Just a Sinner Saved by Grace?

I read a lot of books, fiction and non-fiction where Christians use the phrase, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace!” It causes me to cringe because, how can someone be a sinner and a Christian?

I get the sentiment behind it. Especially as we witness, letting people know that we too had to recognized that we were sinners in need of a Savior. But once the Blood of Jesus is applied, the sinner becomes redeemed. And the word of God tells us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy” Psalm 107:2 -NKJV

So I am a Christian, a believer, a saint, a child of God because I am redeemed and that’s what I should say. A sinner, on the other hand, is still being controlled by the enemy. I like how Paul refers to the way I used to be: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3 – NKJV

Paul said we were once like that, not that we were still like that and always would be. Paul said “we were dead in our trespasses and sin” and therefore we could rightly be referred to as sinners. Christians, however, have been made alive in Christ!  Therefore, to continue to identify as a sinner, is in essence saying the Blood wasn’t enough to truly change you. Either “old things have passed away and all things have become new” or they have not. And if they have not, then you are still yet a sinner. And if you are still yet a sinner, than you have not been saved by grace.

Christians, are called a lot of things in the word of God: saints, believers, redeemed, child of God..but not sinners. As a a matter of truth, we have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness (sinners land so to speak) and into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Jesus came to set us free from the power of sin. Sinners practice sin. And although we as believers may sin, we should not be practicing sin on a level that makes us sinners.

So I just finally wanted to get it off my chest that I think it’s a trick of the devil to have those whom God have redeemed and called by His name because we are His, continue to call themselves sinners. I’m just saying!! Wonderful Jesus!