Believers Are Still Sinners

Believers Are Still Sinners

If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!

Galatians 2:17

How can those who are justified in Christ not be sinners and yet be sinners at the same time? For the Scripture asserts both conditions about the person who is justified. John writes in 1 John 1:8, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” He also writes in 1 John 5:18, “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin.” He says the same in 1 John 3:9, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning.” In other words, John is saying that believers don’t sin. But if they were to claim they had no sin, they would be lying.

We can see a similar difficulty in the book of Job. God, who cannot lie, says Job is a man of integrity in Job 1:8. Yet Job confesses later in Job 9:20 and other passages that he is a sinner. In Job 7:21 he says, “Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins?”Job must be telling the truth, because if he were lying to God, God wouldn’t call him a righteous person. So Job is at the same time righteous and sinful.

If we look at faith, God’s laws are fulfilled, sin is destroyed, and no law is left. But if we look at our sinful nature, there is nothing good. Therefore, we must always remember that all of us who are righteous through faith are still sinners.