“Nobody is Holy o, only God knows who is righteous”.
“Everyone is still a sinner, yes some are saved but we are still sinners at the end of the day”
These are common statements among believers and unbelievers alike. Perhaps some say it as a sincere statement of humility or acknowledgement of God’s Holiness still, it doesn’t make this wrong statement right. It is important to examine the phrases you use or regularly hear because words influence your mindset.
Right believing produces right living.
Joseph Prince
So let’s examine these statements biblically and see how true they are.
There are two categories of people in the world, the saints (the holy) and the sinner (the unholy). If you are not a sinner, then you are a saint.
So who is a sinner?
Anyone born into this world is a sinner. It is hereditary, as a result of the fallen state of man because of Adam. Because of Adam’s fall, every man became a sinner by birth, full of evil and void of righteousness.
Romans 5:21 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned…..
Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…..
Important to Note: Every verse in the scriptures has a context; you have to read the surrounding verses to fully understand what message the writer was trying to pass across if not you will come to the wrong conclusions. You have to read a verse in context if not the verse loses its meaning.
So yes every man was a sinner because of the fallen nature of man but when you read the continuation of all these verses, you see that God has made a provision for every man to become righteous by believing in Christ.
Romans 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Romans 3:24 ….and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
(I have a podcast episode where I explain this in detail: click here).
Every believer is a righteous man and every righteous man is a saint which means every believer is a saint.
A saint is anyone who has been sanctified, made Holy because of the new nature he has received in Christ.
Think about this for a moment, how can the Holy Spirit dwell in sinners? How can the holy God dwell in a defiled temple? Impossible, right?
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Think about this for a moment, how can the Holy Spirit dwell in sinners? How can a holy God dwell in a defiled temple? Impossible, right? If you say believers are still sinners then you are indirectly saying that God can dwell in sin which is unholiness and that is contrary to God.
Holiness and sin cannot cohabit. When you read the old testament, there were specific and strict instructions the Israelites had to obey before the presence of God could manifest, especially the ark of God, the Temple of God and the Holies of Holies. These were the main symbols of Holiness.
If God was to ever dwell in man, he had to first make him Holy and that is exactly what he did. He made man Holy through Christ’ sacrifice. Anyone who believes and accepts Christ is made Holy. This is the only way God could dwell in man.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the house of God and that the Spirit of God lives among you in his house? 17 If anyone defiles and spoils God’s home, God will destroy him. For God’s home is holy and clean, and you are that home.
Ephesians 4:24 Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature.
1 peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you have been chosen by God himself—you are priests of the King, you are holy and pure, you are God’s very own—all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Romans 6:22….But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life.
You are Holy. This the reality of who you are. Despite your natural acts, good or bad, your holiness status is always intact because your sinful nature has died with Christ on the cross.
You can only live a holy life when you know you have been made Holy.
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You can only live a holy life when you know you have been made Holy.
When you study the letters of Apostle Paul he does something worthy of emulation. Whenever he addressed the believers, especially churches he wanted to correct for wrong acts, he called them “saints”. He did this to remind them of their saved nature and how they ought to live holy lives because they were already made Holy.
Peter also explains this concept in 1st peter. He explains how God our Father is Holy hence we as his children must be holy because that is who our Father is. He reinforces this statement again in the second chapter.
When you go about your daily life conscious of your Holiness and righteousness in Christ, it is hard to live in sin. When sin comes knocking you remind it that you are already made Holy and you can now live above sin and you will.
A shift has occurred. Anyone who believes in Christ is no longer a sinner, he is now righteous and he is a saint. So when Satan tries to tempt you with sin, you remind him of your nature. You remind him of who you are in Christ.
I am Saint Oluwatoyin (insert your name instead of mine), righteous in Christ, Holy even as her Father is Holy. That’s right.
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I am Saint Oluwatoyin (insert your name instead of mine), righteous in Christ, Holy even as her Father is Holy. That’s right.
It is essential to always remember that basis for being a sinner or saint is not what you do or don’t do; it stems from who you are. If you are in Christ, you are a saint, and so you live like one.
It is possible to live a holy life void of sin because that is who you are. You have God living on your inside, and you as his temple cannot be filthy hence your Holiness. As he is so are you and so you in this world. Glorrayyyyy!
You can read more about your Holiness and sanctification here.
I share with you because I care, so please share this with someone you care about.
Love always, Oluwatoyin.
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The Union 