The bible says nothing about "sinners saved by grace" as a class of sinners separated from other sinners or "lost sinners." Not being saved has everything to do with being in bondage to sin, so salvation has everything to do with being set free from sin and doing righteousness. And the one who does righteousness is righteous (1 John 3:7).
Jesus is the truth who came down from heaven to save sinners (Romans 5:6-8) and set them free to serve God, no longer serve sin! What Jesus addresses in salvation is bondage to sin first of all. That is, the fact of being taken captive by the devil to obey one's evil desires in agreement with him (the devil), and so to do his will (sin) rather than the will of God. There is a release from that bondage because of Jesus’ sacrifice. It comes through the knowledge of the truth (John 14:6; John 8:31-36; 1 Timothy 2:4). Then Jesus enables those He has so redeemed or made free from sin to progress to perfection (maturity), helped by his grace through the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2) so as to be like Him in the end.
1 John 1:6-7
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Note that 1 John 1:8 that comes right after the above passage can never be used as an excuse to sin, or to say that unless someone admits to be sinning all the time that person is a liar by claiming to be perfect like Jesus. It reads: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." The next verse from that, 1 John 1:9, reaffirms that cleansing from all sin is found in Christ: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And the last verse of the chapter, verse 10, further clarifies 1 John 1:8: "If we say that we have not sinned (never sinned), we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." The apostle then exhorts believers to not sin in 1 John 2:1-2: "My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world." Finally, consider well the understanding of the apostle John about sin when he writes later in 1 John 5:18, "We know that whosoever is born of God does not sin; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one doesn't touch him."
Proverbs 28:13
He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whosoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.
Mistakes in judgment happen, thoughts must be guarded, attitudes must be checked, especially with pride that is a blinding agent masking one's flaws and abundant need of God's grace to be transformed according to his will. But these things are not one and the same in the Bible as issues of willful sin that should end once salvation in Jesus (freedom from sin) comes. Willful sin proceeds out of a rebellious, uncircumcised heart that has not been reconciled to God through brokenness in repentance (Psalm 51:17; Psalm 34:18; Luke 18:13). In terms of identity (who one is), things that do not pertain to willful sins of the flesh do not threaten believers’ standing with God as righteous and make them regarded as "sinners" or "workers of iniquity." Of course they need forgiveness once they realize how they have missed the mark and not truly represented Jesus in their action or way of thinking. But there is a clear difference between a rebel who does not care about God's ways and a saint (righteous person) who has stumbled in a way. The Bible says that that person will receive correction (Hebrews 12:3-11), get back up, and press on as a servant of God (Proverbs 24:16). That person will be on his/her guard to not stumble in the same manner ever again, empowered by God's grace.
Being righteous and doing righteousness is not about being perfect as Jesus (or there would not be a need for instruction and exhortations for believers), but it’s about putting on Christ (Galatians 3:27) and having severed ties with former ways as the "old man" is crucified, that is, put to death (Romans 6:6). Standing as righteous is a testimony that someone has been made right with God through repentance and faith in Jesus (Acts 20:20-21; Acts 26:19-20). And by God's grace (Titus 2:11-14) that person has been empowered to walk in his ways of righteousness and holiness as a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10). Sinning willfully after coming to the knowledge of the truth (Jesus) is an insult to the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:26-29).
Remark also that "There is no one righteous; no, not one" (Romans 3:10) is not talking about born again believers comprising the body of Christ. It only suffices to read the verse in its context (e.g. Romans 3:10-18) to realize who it is talking about. That passage describes sinners doing all things contrary to how a Christian (follower of Jesus) is instructed to walk in the light by the grace of God.
Be on your guard, many false prophets / false teachers / false ministers of God / wolves in sheep's clothing have been preaching lies for hundreds of years (1 John 4:1; 2 Peter 2:1; Matthew 24:11). Remember in Elijah's time the ratio was 850 to 1 (1 Kings 18:19)! Imagine today. Know who you are or who you are supposed to be in Christ if you have been saved by grace through faith.
Also, being righteous is again about doing righteousness (1 John 3:7; Ezekiel 18:20-32), not being "self-righteous." So, if no one is doing righteousness, of course we can say, "we are all sinners," too. And that would mean no one got the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. But thankfully that is not the case!
1 John 2:29
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone that does righteousness is born of Him.
The Gospel is preached to call all to repent and be made right with God and be accounted by Him as righteous. Now do we have repentance right? Do we have faith right? Let's make sure we are walking on the narrow/constricted road to eternal life that Jesus said few will find (Matthew 7:14). He said, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in and will not be able" (Luke 13:24).
Peter understood that when he asked:
1 Peter 4:1
If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Jesus is coming back for his servants, the righteous, not the sinners. He came for sinners the first time, to call them to repentance and save them from sin. So, a sinner who has been saved by grace is really an ex-sinner, an ex-evil doer, an ex-worker of iniquity, an ex-enemy of God. These things are synonymous! God does not call his servants sinners, evil doers, workers of iniquity, enemies. A saved person is called righteous by God because of Jesus' atoning sacrifice.
Matthew 13:41-43
41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
May Jesus bless you!
See also:
Are we are all sinners?
Are You an Ex-Sinner Calling yourself a Sinner?
Saints or Sinners?
Struggle with sin and double-mindedness
Sinners don't have a sinful nature but evil desires they act upon
False Prophets Today
If I Say I have No Sin! WHO is the Liar?
Salvation From Sin
Call to Repentance
The Goal of Repentance
No comments:
Post a Comment