I Am Not a Sinner Saved by Grace

A few years ago I really began to dive into the book of Philippians and found some incredible revelations about God's intention for His Church and those who make it up. I began a sermon series out of the book focused on genuine Christianity. Over the course of about a year I wrote three of the sermons.

Out of Philippians 3.1-14, "Religious or Relational?" Asking the question of what is the point of our faith? From Philippians 1.27-2.11, "Savior or Lord?" Focusing on who is Jesus to you, just a Savior or the Lord of your life? Then from Philippians 4.4-13, "Hand or Face?" Exploring what we seek from God, His blessings or Him?

In January of 2011 I had the chance to travel to Greece and Turkey, visiting the ruins of many of the cities where Paul visited and wrote letters to the Churches there. One of them was Philippi, and as part of the class I had to write an exegesis and sermon on part of the book. I choose a section I hadn't done much work with up to that point, and ended up with the closing message of the series out of Philippians 2.12-18, which focused on bringing it all together and showing what the life of a true follower of Christ, and a God focused Church really looks like.

The one difficulty with that sermon was I had to reference things in a sermon I hadn't written yet, and I still have not written. One of the things that has really stood out to me in chapter 1 of Philippians is the idea of being a Child of God, not simply a sinner who has been saved by grace. But along with this is the difficulty of pulling out the exact verses that capture this concept. And at the same time I haven't had the time, space, or drive to give this sermon the focus that it deserves and needs. But never the less it has been on my mind a lot.

Recently on my other blog I shared from Wild at Heart, how perhaps the biggest lie the Church has spread is that we are nothing more than sinners who have been saved by grace. I don't know how many times I've heard this line, sometimes I think it's from people trying to sound holy and humble, but each time I've heard it I'm like, "NO! You are missing the point. You are so much more than that."

If we are relational people who have surrendered to Jesus as Lord, and seek the face of God, then we are NOT sinners who have been saved by grace. We are so much more than that. We are children of God. I was a sinner, the grace of God saved me, and because of His grace, I am no longer a sinner and have become His child. I am not a sinner saved by grace, I am a child of God. And the same is true for you. You are not a sinner saved by grace, you are a child of God.

Think about what both statements really say. If your claim is that you are nothing more than a sinner saved by grace, what does that say about grace? What does it say about God? To me it says that grace is weak. That all grace can do is save. It doesn't say it can cleanse. It doesn't say it can transform. It doesn't say that God recreates or makes new. It says that in spite of grace, I'm still nothing more than a sinner.

Romans 6.5-7 says, "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin."

The title "sinner" is an identification. By saying "I'm just a sinner saved by grace" says I have not died to sin, I have not been resurrected with Christ. By saying "I'm just a sinner saved by grace" it says I am still a slave to sin because I am just a sinner. But we are more than that. Romans says that we have been united with Christ in His death and His resurrection. It tells us that our old self, our sinful self has been crucified so that our body of sin might be done away with. We are freed from sin, and therefore, no longer sinners.

Romans 8.14-17 tells us, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."

We have received a spirit of adoption as sons. We cry out "Abba! Daddy!" We are children of God. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit says we are not sinners saved by grace, but children of God. And so why do we feel we can call our selves anything less then what we are? Is it an attempt at holy humility? Is it a failed realization of the power of God's grace in our lives? Or is it a cop out for when we fail to live up to Christlikeness?

Philippians 1.3-11, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

He who began a good work in you will perfect it. Children grow and learn, guided by their parents. God began this work, we have been adopted as His children, and He is at work to mold us into Christlikeness. We are partakers of grace in the fact that we have been saved from sin by God, but more than that we have been reborn and given new life as children of God. And as we grow we approve what is excellent so that we can be sincere and blameless, not sinners, but sincere and blameless Christ followers. And on top of all of this, we have been filled with the fruit of righteousness through Christ so that our lives may give glory and praise to God. Sin does none of that, and sinners are incapable of any of that. But children of God embody this because of His grace and the power and resurrection that it brings.

And so I am not a sinner saved by grace. I am a child of God. I have been crucified with Christ. I have died to sin and I have been raised to new life as God's son. Because of God's grace, I am no longer a sinner but His beloved child. My life is filled with the Spirit and empowered to live above sin, displaying the fruit of righteousness. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control are the characteristics opposite of sin (Galatians 5.16-24), and are not evident in the life of a sinner.

We are not saved to be sinners, but children. We are not filled with sinful desires because we have crucified them and been raise to a new life that is filled with the fruit of righteousness. Let's start claiming it, and let's start living like it. We are children of God.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you