The Bible never calls Christians “sinners” and never calls their hearts “idolatry” or “deceitful” referring to their life after regeneration.
Stop belittling yourself for nothing, you fool! The power for holiness that the Spirit has placed in us is much greater than you can imagine.
Andre De Mattos Duarte
Andre is correct.
We are never labelled as sinners in the bible, that is, those who are born again. We are called children of God with God’s “seed” or “nature in us. We are told if our nature is “sin” and we wilfully practice it, we are not from God, but Satan (1 John 3-4).
The Corinthians who had so many issues, are labelled by the Apostle Paul as those who have inherited life, death, time and the entire world. Paul’s says they will one day judge angels. He labels the people, whose behavior is (in some areas) human and sinful, as “saints,” “new creations,” “reconciled to God,” and the very “righteousness of God.” He says they are “God’s light,” “God’s righteousness,” and “God’s temple.” He never says they are the worst of sinners. He says the opposite. He says they used to be that way, but now they are something different.
Paul says the “gospel” was predestined for (not God’s glory), but theirs. He says they have the fellowship of the Son, and even have the Mind of Christ. Referring to us as a true definition (A tree is organic), the bible always labels us as Saints, holy, undefiled, light, righteousness, power and heirs etc. It never labels a saint as a sinner, or as an unbeliever.
Paul did say in the present tense “I am the worst of sinners.” He earned this label in the past, for persecuting the body of Christ. Thus, the context, as a whole, shows it to be a past tense label, which very few can claim. The absurdity to say this is meant in the present tense, would mean Paul is presently attacking the body of Christ in the same way he did before he was born-from-above, because that is the context for the label.
For example, if I was in the military for a few years and earned the record for the “worst parachuter.” However, I left and have been working as a butler for 50 years, and yet, after all this time my worst record still stands. If that is the case I can say, “I am the worst parachuter.” Even though I am not presently in the military, or presently a parachuter, nor have been for 50 years, I can say in the present tense (I am the worst parachuter), but it refers to the past. Even if my record was replaced by a slightly worst record 30 years ago, I could still say, I am the worst parachuter, in the sense of a perfect example, representative or poster-boy. This is how Paul meant it. Thus, even after all these years, you hear drill sergeants yelling at recruits, don’t end up like, Oshea Davis, who was the worst parachuter. They will say this even though someone might have a worst record, because the name Oshea Davis became an infamous example for everyone to use.
Paul says God chose him specifically, as an example for how bad sinners can be. God wanted to show off His grace and power, and used Paul’s terrible actions to give an example for how far His grace goes. Thus, you cannot claim to be the poster-boy of sinners, because God gave the title to Paul.
Furthermore, to claim to be the worst of sinners in the present tense today, would logically mean you are presently attacking and destroying the body of Jesus Christ, or something equally damming. If that is truly you, then claim such a title so that I can avoid you. If not, then you are so delusional, I would also want to avoid you.
Why do I need to explain basic grammar to adults who say they know the bible and can discern it?
Jesus, like Paul referring to the behavior of the Corinthians, at times would label His disciples as “foolish” or “spiritual perverts” because they could not cast out demon, but this was not a label about who they are. We all find those few sins we are more easily ensnared by, but to label ourselves by them, is to label the ministry of Jesus, His Gospel and nature with such labels. What you are, after your conversion is a product of Jesus’ ministry. Your new identity is by Jesus. And so, to claim you are still a sinner is to make Jesus a minister of sin. Jesus is not a minister of sin, or sickness or any other negative thing to His chosen ones. Light and darkness, sin and righteousness contradict one another. You are either one or the other. Jesus is not Satan, and a saint is not a sinner. A believer is not an unbeliever. Because of the contraction they cannot be attributed to the same person.
Vincent Cheung on this subject says,
Accordingly, Paul referred to Christians as “saints” in his letters. It is often suggested that the Christian is both sinner and saint. There is much biblical evidence to the contrary. As we have seen, Paul said the Christian is a new creation, and the old has passed away. In another place, he wrote, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with wickedness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?” The statement addresses partnership or association with unbelievers, but notice what he calls each group. There is no mixture between the two. You are either righteousness or wickedness. You are either light or darkness. You cannot be both at the same time. Jesus is not both Christ and Satan at the same time. The Christian is not both righteousness and wickedness at the same time. (The Chief of Sinners)
I always find it odd that so-called Christians want to affirm how awful they are. I am an porn-star Christian, I am a alcoholic Christian, I am a vile sinner. We are grasshoppers and they are too big (etc.).
Such a confession would logically lead back to God, and how ineffective His is at forgiving, sanctifying and empowering His chosen ones. There also could be some connection to the unforgivable sin against the Spirit, by connecting your confession of sinfulness, worthlessness, and patheticness to the Spirit who lives in the believer.
At the end of the day God gets to play with reality and define reality the way he wants. I am the righteousness of God and not that God is the righteousness of God. I am what I am, by the grace of God. The Bible rejects pantheism, thus, what God creates and gives me, is “me,” or “mine.” I am a child of God, a prince of heaven, with free access to the throne, while other created beings do not have this access. This is me. I am what I am, by the grace of God.
When God thinks of me, He thinks I am holy; He thinks I am righteous with His righteousness, blameless, and empowered with His power; God thinks I am amazing and glorious. Who am I to disregard God, unless I’m a reprobate?
That is why the word of faith confessions of reprobates is a confession in how sinful God sees them, because that who they are. It is natural for reprobates to label themselves as grasshoppers. God will see to it that they die as grasshoppers in the desert, every last one of them. But the children of faith, who give a declaration of confidence in God’s definition and promises; yes, those who confess His great promises of healing, miracles and power are true for them today (no matter how fantastical they are) God will insure they will inherit the land, every last one of them.
Oshea Davis 