Are You a Sinner?


What is sin? Sin is the transgression of the law. Sin is breaking God’s commandments:

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4

Has everyone sinned? Yes:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

Is everyone a sinner? No! Please ponder the following.

Christians are born of God:

“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” 1 John 5:1

Those who are born of God do not sin:

“We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” 1 John 5:18

and

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9

Looking at this from another view…

Christians are in Christ; they abide in Christ:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” John 15:4

and

“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:6

And those who abide in Christ don’t sin:

“Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” 1 John 3:6.

Also note that from the above scripture (1 John 3:6), sinners have not seen Jesus nor have known Jesus.

Sinners are definitely not of God:

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8

God differentiates between sinners and the righteous:

“And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 1 Peter 4:18

and

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32

So, true Christians are not sinners.

If a Christian exhibits sinful behavior it’s a mistake; an unwillful sin (please see the section on willful vs. unwillful sin):

“Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” Romans 7:17

In context:

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:19-25

And continuing:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1
 
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:9-12

So, what does a true Christian need to do? A true Christian is obligated to not sin willfully:

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:13

and

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:16-18