, in contrast with "errors" or
"inadvertencies" (Ps. 19:13). (2.) "Secret", i.e., hidden sins
(19:12); sins which escape the notice of the soul. (3.) "Sin
against the Holy Ghost" (q.v.), or a "sin unto death" (Matt.
12:31, 32; 1 John 5:16), which amounts to a wilful rejection of
grace.


Luke 5:32

32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

These are the words of Jesus. We are all sinners and we need to listen to him. Jesus is
the way to the Father. Sin tempts all of us. When we sin, we separate ourselves from
God, plus we endanger ourselves by the possibility of going to Hell. Hell, whatever else
it may be, is definitely the separation from God. Wouldn’t this be terrible? Jesus said we
need to repent, so this won’t happen.


James 4:8-12

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and
purify your hearts, ye double minded.

If we draw close to God, he will draw close to us. He never wanders but we can do this very
easily by conforming to the world instead of God’s concepts. We need to purify our bodies,
minds and souls. How can we do this? By loving him and obeying his commandments.


9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to
heaviness.

We are too attached to the world if it makes us happy. We should mourn if we are not
close to God. He is the only one who can bring us happiness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

This is pretty self explanatory. But sometimes we forget to do this.

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and
judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the
law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

We should be forgiving of each other just as Jesus taught us. If we speak badly about our
brothers and sisters then the evil one has won. We cannot judge each other. That is only for
God to do. Even Jesus didn’t judge. We cannot judge God’s laws either. He made them. We
need to follow them and respect them. By doing this we respect and love him.


12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest
another?

God is that lawgiver, not any of us. He created us and he can destroy us. Who are we to take
that privilege from him? This is his world and we are his children. Can we not respect his
wishes? He explained this carefully to Job, in The Old Testament. Yet even today, just as Job
did, we question him and his authority.


What is a saint?

Definition from Easton’s Bible Dictionary:

Saint: one separated from the world and consecrated to God; one holy by
profession and by covenant; a believer in Christ (Ps. 16:3; Rom.
1:7; 8:27; Phil. 1:1; Heb. 6:10).

We can be saints or sinners. It is our choice. But we must choose. And we must make
that choice everyday.


Psalm 16:3

3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom
is all my delight.

These are God’s words. We should always take God’s word seriously.

Romans 1:7

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Think about what you have read here and make this choice today.


Written by Anita Thomas

Copyright 2004

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