Saint or Sinner?

Can you be both?

“Saints”…the biblical name given to represent the best view of humanity.

We have all been made in the image of the Creator. But not all have been redeemed and made new in the image of the Son. That is where the title saint finds its origin.

The name sinner is given to describe the worst of humanity, which is all of us because we are all born with a sin nature. In the Bible, the title is given especially to those who have chosen to remain that way. We are all given the invitation to leave that identity behind. Just check your imail (i=internal).

Sin is appealing and acted upon by the discretion of the beholder. A Saint is made a saint and lives according to that new nature because he/she has been given a new desire to live in a new way. He does not live perfectly but persistently. She becomes skilled in humility and is in touch with the right spirit within her as if it were a personal trainer in righteousness. This is the effect of the born-again experience.

Shakespeare was correct in saying,

“a rose is a rose is a rose, and by any other name it would smell as sweet.”

The reality is though, that the name rose represents its fragrance, which is the essence of what it is. Its beauty is secondary. However, the beauty of the rose is so appealing that we want to get close enough to smell it.

The name sinner has no appeal. If we say I am both a sinner and a saint, it is like saying a rose is both a rose and a skunkweed.

Skunkweed

Names matter to God; they tell stories of what is on the inside. The many names of God describe His nature. The name of Jesus/Yeshua is above every name, the name ‘Saint” is given to those who have received His nature because He has saved them from their sin, not because they have become perfect.

God lives according to His nature. We should live according to ours. To say I am a sinner is surrender to the nature that has been crucified. To say I am a saint does not mean that I no longer sin. It means that I am more than a conqueror because I have a new nature and a new determination to live accordingly.

It is time to take off the old and put on the new. If you haven’t already done so–this is your time. The world needs more roses and less skunkweed. Pretty soon we will see these remarkable flowers in full bloom. Then it will be time to stop and smell the roses. Until then let’s sink our roots down deeper and anticipate a colorful and fragrant harvest.

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Richard Over

    Thank you Paul for that wonderful truth!
    May we grow to become more like Jesus and love his bride more and more.

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