Sinless

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.  Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more,  Death no longer has dominion  over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.  You also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to  sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6-11 NKJV

There's an old saying we often use to describe our current life with Jesus.  That saying is that we are simply "Sinners saved by grace."  Granted, it is through the love and grace of our heavenly Father that He in fact sent His Son to become sin for us, but I believe that we do a disservice to Jesus by claiming that we are indeed yet still sinners.  For if this were still true, would it not invalidate the finished work of Christ on the cross?  Did not Jesus give His life to take on our sins so that we might be forgiven our iniquities?  How then can we then say that, after all that He went through on our behalf, that we still carry that sin label?  To make such a claim lays waste to all Jesus accomplished at the cross.  Instead, can we agree that we today are not simply sinners saved by grace, but a brand new creation in Christ?  Of course, this might fly in the face of some modern church teachings.  In Romans 6, the apostle Paul makes  his case as to just what our identity is now.  It is through the finished work of Christ "That our old man was crucifed with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with."  Notice that Pauls mention of sin in these passages proclaims our sin as "Dead."

What shall we say then?  Shall we continue to sin that grace may abounnd?  Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Romans 6: 1-2 NKJV

I  challange any pulpit pounder to read Romans 6: 1-2 to me and then tell me that I yet remain a sinner saved by grace!  For if we have died with Christ, and Jesus became sin in our place on that cross, how are we yet still sinners?  Excuse me, Mr. Jesus, but thank you for bearing my sins that I should be white as snow, but I believe I'm still a sinner!  Tell me, what is that saying about the sacrafice of Jesus?  If we are indeed sinners saved by grace, then the suffering and death of our Lord was in vain.  However, we today may stand steadfast in our proclaiming that our sins no longer define us!

"I have been crucified with Christ; It  is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

Now, if we needed any more convincing of our status in Jesus, Paul goes on in Galations 2:20 to reveal what is  our true identity.  Paul does not take this opportunity in Galations to hammer home the point that we are sinners saved by grace.  No, he reveals that instead of being yet lost in our own sins, we now enjoy sharing our very lives with Jesus.  Our sins are washed away, and what remains is a new creation born of the death of Christ.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

If indeed we are in Christ Jesus, those old things, those old sins have passed away, they're DEAD!  That's exactly what the words "Passed away" mean...the old things have passed away.   What's left is our brand new creation of Christ Jesus within us, THAT is what now defines us.

~Scott~