No Little Sinner

“If you see yourself as a ‘little sinner’ you will inevitably see Jesus as a ‘little Savior’.”

Martin Luther

I couldnt imagine seeing myself as a little sinner. I would argue with the Apostle Paul that i was indeed the chief of them all. Im certain he would disagree and the debate would continue.

Seeing ourselves as we truly are helps us see who God truly is. I have heard a few pastors claim “sinless perfection”. And it always follows other false doctrines being taught by those particular “pastors”. The sinless perfectionist has no clue who they are in relation to God and have no idea of the real God as explained in scripture.

It was always my understanding since my very early childhood days of church and bible school that people sin, and redeemed people sin also. And sin, small or great, is an all out attack against God and His holiness. God is indeed Holy, and man is most definitely sinful. So its safe to say a little sin is still a great war waged against God.

When we receive salvation by Grace alone through faith alone we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5 17), but we still have an inclination to sin. We are still fallen humans.

As a justified and redeemed people, sin no longer has dominion over us, but as one man once said (I can’t remember who said it though) the body of death floats right behind the new man….So sin is not our master but it follows close and in the same old forms such as anger, bad thoughts, hurtful words, disobedience, doubts, ect. We can’t escape these. Sometimes they may seem minor but they are sin none the less.

If one truly has an understanding of God and the sacrifice made through Jesus Christ on the cross, I can’t see how the term “little sin” could even escape their lips. Was it little stripes Jesus carried on His body? Was it little thorns pressed into His head? Was it a little cross? Little nails? Did He only lose a little blood?

We must recognize that we sin. The terms “Saints” and “Royal Priesthood” doesn’t take away the fact that we sin still. The first epistle of John reads “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1john 1:8). And it goes on to tell us be conscious of our sin and commands us to confess those sins “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1john1:9).

We will all continue to fall short until we are fully sanctified and glorified. We will move away from some sins and fall in others but through the process of sanctification we will grow in righteousness, not becoming sinless, but we will sin less.

In reality there is no such thing as “a little sinner”. One bite of the forbidden fruit plunged all mankind into sin, and brought death into the world to pay its visit to all. So how could we ever think of ourselves as a little sinner? A little sinner is just a great liar.

2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” This is how we can overcome sin that haunts us.

And thankfully, when we do sin, we have the Savior standing for us , 1John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Romans 8:34 “34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

The world is a fallen world, temptation is at every door, around every corner and on every channel. We will fight against our flesh and lose many battles. But in the end the war has already been won. The victor rode in on a donkey, died on a cross, but is alive and reigning forever at the right hand of the Father.

Amen