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NASB | Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 3:23 since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, |
Subject: Are christians sinners or not? |
Bible Note: Dear retxar, It is a good thing that I need not preach John Reformed, but Christ and Him crucified. Many of my friends and family are well aware of the changes that my conversion has wrought in my life. They also know that I am not perfect. I am not always kind and loving, but lapse into selfishness and am irritablility as well. For me to tell them that I am sinless (which claiming that I am not a sinner would infer) would not further the Kingdom of God which is the commission that we have been given. What I have been trying to get across on this point is that our testimony should be focused on Jesus and their desperate need of Him. I can't promise them that they will not sin after they are saved. Neither can I promise them health, wealth and happiness. What I can offer is pardon for all their sins; peace with God and eternal life. I believe that we are messengers sent by God to proclaim the gospel of Christ. The message is that without Christ they will die in their sin and be lost for all eternity. But if they believe they will be saved. This is the all I can do. Salvation itself is the province of the Holy Spirit. He must open blind eyes and unplug deaf ears. It is not the messenger that makes the difference but the saving power of the gospel. The gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing but the power of God for those who are being saved. I wonder if we truly understand. 2 Cor 4:3 "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing," I also believe that we are ambassadors of Christ, and as such we have a resposibility to represent Him by desiring to be as much like Him as we can. Therefore we pray, beseeching Him to forgive us our sins and to mold us into a closer resemblence of our Lord. The robes of righteousness provided by our King, and not our filthy rags, are what we should clothe ourselves with. Especially when we are acting in our capacity as evangelists to a lost world. John |