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A sinner is one who is not born again. One is has not received Jesus Christ into his life as Lord and savior. One who is a citizen of the Kingdom of darkness.
The book of Colossians 1:13 says we who are born again, have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness to another kingdom called the kingdom of God (the kingdom of light).
Anyone who has not yet been delivered from the kingdom of darkness is a national of the kingdom of darkness. Such person is referred to as a sinner.
Just like a citizen of Nigeria is called a Nigerian, so is a citizen of the kingdom of darkness called a sinner. He is not a sinner because he commits sin. No! He is a sinner because he is a citizen of the kingdom of darkness.
The book of John 3:18-19 says
…but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light,..
You see, one is not a sinner because he committed sin but because he did not believe in the name of Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God which is the pass document from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Therefore this one is left condemned in the kingdom of darkness.
That is not you! Say with me, that is not me. If you believe it say a big Amen.
As long as one remains in the kingdom of darkness, his deeds no matter how good they seem don’t have heavenly rewards. The best it can gather is earthly rewards. This is because they were not done in the kingdom of God.
Let us see what the Bible says about this in the book of John 3:20-21;
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
It says every one that does evil hates the light. This is because he is a national of the kingdom of darkness. The things done in the kingdom of light irritates him. He may not have any reason for the irritation but he feels it anytime things of the kingdom of light get close to him.
But verse 21 says he that does truth comes to the light. Mind you, it didn’t say he that does good comes to the light. It says, he that does truth. There is a big difference between truth and good.
Good is what is right. And in most cases what is right in the eyes of men.
Truth on the other hand is what God says. As we can see from the book of John 17:17 which says; …thy word is truth.
The truth may not be right in the eyes of man but it is what God said.
Those who are in the kingdom of God are exposed to the laws of the kingdom of God which is called the truth. Those in the kingdom of darkness on the other hand, are exposed to the law of darkness. We take after the thing we are exposed to.
we are patterned after the things we are exposed to.
We are not what we do but who we are. Being precedes doing.
Sin is a nature not an act.
The Bible make us to understand from the book of Ephesians 2:2-3 that,
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Ephesians 2:2-3
Come on now! We walked (did things) according to the curriculum of this world when we were also citizen of the world. We were once directed by the spirit behind those curriculum.
The children of this world are not acting out the things of the world, but the things of this world are acting through its children. The values of the world are finding expression through its children.
Sin is a spirit not an act.
When the nature (the spirit) is changed the act changes too.
Therefore, our actions are not who we are. They are but expressions of what we have allowed into ourselves. When we change what we take in, what we bring out changes too.
What we take in is determined by where we belong. Those in the kingdom of darkness take in the things of darkness. The children of light take in the things of light.
For ye were sometimes (children of) darkness, but now are ye (children of)light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Ephesians 5:8
It says there, ye were. Come on now! It didn’t say you acted. Now go further with me. It says now you are children of light in the Lord. After our nationality has been confirmed in the kingdom of light, we are being asked to behave as good citizens of light. We weren’t asked to walk as children of light when we were in darkness. It would have been an impossible task.
The book of 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, confirms our being nature before our acting nature.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-5
A sinner is one who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. Who still lives in the kingdom of darkness.
If you are a sinner, that is you have not been born again. I invite you to become a citizen of the kingdom of God right now by making Jesus the Lord of your life. Say the prayer below with me.
Prayer of salvation
Oh Lord God, I believe with my entire hearth in your son Jesus Christ. I believe He died for me and You raised Him from the dead. I believe He is alive today. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life from today. Through Him and in His name I have eternal life.
I am born again. Thank you Lord. I am now a child of God. Praise God!
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