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RIGHTLY DIVIDING SAINTS AND SINNERS Christians often refer to themselves as sinners. In addition to being doctrinally flawed, this little habit is also very harmful. Paul uses the terms "sinners" and "sinner" nine times in his epistles, and only once does he call HIMSELF a sinner: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." (I Tim. 1:15) He only labeled himself as a sinner in the context of pointing out WHO benefits from Christ's atoning work, not in the context of his present doctrinal standing as a Christian. Other New Testament uses of the words "sinner" and "sinners" are clearly referring to the lost, not the saved. For instance: Romans 5:8: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while WE WERE yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:19: "For as by one man's disobedience many WERE made sinners, so by the obedience of one SHALL MANY BE MADE RIGHTEOUS." Galatians 2:17: "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid." 1 Timothy 1:9: "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers." James 5:20: "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:18: "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Jude 1:15: "To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Clearly, it is LOST people who are classified as sinners, not born-again believers in Christ. By contrast, the words "saints" and "saint" are found forty-one times in Paul's epistles, and EVERY occurrence refers to Christians only. The Bible record is clear: unsaved people are sinners, and saved people are saints. This doesn't mean that a lost person can't perform a good deed, nor does it mean that a saved person can't perform an evil one, but the doctrinal terminology is very clear in the Book: sinners are lost people and saints are saved people. Perhaps if we'd stick to this understanding, we'd find ourselves being called to a higher and holier way of life rather than excusing ourselves from such by being "only a sinner saved by grace." Doctrinally speaking, I'm NOT a sinner. I'm a new creature in Christ, my name is in the Lamb's book of life, I have abundant life in Christ, and it is my responsibility to LIVE like it. I can start by calling myself what God calls me: a SAINT. To classify myself as anything less would amount to diminishing the redemptive work of Christ in my life and identifying more with the lost than with the saved. No, thanks. A Christian is a NEW CREATURE in Christ, and that new creature most certainly is NOT a sinner! He is trapped in a sinful BODY, but HE IS NOT HIS BODY. His new identity is IN CHRIST, not in the flesh. Any Christian who classifies himself as a sinner clearly does not have a grip on rightly dividing the word and standing versus state. He's like a pardoned criminal who keeps thinking of himself as a limited prisoner instead of a free man with great potential. Sinners are losers. Saints are winners. That's sound Bible doctrine 101. Anything less is vain Laodicean tradition and is unworthy of your Christian testimony.