How can a person be a Christian and a sinner at the same time?

Question

That seems like a contradiction to me. After all, when we come to Christ doesn't He forgive us and cleanse us of all our sins?

Answer 1

Yes, God does forgive us and cleanse us of all our sins when we trust Christ and commit our lives to Him. Some of the most reassuring words in all the Bible are these: "The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

But we still have the capacity to sin—and the reason is because we are still sinners! You see, in the Bible there is a difference between "sin" and "sins." "Sins" are those things we do that are wrong—evil actions, wrong thoughts or motives, harsh or unkind words, even failing to do something we should have done (such as loving others). When we sin, we should confess it immediately and ask God for forgiveness.

But "sin" is something deeper. Sin is like a disease—a spiritual disease that resides deep within us all. And as long as we live, this disease of sin will still be part of us. Only in heaven will it be killed, and we will become like Christ. The Bible says, "But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).

Pause right now and thank God for forgiving you of all your sins. Thank Him too that He now lives within you by His Holy Spirit, and that each day He will help you overcome your old sinful nature as you submit your life to His control. Most of all, thank Him that someday our battle with sin will be over, and we will be with Christ in heaven forever.

Granny<3

Answer 2

It is not a contradiction at all. You can be a christian and still sin once in a while. But at the same time you are to live a life that is pleasing to God to the best of your ability. This does not mean you become perfect and never sin again. However when you do sin you more aware of your mistake which leads to repentance. Someone who continually sins and doesn't care about it or even ponder repentence is not a christian and is a sinner. This is the difference. That the christian does care about the mistake they made and deal with God about it. Those that don't care again are not christians.

Answer 3

your sins are forgiven if you have confessed and repented but we have practiced sin and are susceptible to temptation, we continue to fall and continue to be sanctified- it is a walk, not a one time event. As long as we are continually confessing, repenting and seeking the Lord, truly hating our sin and turning away from it , allowing God to sanctify us and make us holy we are okay- it is when we justify our sin, hold on to it and choose to willingly walk in it even after we have been rebuked and convicted that we have a problem.
He came and offered forgiveness while we were yet sinners- this does not mean we are automatically not sinners- do you still do things that are wrong? do you still have thoughts that are ungodly? do you still make mistakes and need to be forgiven and more importantly need to offer forgiveness? It is a growing and maturing process- the Bible says that those that endure to the end will be saved- there is a goal and end result- he will continue working perfection in us until the day of Christ Jesus- the forgiveness does not make us perfect but makes us desire to move in that direction

Answer 4

How does that saying go? "All fall short of the Glory of God!" In other words, we aren't perfect. It's impossible to go through life without commiting a sin. We sin in our thoughts- "Why on earth is she wearing that tacky outfit?". We sin in our deeds- "It's not my turn to empty the garbage so I'll just leave it here". We sin when we give into what we think are harmless temptations like another slice of cake or just one more chip.

Even though we have been forgiven it's still neccesary for us to confess them. It's the only way to be completely rid of them and remind ourselves of what we're doing worong.

Answer 5

Have you ever read the story in the bible about the Passover? The angel of dead passed over all the houses in Egypt which had blood of a lamb on the door post. Well it is the same with us, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are covered by His blood, because He is the Lamb of God who was the ultimate sacrifice for all sin. Therefore on the Day of Judgment the angel of death will Passover all those who are covered in the blood of Christ. Those who are not covered will be cast into hell. †

Answer 6

According to Christianity, EVERYONE is a sinner. A single envious thought you may have - is a sin. You sin every day. Christianity encourages you to acknowledge these sins and do your best to not make them. One can never be sin-free.

Answer 7

everyone sins. humans are sinners by birth. and jesus saves us from eternal damnation when we die by him dying on the cross for our sins (past and future). you're only "saved" when you reach heaven. anytime before that, you're still a sinner. you should know that as a christian.

to be a christian is to be christian-like. doesn't mean you're perfect or that you can attain perfection. we all strive to be "less" sinful as our faith grows more as a christian. that's all. doesn't mean you're sin-free or perfect just because you've accepted jesus christ as your savior.

Answer 8

How can you do something so vile or misleading and be forgiven for it afterwards this is not a easy situation,hopefully in the end you can learn the error of your ways and not to commit the same sin twice.

Answer 9

To be both a sinner and a Christian isn't that hard. It requires two things - 1. Be a Christian. and 2. Be a human.

Answer 10

God sets us free from our sins at the moment He enters our life. If we choose to listen to a lie and go back to our sins, it is our fault. I think God allows us to fall into temptation to test our faith and to make us realize that we are totally dependant upon Him and His grace to live a life that is pleasing unto Him.

We may sin from time to time, but we are no longer slaves unto that sin. We feel guilty about it and we pray that God will deliver us from it. But I fear that too many Christians have made peace with their sin and even embrace it.