Saint or sinner?

Brendan Mc Crossan

Saint or sinner?

Saint or Sinner? Which are you?

My children don’t know me or exactly how I feel about them. They have been deceived into thinking that they are something else by their great enemy, who desires to keep all my children in the dark about who and what they are.

I offer my children freedom and my children choose bondage. I offer light and truth and my children choose darkness and lies. I desire for all my children to come into truth and light and so I set it out before them reveal the truth and bring the light.

This is the message I heard when I felt prompted to write on this subject.

Truth and light bring peace and happiness, lies and darkness bring misery and defeat. The Christian who lives in lies and darkness is of no threat to Satan or to his kingdom. Those who actively seek the truth win the fight no matter what the outcome of the battle.

Joy and peace are being sought after in so many ways by Christian children of God and no joy can be experienced and no peace can be found because joy and peace are a part of a heritage that has been left to us God's children and as longaswebelieveSatan'slieshewillkeepusinthedarkness.

Jesus said in John-8-32- `you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free'

My friends do you know the truth about who and what you really are?

So many authors have written books and given sermons about who we are in Christ Jesus and of all he obtained for usonCalvary.ButIhaveneverheardevenonedeclarethat we as children of God are saints not sinners. I have never heard a sermon tell me that I am not a sinner because of what Jesus accomplished for me. I have heard many sermons, read many books by great authors and bible teachers, and some of them have opened my eyes to spiritual truths, but none tells me that I am not a sinner but a saint. There may be thousands of preachers telling people this truth and many books also but to date 25 years after coming to the lord I have never heard or read the truth I am trying to bring to you today.

I believe we have been kept in the dark with Satan's lies having us believe that we are sinners and thus this separates us from God in some way and keeps us away from entering into the full power of God and his Holy Spirit. I am going to attempt to bring light and truth to you today, you can either choose to ignore it or choose to believe it. What you do with the information I write is entirely up to you.

How many great people of God are walking in the full power of the spirit, doing the things Jesus done and `even more?'— {Quoting Jesus own words.}

Are you walking in the full power of God or are you just hanging in there by your fingertips.

If one lie can cause us to miss out in all that is on offer then its best that this lie be exposed.

Christians are in bondage to sin and not just sin but the consequence of sin, and that my friend is a lie!

The truth is Jesus paid the price of your sin and paid the consequence by doing time in hell for it.

Remember when you first got saved, how you believed that Jesus died for you and for your sins and delivered you from Satan's kingdom and brought you into his own kingdom. And that the blood of Jesus washed away your sins. It seems to me from the Christians I know that somehow this truth has been diminished as time goes by.

Ask your self this question and answer it truthfully! Are you a sinner? Or are you a saint?

90% of you will probably say I’M a sinner, saved by grace. The truth is `You were' a sinner saved by grace. The difference between two small words means everything in the spiritual realm.

ARE= present tense. Were = past tense.

The truth will set you free. {From Satan's lies and deception}

Two small words can mean all the difference when you are confronted by an evil force determined to destroy you.

If you have even the slightest bit of doubt about who you are and what Jesus truly done for you when you face the greatest danger of your spiritual life you will be defeated. It will cause you to hesitate and hesitating means disbelief, and hence defeat. You're not fully convinced of who and what you have as a child of God. You won't be able to fool an evil presence and you sure as heck can't fool God.

James-1-6-for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Do you see what this scripture says= a doubtful mind.

An unsure mind.

An uncertain mind.

A hesitant mind.

A disbelieving mind

An unconvinced mind.

An unreliable mind. These are the corresponding words that are given in the thesaurus to doubtful. They mean the same thing but give us more awareness of the extent of the words and the power of words. If you are doubtful about the least little thing in the spirit realm then it can mean defeat and destruction for you.

Faith means you are convinced, it means your sure, it means your certain, it means you wont hesitate, it means you believe, it means you are convinced and it means it is reliable. Faith is the opposite of doubtful.

You are a sinner or were a sinner can mean all the difference in a spiritual battle. The truth will set you free = from doubt and uncertainty.

This is why scripture says. `Your mind must be renewed by the word of God.'

If you know your standing in God then my friend you stand secure, if your unsure of how things are between you and God, then you are in deep trouble and are an easy target. Look at how many Christians have disappeared from the Christian circles, look at how many prayer groups that have disappeared faded away. Look at how many great Christian leaders that have fallen over the last 10 years. Look at yourself! Have you faded away in your relationship with God?

Knowing who you are in Christ Jesus and what he accomplished on the cross for you will keep you standing close to the lord and in a permanent state of worship and awe. Knowing your position keeps you humbled before God, that he could pick a sinner like you were and change you into a saint is an awesome thought.

Two words were and are, make all the difference to your spiritual life. One keeps you locked in the past and the other lets you know your present status. Two words whether you believe it or not will be the foundation of your faith. Look at the following scripture and see what it explains about you. Think about changing the word "are" to the word "were" and see how that scripture changed dramatically.

John –5-20 –Now we are in God because we are in Christ Jesus who is the true God.

Changed it would read past tense isn't that so? Now we "were" in God, because we "were" in Christ Jesus.

Look how important those two words are. One says we are in Christ meaning that how we stand now today, the other says we were meaning somehow we lost our position. Two words! But they change our position in relationship to Jesus and God.

Chapter 2 Little words = big power

The Bible is filled with words, little words that have tremendous power to change our very lives. Words like "have" and "in" are tremendous power filled wordsinrelationtoGod'sword,justlike "were"and"are."

Lets take the word "in" first and see why this little twoletter word has such importance in the word of God Colossians-2-10-You are "in" him made full and have come to fullness of life "in" Christ.

Acts –17-28- for "in" him we live and move and have our being.

John-5-20-For we are "in" God because we are "in" Christ Jesus.

John-6-53-Anyone who eats my flesh is "in" me and I "in" them.

Little words but they have tremendous meaning and power.

Lets look at Colossians-2-10 and john –5-20- both say, " we are in." How would it read if they said we were in? `We were in Christ Jesus but were not any more?' You are referring to yourself in the past tense.

Would you take the words of God and substitute them for other words diluting the power that is in them? That's exactly what you are doing if you, as a born again child of God, his new creation, call yourself a sinner. You dilute the power of God's words.

The word "have," means something is already yours. You have a watch, you have a car, and you have salvation. You already own something.

Do you know what the meaning of "new" is? New means = never before seen. You are a new creation. Its not you were a new creation.

Look at how were! And are! Change so much in relation to your standing with God.

By now I’M sure you're beginning to see the need to say what God's word says about you. Lets look at what God says about sinners!

John-9-31- Well God doesn't listen to sinners, but he has an open ear to those who love him and do his will.

If you claim to be a sinner where does this scripture leave you in regard to God hearing your prayer?

It says he doesn't listen to you!

What is this scripture implying also? = Sinners don't love him!

Do you love him?

Isaiah –1-27- those who return to the lord shall be redeemed but all sinners shall utterly perish.

A born again child of God is redeemed as we all know. But did you know all sinners shall utterly perish. God's word separates redeemed from sinner.

Isaiah –52-1- put on beautiful clothes O Zion holy city for sinners, those who turn from God will no longer enter your gates.

Sinners are identified here as turning from God. Have you turned from God?

Proverbs-13-21-curses chase the sinner but blessings chase the righteous.

How do you like the idea that curses are chasing you around?

God's word tells the born again child of God that blessings are theirs.

Psalm-5-5- therefore proud sinners will not survive your searching gaze, for you hate their evil deeds, you will destroy them for their lies. How you abhor all murder and deception. But as for me I will come into your temple protected by your mercy and love.

Sinners wont escape God's searching gaze and will be destroyed. Is that really what you think will happen to you, a born again child of God?

1-Timothy-1-8- these laws are good when used as God intended, but they were not made for us whom God has saved. They are for sinners, who hate God and have rebellious hearts, curse and swear and attack their fathers and mothers and murder.

The law was intended to identify sinners not saints. Can you see the separation between sinners and the saved? This scripture clearly separates sinners from the saved. Sinners hate God! That's what the previous scripture tells us. Do you hate God? Yet God's word clearly states that sinners hate him!

Psalm-1-5- therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, or sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

You can see here that the wicked will not stand together with us in the judgment and the sinners will not stand in the assembly {gathering} of the righteous. Because, they are going to perish.

Psalm-104-35- let all sinners perish all who refuse to praise him. But I will praise him halleluiah.

Do you praise the lord? If you do, then that is not the act of a sinner. Sinners refuse to praise him! And so they will perish. The psalmist separated himself from the sinner by saying, `but I will praise him.'

Proverbs –11-31- if here on earth the virtuous man gets his due, how much more the wicked how much more the sinner.

Isaiah –13-9- the land shall be destroyed and all the sinners with it.

Psalm –26-9 do not let my soul share the fate of sinners.

Things don't look so good for sinners! Do they? Not according to God's word they don't and the word of God never changes it remains the same forever.

Romans –4-5- King David spoke of this describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared not guilty by God. Blessed and to be envied he said are those whose sins have been forgiven and are put out of sight. Yes what joy there is for those whose sins have been forgiven and no longer counted against them by the Lord?

f a man takes a drink does that make him an alcoholic? = NO!

King David described the born again believer who was a sinner getting saved and declared not guilty by God.

Luke –15-7-there is much joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.

A sinner who repents causes much joy in heaven. Repenting means turning away from sin.

King David tells us that God declared the sinner who repented not guilty. For sins to be forgiven you must want to be forgiven. And the Lord no longer counts your sins against you. They are wiped out forever from his mind.

you think I am saying we don't sin, then my friend your wrong!

Every time you sin and repent, that sin is forgiven and then forgotten by God like it never happened

Hebrews 10-18- now when sins have once been forever forgiven and forgotten there is no need to offer any more sacrifices to get rid of them.

Christians who call themselves sinners must subconsciously think God keeps a record of all their sins. This is not so he forgets confessed sins and it's like you're new all over again.

If you have confessed you're sins and they are forever forgiven and forgotten, note in particular the last word "forgotten" how could you be a sinner, sure all your sins are forgiven, and most importantly forgotten.

Forgotten =over and done with =elapsed =gone =ancient history =cant be remembered anymore = unable to recall.

If you stood before God right at this moment and asked him to list your sins he wouldn't be able to. If you confessed those sins then God would look at you and smile and say, `What sins?' `I don't remember you sinning,' `you are as white as snow before me and are welcome into my presence my child'

MydearfriendifyouthinkGodremembersyourconfessed sins you do not know God or his word. If God cannot remember confessed sins how could you be a sinner? He God,chooseto forgiveand then forget,somethingonlyGod can do. We on the other hand remember every sin confessed or un-confessed and least we forget, Satan will be only too happy to remind you of them.

Before I go into scriptures that tell us exactly how we look in the eyes of God I will give some more scriptures on sinners and what God's word says about them.

Proverbs-13-6 righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

Righteousness guards the man of integrity but wickedness overthrows the sinner, clearly separating righteous from sinner.

Proverbs-13-22- a good man leaves an inheritance for his children,butasinner'swealthisstoredupfortherighteous.

A sinners wealth is taken from him and given to the righteous.

Ecclesiastes-2-26 to the man who pleases him God gives wisdom knowledge and happiness. But to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.

A sinner has to hand over wealth to the one who pleases God.

Ecclesiastes –7-26 – the man who pleases God will escape her but the sinners she will ensnare

Ecclesiastes –9-18 –wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

John-9-16 - How can a sinner do such marvelous signs?

James –5-20- who ever turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

A sinner needs to be turned from the errors of his ways.

1-Peter-4-18-if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?

Again the sinner is separated from the righteous, saying it's hard enough for the righteous to be saved what's going to become of the ungodly and the sinner?

Jude – 1 –7 –there is a hell in which sinners are punished.

Sinners will be punished in hell. God's word tells us, we share in the very life of Christ Colossians –2-13.

Do you think your going to hell?

Sinners are going to hell we on the other hand are already seated with him in the heavenly place.

Are you sure you're a sinner? Are you destroying much good?

Colossians-2-4-only by his undeserved favour have we ever been saved and lifted up into glory out of the grave along with Christ, where we sit with him in the heavenly realms.

The saved are lifted up into glory and sit with Christ Jesus because God decided to do this out of love for us.

Romans-5-8 God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we "were" still sinners and since by his blood he did this for us as sinners. How much more will he do for us now he has declared us not guilty.

Jesus died for us while we were still sinners, then he says how much more will he do for us now we are declared not guilty. Remember a sinner is guilty. `Were' = is past tense.

Galatians-2-18 rather we are sinners if we start rebuilding the old system of trying to be saved by keeping the Jewish laws.

Look at this last scripture in detail. We are sinners "if" we start rebuilding the old system of trying to be saved through the Jewish laws. Trying to be saved through Jewish laws makes you a sinner! Are = is present tense. If you think you will be saved by your actions or by anything you do you are a sinner.

Lets make

that

A sinner

Rebellious!

Evil!

Ungodly!

Unsaved!

Condemned!

Perishing!

calls a sinner and see

Are you like that? You are if you're a sinner, that's what God's word says about sinners.

God offers freedom from bondage and from wrong thinking because you need to understand who you truly are in the spiritual realm, thinking you're a sinner will prevent you from becoming aware of the light that lives within you and of the power that is within you also. When a Christian fully understands and believes that, `it is not "I" who lives but Christ Jesus who lives in him / her.' then they will begin walking in the power of God and they will do the things Jesus said they would do. But first they have to get rid of wrong thinking because wrong thinking will prevent them from attaining that knowledge. Romans-5-8 God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we "were" still sinners and since

by his blood he did this for us as sinners. How much more will he do for us now he has declared us not guilty.

Romans 5–8- shows that sinner and righteous are separated by being declared not guilty.

Did you know that the Bible is not addressed to sinners, but to the saints? Check it out from Romans to revelations. It talks about sinners but it is written to the Saints.

Zephaniah –3-12- those who are left will be the poor and the humble and they will trust in the name of the Lord. They will not be sinners, full of lies and deceit. They will live quietly in peace and lie down in safety and no one shall make them afraid.

They will not be sinners, this is what God says about his children they will not be sinners, and they will live quietly in peace.

Hebrew –10-14 - he made forever perfect in the sight of God all those whom he is making holy.

The born again child of God is forever perfect as far as God is concerned. Does the word of God ever change? Will `forever perfect' always be the same after you sin and repent? Yes! The word of God never changes.

Ephesians –1- 4- he decided to make us holy in his eyes without a single fault – we who stand before him covered with his love.

He decided to make us, you and I, holy in his eyes, without a single fault. How many faults does it say you will have? NONE! That's how many but in whose eyes is this happening? God's eyes not yours. How is this possible? Because you are covered by his love. Love covers you his love covers you.

"God does not call his children sinners, he calls them holy, sinless, spotless, forever perfect in his sight."

I Corinthian-6-17 – if you give yourself to the lord you and Christ are joined together as one person.

This is how it is possible for God to see you as holy sinless faultless and forever perfect without a single fault. It is because spiritually you have become one with Jesus. You have not become one with him in the flesh because the flesh dies and rots and pays the price for sin by being sent to the grave.

Romans –8-16- your body will die because of sin but your spirit will live because Christ has pardoned it.

If you could pass through life and never commit even one single sin then your body could go straight into heaven, But you don't go through life without sin so the body dies as a punishment to it for sins committed, but your spirit which is kept sinless passes into heaven sinless spotless forever perfect without a single fault. And it is the spiritual man I am talking about not the flesh of man. This is the part of you that God is concerned about because on the resurrection you will arise with a new body, which will be imperishable. You swap the old physical body for a new one, which you receive on the last day. A sinner perishes in hell spiritually a child of God shares the same spiritual body as Jesus in heaven and lives forever.

I only gave you a little of the scriptures that tell you who and what Jesus done for you and that tell you who you are spiritually. It's up to you to search out your bible and find the hundreds of scriptures that tell you who and what you are in Christ Jesus.

I could have backed up what I am saying by giving you loads of scripture, but you need to see the truth for your self by searching out corresponding scripture. It is when you search for truth that you find it in greater detail. And the truth shall set you free. Some more scriptures to enlighten your mind.

John-5-24– anyone who listens to my message and believes in God who sent me, has eternal life and will never be damned for his sins but has already passed out of death into life.

A sinner is damned to hell; this tells you that you have already passed out of death into life.

Colossians-2-13 - you were dead in sin and your sinful desires were not yet cut away, then he gave you a share in the very life of Christ , for he forgave you all your sins.

As a sinner your sins were not yet cut away, but then he gave you a share in the life of Christ. Would God share the life of Jesus with a sinner? Or would he share it with a saint?

Romans-5-2-for because of our faith he has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand.

Does a sinner have the place of highest privilege? I think not!

Do you still believe that your a sinner in God’s eyes, or can you see the truth of how God sees you.