WHOLE: Relating to God With All of YourselfSample

Sinner + Saint

Before Christ, we were all sinners, in need of Him to save us from ourselves. Even after salvation, we will always struggle with sin this side of eternity. However, Christ has now named his followers “saints.” It’s unbelievable, really, that as we follow Him, we have new names. Who are we to be called His sons and daughters, His co-heirs, His church, His priesthood, His saints?

It’s humbling that he changes our whole identity.

While we were dead, God made us alive, and even though we didn’t earn it, He has raised us up with Christ and seated us in the heavenly realms. We have a new position and a new title. A new name.

Still, our sin is still present. Our battle with sin continues, and we walk in deceit if we don’t go to war with it daily. The difference is, we fight it from the posture of a victorious warrior, because we’ve been given a title and authority that has great power.

Many of us can be more comfortable with the idea of being a sinner, or a saint. How could we grow into a fuller picture of our identity as followers of Jesus? He has given us a name: “saint.” And while we are still living on the earth, we still will battle with sin. We must have a robust understanding of both parts of ourselves as we relate to God. Without knowledge of our sin, we will only see ourselves as perfect. We will live blind to the sin that so easily entangles us (Heb. 12:1), and we will eventually fall. Without knowledge of our sainthood, we will live hopelessly, only seeing ourselves as scum. It’s in the tension of both that we truly relate to God the way we’re supposed to on this side of eternity. Where do you need to grow into a more whole understanding of your identity before him?

Thanks for joining us on this reading plan!

This reading plan was based on Whole: The Life-Changing Power of Relating to God with All of Yourself by Kathryn Maack and Aaron Williams. To learn more about the book and order your copy, click here.