We, as Christians, are supposed to be known, among other things, for speaking the truth. The truth is that even though we are Christians, we still sin. There is nothing wrong with admitting we are sinners. If we say that we are not sinners, then we are lying.

1 John 1:8, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

But, our primary identification should be as Christians – not sinners. We are Christians who fail. We are Christians who still sin. We are Christians who trust in Christ but are not perfect. We are Christians who love the Lord God even with our struggles. In each and every admission, we are declaring our insufficiency and our need for Christ. This brings glory to God and reminds us not only of our frailty and failures but also of our dependence and trust in Christ.

However, the fact is that we struggle. Paul the apostle wrote about his own fight against his sin. See Romans 7:14-25 for a description of his struggle. You’ll note that he does not identify himself as a sinner but as a Christian – as a follower of Christ (2 Cor. 5:17; 10:7). Within us are a conflict of two natures, saint and sinner. It is a reality that we cannot ignore and should not deny.

Still, though we might admit we are sinners, we should not identify ourselves as such. We should do what the Scripture says…

• Colossians 3:2-3, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
• Philippians 3:20-21, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”