A Question/complaint from my friend – “Why do you call people sinners? I am not a sinner.”

“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, removed from sins, might live for righteousness. “By His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) TLV

One of my friends who live in my neighborhood complained to me recently and said, “why do you call people sinners?” Then He said by looking at me, “I am not a sinner.” I know there are people who live this way. However, all people are sinners is not my invention or estimation or other Christian’s. It is a universal fact. Bible, the authoritative Word of God, declares all are sinners, and no one is righteous doing the right things continually all the time. (Refer Romans 3:10-18, 1 John 1:8-10). If you are still in doubt, please sit in front of the Television and watch the daily news or surf through the internet. It would not take much time to recognize the fact people are in essence sinners. From babies to old- they all commit sins. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:22-23). The religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Muslim also agree to the truth of sin in people and that is the reason why people go to take a bath in some sacred rivers to wash away their sins, visit holy places and do extras dozes of karma to get saved or wash away their sins and their forefather’s sins. However, the simple truth is – washing in sacred rivers, visiting holy places and doing heavy loads of karma won’t get you saved from our sins.

I do not know how my neighborhood friend can claim he is not a sinner. I asked him did you ever lie? Did you ever look at the opposite sex with lustful eyes? Did you ever call another person dirty names? Did you even entertain unclean thoughts in your mind? Did you ever disrespect your parents by words or actions? Did you ever defraud government? Did you cheat another person in your thoughts or actions? What do you do when you are alone? Did you ever covet what belong to others? My neighborhood friend just walked away and said I never did such things. However, he did not stay with me for more conversation.

Dear friend, humankind is called ‘sinners’ because they do sin in one way or another. You may go for a little period in your holly attire and adornments. However, no one in themselves can live in this world without hurting others and God intentionally or unintentionally. The hurt one cause may have different proportions- some are small, and some are big. However, we all fail as long as we live here on this planet earth in this earthly sin-bound body. People in themselves cannot overcome sin. The biggest problem of humankind is nothing other than sin.

However, there is the silver lining in the middle of bad news. Our sin is not the end of it all. In short, you do not need to live under the control and power of sin for the rest of your lives. You do not need to be a slave to it. You can come out of it’s power and control and start living righteously with divine enablement.

Bible says in 1 Peter 2:24, “Christ Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree (cross), so that we, removed from sins, might live for righteousness. By His (Christ’s) wounds you were healed.” (TLV)Oh, what a soothing, convincing and convicting Word of God. Reread it. This is the essence of the Gospel, the good news, people all over the world, need to hear.

Enjoy listening to the good news. Christ Jesus bore our sins in His Body on the cross. Christ put your sins in his body on the cross. He went to the cross with your sins on his body to die in your place to fully pay for all of your sins. When you come to Christ and His cross and gaze the wonder of it and acknowledge Him and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, you are removed from those sins that bound you for a long time. You have died to those sins that haunted you. You are separated/removed from those sins with the divine power of the blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Your sins are separated from you as far as the East from the west. God separates your sins and caste it down the depth of the ocean so that it will never come back to the surface. From that time onwards, God gives you a new life. You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God to guide you. You have the double-edged sword-the Word of God (the Bible), and the power of prayer in the name of Jesus Christ as divine resources and these give you the ability and power to avoid sins on a daily basis. Sin eventually loses its power on you. You are going to sin less and less, and you are progressively being sanctified, purified and transformed by the Holy Spirit and by the Word of God. You would start living for God and His purposes. Moreover, one day you will be taken to heaven to God’s presence. You would be removed not only from the power of sin but also from the presence of sin forever and ever.

Meanwhile, are we talking about a 100 percent sin-free life here on this earth? Not, not at all. However, you are not the same person anymore. You are a new creation created by the power of God with divine resources at your disposal that others won’t have. Your craving for sin is going to diminish and your desire to please God and live for God in righteousness multiplies.

Got a moment for today’s prayer? “Father in heaven, I come to you in prayer. I want forgiveness and freedom from my sins. I know your Son Jesus Christ and the cross you built can receive the toughest stains of my life and wash it away. I trust on the blood of Christ, and I ask Jesus Christ to come to my life. Please make me a new creation from today with your divine resources. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”