Have you ever heard or said the phrase, “I’m a sinner saved by grace.” The intent of this saying is admirable but I wonder if it’s true and corresponds to God’s Word. Therefore, the question is: sinner or saint? The answer is important as it guides our identity as believers.
The Story: Ephesians 2:8-9
In Ephesians 2:8-9, we find part of our answer. Indeed, we are saved by grace. Salvation is a gift from God. We didn’t work for it nor do we deserve it. However, God’s love created a path for us to become part of His family, which was through His Son, Jesus. John 3:16 explicitly states that God sacrificed His only begotten Son so those who believe in Him would have eternal life. Thankfully, God puts this plan in place before the foundation of the world. Before we were thought of, God had a plan to save us because of His grace and love. With that established, let’s move to the primary part: sinner or saint.
The Lesson
Before we accepted Christ, we WERE sinners. Romans 5:6-8 confirms the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Luke 19:10 says “the Son of Man (Jesus) came to seek and save the lost.” Therefore, Jesus came looking for us when we were sinners. He didn’t want us to remain that way. As s result, we lost the identity of sinner when we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. We exchanged the title of sinner and became a saint.
The identity of saint can be challenging to grasp. Our view of saint resembles that of perfection. We may see a saint as one who does no wrong. Please know that this is a far cry from who the Bible calls a saint. Ephesians 1:1 defines saint as faithful followers of Christ Jesus. Revelation 11:18 records that saints are “holy people who fear God.” By the way, fear equates to reverence and belief in Jesus. In other words, our identity becomes saint when we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). Our belief and confession change our posture and position.
As a saint, our posture is no longer one of begging but of acceptance. We accept that we are new in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We acknowledge that our sins reside in the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19). Now, we praise and worship God because of who He is and what He did for us. Because of our new posture, we repent when we fall short of His best. Our identity as a saint means we don’t revel in our sins. Instead, we repent by placing them at the foot of the cross and asking Him to “create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us” (Psalm 51:10-12). Therefore, God forgives us and we remain righteous because He sees us through the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:19-21).
As a saint, we have a new position. We are no longer separated from God because of our sin. Instead, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus through adoption (Romans 8:17). 1 Peter 2:9 confirms that as saints we are part of a royal priesthood and a holy nation. Yes we are part of the family of Christ.
So are you a sinner or saint? If you’re a sinner, you can become a saint. You simply follow Romans 10:9-10 and accept that Jesus died for your sins and God raised Him from the dead. This act of confession immediately moves you from a sinner to a saint.
If you’re a saint, consider refraining from saying, “I’m a sinner saved by grace.” Why?, you ask. By speaking this phrase, we behave as if we don’t deserve the benefits and promises of God. We act as if we have to work for what He freely gave us. As a result, we beg for what God said already belongs to us.
Remember if you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, you now identify as SAINT.
