Sinner or Saint?

Have you ever said, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace?”  I have, and recently I read that this is really an inaccurate statement, according to the Bible.  It reflects what we once were, but no longer who we are. 
Scripture makes this very clear that habitual sinning is part of a believer’s past, not their current state:

1Co 6:9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 

1Co 6:10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 

1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 

1Jn 3:6  Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 

1Jn 3:7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 

1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 

1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 

1Jn 3:10  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 

The fact that our new nature does not sin is not an excuse for us to continue to sin because we feel like it!  In fact, it is important to recognize our inability to save ourselves from the certain death that sin produces.  And to understand our complete inability to produce anything good or godly (produce righteousness) outside of His spirit, which He gave us.  We need also to remain aware of our constant need of God’s grace and empowerment in our lives to live a life that is honoring and pleasing to Him.  And at the very least we owe Him our lives since He laid down His life for us.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

1Cor 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

With that said, we shouldn’t confuse what we WERE, to what we NOW are - blood bought, forgiven, a precious child of God worth His Son’s own life.  And we should never confuse sinning and having to constantly confess our sins when our sin nature has been dealt with once and for all. 

Heb 7:25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 

Heb 7:26  For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 

Heb 7:27  Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 

Paul talks much more about the sin nature than he does about our need to continually confess our sin so that we can stand righteous before God.  Let’s take a look at the following.

We are new creatures:
2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Walk no longer in the flesh:
Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

When you are born again by the Spirit of God indwelling you, God will stop at nothing to polish you into the beautiful person He created you to be, carved to perfection with His own characteristics.  He has dealt with our sin problem, so that now He can work on perfecting the saints.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

If you really think about it, if all we are doing is confessing our sins that have already been dealt with and forgiven, then when are we taking the time to do the will of God, the “good works” that He has pre-ordained for us to do?

I can offer many more Scriptures, but for now, may God bless you and enlighten you on this very important topic.