In 1 Cor 1:2 the Apostle Paul is writing to the Church of God, to those that are sanctified (set apart or separated unto God by being born again), and called to be saints. If you are a born again child of God, then you are called to be saints (you might have to look in a King James or New King James bible to see the correct word "saint" used in verse 2. The newer translations use words like holy (NIV) or his own holy people (NLT) instead of saint, choosing rather to describe the saint instead of calling him a saint.) Men get a little tense with that word because they think the title "saint" is reserved for someone special, so they disqualify themselves and use another word to identify themselves. But God wants you to know today, that because you are His child, you are someone special and the title of "saint" fits you perfectly, so I want you to understand right now at the beginning, that you have been called to be a saint.
Now if you are already feeling uncomfortable thinking of yourself as a saint, then this message is surely for you. May I suggest you take authority over the religious spirits that are coming against you with lies to keep you from this truth. If you are hearing in your ear, "you're just an old sinner saved by grace," you are being lied to and it's time for you to kick the devil out of your life and be the man/woman God has called you to be. What you are about to learn from the Holy Spirit concerning this subject will empower your walk as a Christian and enable you to walk at a level of faith that overflows with boldness and courage because you will see yourself as God sees you, called to be a saint.
Why does the child of God (the born again one) call himself a sinner when in fact he has been redeemed from sin and been made the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21) ? Why would he still call himself a sinner, one who must sin each and every day? Because he has been taught a man made doctrine instead of the Truth of God for Jesus said in Matt 15:6, "you have made the commandment (the Word) of God of no effect by your tradition." This man who calls himself a sinner (saved by grace) is listening to the wrong voice. The enemy of his soul (and of God), the devil, calls him a sinner and this child of God agrees with him.
But God, his Heavenly Father, calls him "saint" ( Greek word for saint is hagios---hag'-ee-os which means sacred, pure, blameless, consecrated (to set apart as sacred, to dedicate to God, devote), most holy one, saint). How could God call His child a saint when He found him in the pig- pen (the World)? One reason, and one reason only, "the Blood of Jesus". If you discount or disregard the Blood of Jesus, then you'll buy into the lie of the devil and you'll call yourself what the devil is calling you, "a sinner".
When a man receives Jesus as his Savior, the Blood of Jesus does away with his sin, totally obliterates it, and this man is now free from the sin that condemned him. He is born again, a brand new creature, pure and holy before God, made righteous which gives him every right to stand before God his Father with full access to the Kingdom of God, all because of the Blood of Jesus that was shed at the whipping post and on the Cross for him. Jesus paid an enormous price for this man, and God the Father now calls this man "saint", and how dare this man disagree with God by calling himself just an old sinner saved by grace.
I've got news for you, there are no sinners in Heaven. If you agree with the devil and call yourself a sinner and truly believe that, then Heaven is not your home and you will not reside there. Why would a born again child of God call himself a sinner? Because he has lost sight of God, being distracted by this world, and sees himself back at the pig-pen God delivered him from. So the devil convinces the man that he is a sinner, but it's a lie coming from the father of lies.
This man is not a sinner, but a saint that has sinned (this is a huge difference in mind set and if you will change your mind and call yourself what God calls you, you'll walk above sin and be victorious over it). All this man must do is be a doer of the Word of God and do 1 John 1:9 which says, " if (this is the condition set forth by God for His children) if we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness". As soon as the saint that sinned does the Word, he is forgiven and put back in his rightful place before God, pure and holy, a saint.
Once the child of God learns God's way for him concerning sin, then the devil comes and says, "you're no saint, for you sin each and every day and you aren't even conscious of your sin, you dirty old thing you and you are a sinner." And because this man, the saint, does not know the word (or doesn't agree with it if he does know it), he agrees with the devil and calls himself a sinner just saved by grace.
Here's the deal. You are either a sinner or you are saved by grace (a saint). You can't be both. You can't be a Christian schizophrenic. Saints are bound for heaven. Sinners are bound for Hell.
Why does this man call himself a sinner? Because he thinks he is being humble before the Lord God. But actually, he is being ignorant and foolish before his God for the Word of God clearly states in 1 John 1:7, " IF (condition) we walk in the light as He (Jesus) is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin". All means all. Known sin as well as unknown sins.
Why does the born again child of God call himself a sinner? (Are you getting tired of this question? If you are then maybe you'll feel what God thinks about it. He's tired of it to!). Because he identifies himself with the wrong man. Man is a three part being. Spirit, soul, and body
( 1 Thess 5:23). The real you is your spirit man, not your flesh body. The real you is the man on the inside, not the outside. Instead of identifying yourself according to your spirit man on the inside that was born again, you rather identify yourself by the house your new spirit lives in, called your body. Your body was not born again, it's as ugly as ever and it wants to do ugly things (sin) because it's been trained that way. It's good at it and it doesn't want to change. But your new spirit filled with the life of God CAN NOT sin, but your body can if you are led by your flesh body instead of your spirit.
If you are born again, you are a saint on the inside. If you let that man (your spirit) direct your steps, then you'll look like on the outside what you are on the inside, a saint. But if you follow your flesh body, then you'll look like a sinner on the outside, but your still a saint on the inside that needs to confess the sin of allowing your body to rule over you instead of your spirit. The sin that truly needs to be confessed in this matter is that you allowed your body to rule and reign over you, under the influence of the enemy of God, the devil, therefore exalting the god of this World over the One True God, the God that owns your spirit man on the inside ( 1 Cor 3:16-17 &
1 Cor 6: 19-20). This is what needs to be confessed by the saint (the child of God) for God said in Ex 20:2, "you shall have NO other God's before Me." You confess exalting another god above Him, and restate your allegience to the One True Most Holy God, then the Blood of Jesus cleanses you from ALL sin and you are right back in the perfect place with God. (*Note: this may be the most important thing the Holy Spirit has said through me since I started this blog years ago. If you get this and believe it, it will change your Christian life forever!!)
So get this straight. If you are born again, you are not a sinner, you are a saint.A saint that might miss the mark at times, but a saint always, because of the Blood of Jesus. If you will identify yourself as a saint instead of a sinner, you will be bold and strong in the Lord, and walk on the devil's head like you are supposed to while at the same time putting a big smile on your Father's (God) face. Call yourself "saint". See how it fits. You'll grow into it if it seems a bit large for you.
God calls you saint, now, what are you going to call yourself? If you give the wrong answer, go back to the top of this message and begin again until you can say "saint". When that happens, you've stepped over into victory. Just the way God planned it all along.
Be Blessed!!!
