Living as Saints: Embracing Our True Identity in Christ

Don't ever, ever, ever call yourself a sinner saved by grace. Don't call another Christian a sinner saved by grace. It's the worst thing you can call a Christian. It may be accurate, but it's a terrible thing to call a Christian. You can say you were a sinner and you've been saved by grace. I'm a former sinner saved by grace. But if you talk about yourself as a sinner saved by grace, you'll expect to sin. Won't you? You'll think of yourself first as a sinner, second as saved. But the Bible never calls me a sinner. The Bible calls me a saint. [00:29:36] (45 seconds)

When a bad thought comes your way, rebuke it, we're told. You haven't sinned yet. When you put it on like a coat and wear it and model it in the mirror now, now you're playing. That's sin. It's the difference between thinking and pondering. Don't go in that route. [00:46:05] (19 seconds)

If anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father, Jesus Christ, the one who is fully righteous. An advocate, a lawyer, someone who can explain our situation to the Father. And that explaining is not like an earthly lawyer who's going to find a loophole and he's going to find some reason that you can be excused from your error. He's the one who's going to advocate and say, all right, just checking it out, already paid in full. This one's been taken care of. That is our advocate. He paid it. We don't have to. The sentence has been served. [00:57:29] (37 seconds)

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be right with God through Christ. If he had had sin, if Christ had committed one sin, he would have had to pay for his own. But because he was sinless, because he never sinned, he could take all our sin on himself. And from that, trade it with us for his righteousness. [00:58:52] (36 seconds)

We are told in 1 John 1, 9, the verse we looked at, if we are faithful, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. And what's the word? Clash. cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He's going to take the stink off. He's going to wash whiter than snow. He's going to make us clean before the Lord, okay? Cleanses us from all wickedness. [01:00:49] (21 seconds)

Those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. We love God, so we obey God. It's not we obey God because we fear God. We don't obey God because we have to. We get to. [01:08:57] (22 seconds)

``Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. That's the takeaway for all of this, okay? All the stuff we said about sin, we don't need to sin. Jesus doesn't sin. We shouldn't sin. Jesus told the woman, go and sin no more. Not this sin, any sin, all right? So we can go for as long as we choose not to sin. That's how long you can go. It's not a matter of holding your breath. You can go for as long as you decide not to sin. [01:11:13] (35 seconds)

If you want to walk away from sin in your life, if you want to be immediately associated with a faithful Christian, if you want people to see you and go, you're a Christian? Yeah, that tracks. As opposed to, you're a Christian? No. Come on. Really? Oh my goodness. That would be like the worst thing anyone could ever say to me. I had no idea you were a Christian. I would be devastated. They should know what you are and who you are. Even if they don't know it for fact, they should not be surprised by it because of the way you behave. If the mind of Christ is the mind you hold, people should go, oh, well, yeah, that makes sense. That should be the first go-to they have. So, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. [01:14:34] (51 seconds)