By Pastor Jon
You may be thankful to read that this will be our final piece in this Saint vs Sinner series.
I feel like I need a footnote, just to cover my rear. Oh well. Never mind!
Given the breakdown of the previous ONE, TWO, and THREE, I was left asking, how can any new creation in Christ, not only positively still use the Sinner part of this Saint vs Sinner contrast, but do so where this set-up continues to reflect our forever changed station.
Is that really possible now? I believe so!
The line, “I’m a sinner,” is a powerful statement, which not only affirms our Imago Dei solidarity, but something more about where we began, in and of ourselves, and what today, makes us forever stand. This language communicates a helpful missional apologetic, especially into our post-Christian time and place, which has witnessed too much self-righteousness from organised religious sorts, who have modelled Gospel-confusionism, in the garb of pharisaical do-goodism.
Therefore, in the following lines, I want to somewhat briefly (for me) close with how you can use the verb-reality of “One still who sins” in your present reality, but through the conceptual noun of “Sinner.”
(1) Gospelcenteredness. You must daily live inside, and through, the full storied drama, which began in brokenness, and still has too much real-time evidence to practically ignore or whitewash. This practically means living with the complete conceptual scope, and entire historic lens, as your true vision for interpreting life. The “Sinner” is very much part of our story. And faithful future living amounts to appropriately engaging. When you lose full recognition of your absolute need, you very easily become detached from that ultimate reality. This then too easily mistranslates into your present, which means you become numbed into existential forgetfulness. This “Sinner” language smacks us in the face, because it takes us back to our, In the Beginning. When something is in our past, we too easily leave it behind. And while it is not our present-to-future in the Identity-sense, the Gospel still compels us to make peace with our need, and only as we deal, do we condense the important detail into the full expressive package of God’s saving grace. In fact, when the Identity translation becomes settled, repentance becomes a celebration of what God has done, which means you gain the freedom of confession, as you don’t need that hard-fought-for reputation.
(2) It is true as far as it relates to you, and what you do. To better grasp what this means, this “Sinner” term would be a Christian’s forever-future Identity without divine intervention. We need to internally hang-out with this conceptual location for longer than a passing recollection. When you grasp the extent of your need, which still remains, because you are never saving yourself, you can not help but be righteously moved, because of the Gift, and toward the Giver. Implicit or explicit failure to recognise this reality tends to result in various forms of self-absorption, which become covert ways of attaining temporal salvation. Therefore, a Christian can truly, and should faithfully say, “A Sinner is who I am in my flesh. This would be my Identity, without the mercy and grace of God!” This can overwhelming abase any human effort to look good on the outside, as all your righteous deeds are subject to the same corruption of your flesh. Left to our own devices, we ruin everything with our stain.
(3) Perfected glorification is a future state. While life’s future experience will prove beyond this temporal moment, if you are presently reading, you must still presently live out of the complete evidence of that finished work, which declares this assured future glory, like it has already been done. Completed. It really does. What could this mean? This is proof-positive of the limitless redemptive sufficiency of the Cross, the complete efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice, and the gonna happen lock-it-in, Eddie, of this future period unfolding. Nothing in this life can, and will, stop the assuredness of its future effect. However, while living in the now, you should still faithfully use language that recognises and reflects the complete journey. Another both/and. On that future day, when our practice becomes entirely locational with our position, there will be no existential separation, and so nuance can be entirely shelved for this fully realised superlative.
These final lines can further highlight the tension between the already and not yet; between what has been, and what is still to finally arrive. Therefore, while you can still faithfully use this “Sinner” language, you should be clear on what it means, and how it applies, as the Christian only has one Identity – in Christ.
Until you are, it is a good idea to choose your words carefully, and speak with clarity.
As we near series closing time, it is encouraging to now understand the very good reason why Paul began a good deal of his letters with the noun, Saint, affirmed through this series as a Christian’s forever Christ-earned-and-gifted Identity and title (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:4).
It is who you are, if you are, in Christ!
We are… Saints by His calling! And not because of our doing. Therefore, you can rest in His declarative confirmation.
Nothing can change that fact. Not even your sin. Otherwise Christ’s sacrifice would be limited by something you could do. God doesn’t pick His children just to be surprised that they’re actually really that broken. Unlike you and me, He doesn’t throw His hands in the air, exclaiming, “What am I going to do with you?!” He already has you sorted, because He has already sorted the solution. He knows your weakness, and every time you would still fall short of His glory, but loves you, and saves you still.
That doesn’t make you lovely. It makes Christ’s sacrificial expression of love the most redemptively powerful act that ever could! Being God means He already understood your need, while being in a position to do something about it, and always being in the position of, “I told you so! I have forever got you covered!”
He has because He did!
Soli Deo Gloria!
For the Fame of His Name