You’re A Sinner Too!

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I’m forgiven

I was called a sinner last week by a homeless guy named Nicholas. He used his own failings to justify his separation from God basically saying that he had tried to change and his failure proved he would never be worthy. He really latched onto the scripture that all have sinned and fallen short and proceeded to inform me that I was sick with sin too.

“I’m not a sinner.” I replied. “I’m forgiven.”

The concept was lost on him. He began to correct me but chose rather to list his sins in detail. He ended by telling me I didn’t have to confess my sins to him but I was a sinner whether I wanted to admit it or not. I blessed him, gave him a water and he moved on.

I’m really resistant to picking up the label “sinner” since I fell in love with Jesus. I’m not saying I don’t sin, but that is no longer my identity. Consider this, Paul wrote his epistles to God’s holy people not a bunch of sinners. When we surrender our old lives to Jesus we receive a new life, a new identity. So how do we deal with those times that we choose to sin?

Let’s look at the first chapter in 1 John.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 1:5-10 ESV

John is delineating the difference between grace and entitlement. I think we can all agree it’s entitlement to believe you can embrace a lifestyle of sin and expect grace to cover it. However, it’s also entitlement to believe you are so forgiven you can justify a sinful choice and not seek forgiveness. Notice how John specifically says “if we confess our sins?” In order to receive forgiveness, we must recognize our need for forgiveness. If we live in denial of a wrong choice or we try to justify that choice, we cannot expect grace! However, if we submit our mistakes to him is “faithful and just to forgive.” Not one of us would drive with our low fuel light blinking red and think “Well I filled up once, that should be enough.” Hopefully, we recognize that our vehicle requires ongoing maintenance. Neither do we stop every block and fill the tank! We would never get anywhere. In the same way, we should be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, inviting him to make us aware of any area in our lives we need “cleansing of all unrighteousness.”

It’s only good news if you hear it.

If Nicholas had been interested in conversation, I would have explained the difference between being a sinner held captive by sin and being a daughter of the King who occasionally sinned. I would have shared the promise of grace for sins confessed. But he was too intent on proving his own state of wretchedness and his inability to overcome it. It was so sad. He freely admitted his choices but refused grace. John writes about those who are living in denial of their choices not receiving grace. Two extremes – one end.

To receive grace you must be honest with and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to check in with him periodically and ask, “Is there any sin between us?” If your red light goes on, confess your sin and know you are forgiven. Then when you encounter someone like Nicholas, you can say confidently, “I’m not a sinner, I’m a saint who sins occasionally.”

Thanks for your faithfulness to follow my blog, FB page and Instagram accounts. I appreciate you!