SINNER OR SAINT?

Both of these terms are quite commonly used in church circles, but not fully understood by some people. Anyone who is familiar with the Bible probably knows that a "sinner" is anyone who has not accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. There are many scriptures like (John 3:3), or (2 Cor 5:17) that clearly tell us of the need to be "born again". This is because we all inherited a sinful rebellious nature from our parents, who in turn inherited it from their parents, all the way back to Adam. Paul the apostle, who wrote much of the NT, was given much revelation by God into this truth. In (Rom 5:12) we are told how this sin came into the world through Adam. Then in (Eph 2:1-10) he explains more fully the good news of the gospel, and what we must do to be saved from this sinful condition that we all find ourselves in. The good news is that by accepting what Jesus did for mankind on the cross where He paid the price for our redemption, we can become a member of God's spiritual family. Jesus said He was the only way to God the Father (John 14:6), and in spite of what certain religions teach, and even what some church traditions tell us, if we ever hope to go to heaven when we die, we must confess that we are a "sinner" in need of a "Savior". Many people who attend church regularly have never done this because they believe that by following some tradition they were taught, they are ready now for heaven when they die. These people are in for a rude awakening when they find themselves in hell some day! There is only one way into God's heaven and that is through the door that Jesus opened for us when He died for our sins on Calvary!

The confusion in people's minds about the term "saint" is directly due to a teaching in certain church circles, that saints are certain people who have been declared a saint because of some outstanding achievement in their life. We find many churches named after these people, and also towns or cities etc. This title is always bestowed on them often many years after they die. The truth from scripture is that every person who has become a member of God's family by receiving Jesus as their personal Savior is considered a "saint"! This is the term that Paul often used to refer to believers in the letters he wrote to the churches he founded. For example read (Rom 1:1-7),or many other places in the NT and you will find the followers of Jesus referred to as saints. In some of the newer translations you might find words like believers or God's holy people etc. instead of saints, but they are the same true believers in Jesus, and the main point is that they are "alive saints", and not dead for many years! In (Col 1:13) we read about how sinners  become saints by being transferred from Satan's kingdom of darkness, into God's Kingdom of light, which happens the moment we receive Christ as Savior, and not some time after we die. This is only one of many ways the church has caused confusion in believer's minds because of their traditions that are not based on the Word of God!

Sincerely submitted.
Dave Jamer