All Have Sinned

There could be no truer statement about man than to say that "all have sinned." Romans 3:23Romans 3:23
  23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." With the exception of Jesus Christ, everyone who ever walked upon this earth has been guilty of transgressing the laws of Jehovah God; all are sinners. Yet sometimes this God–inspired truth has been misunderstood and misrepresented.
ALL HAVE SINNED... but we need to understand that there is a difference between sinners and saints. The same God who stated that all have sinned, also affirms that some are "saints". The word "saint", like the word "sanctified", implies that one has been set apart to serve the Lord. Paul addressed "the church of God which is at Corinth" as "those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints", (I Corinthians 1:2I Corinthians 1:2
  2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their′s and our′s:).

It would be accurate to say that saints are sinners who were washed clean from their sins, (Acts 22:16Acts 22:16
  16. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.). I Corinthians 6:9–11I Corinthians 6:9–11
  9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
  10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
  11. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. first warns that "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." But then it goes on to remind the members of the church at Corinth, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
ALL HAVE SINNED... but that doesn′t mean we should continue in sinful lifestyles. It is inappropriate to use the fact that all have sinned to excuse your own sinful practices. Romans 6:1–2Romans 6:1–2
  1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
  2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? states, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" Christians should resolve to keep their life free from sin, (Romans 6:12Romans 6:12
  12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.).

Of course it′s true, even the best Christian sins; we still sometimes fail to do what our Lord bids. The apostle John dealt with that reality when he wrote, "My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin." Now notice how he follows that up: "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," (I John 2:1I John 2:1
  1. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:).

When the child of God sins, it is his or her duty to "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee," (Acts 8:22Acts 8:22
  22. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.). We have the Lord′s promise that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," (I John 1:9I John 1:9
  9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.).
ALL HAVE SINNED... but that doesn′t alter the need to condemn sin. Sometimes I have heard denominational people, and even Christians claim that we have no right to deal with a sinful situation in the church—"After all," they say, "we all sin." But this attitude fails to take into account what Paul had to say to the Corinthian church. Throughout that epistle he rebukes them for sinful attitudes, erroneous doctrines, and ungodly practices in the church, (I Corinthians 1:11I Corinthians 1:11
  11. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.; 3:33:3
  3. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?; 4:184:18
  18. Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.; 6:1-76:1-7
  1. Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
  2. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
  3. Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
  4. If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
  5. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
  6. But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
  7. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?; 8:128:12
  12. But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.; 11:17–2211:17–22
  17. Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
  18. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
  19. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
  20. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord′s supper.
  21. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
  22. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.). They were far from perfect, yet when one of their number entered into a grossly sinful situation, the apostle told them not to allow a sinful man to continue in their fellowship: "Put away from among yourselves that wicked person," (I Corinthians 5:13I Corinthians 5:13
  13. But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.). People who would dismiss the need for Christians to reprove ungodly conduct on the grounds that no one′s perfect—everyone sins, are ignoring God′s command to deal with sinful situations in His church to help keep wicked influence out.

Of course, a Christian is never to hypocritically judge, (Matthew 7:1–5Matthew 7:1–5
  1. Judge not, that ye be not judged.
  2. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
  3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother′s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
  4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
  5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother′s eye.), but should judge righteously, (John 7:24John 7:24
  24. Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.). Christians need to make certain they have penitently cleaned up their own act, (Matthew 7:3–5Matthew 7:3–5
  3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother′s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
  4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
  5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother′s eye.). But having done so, even imperfect people have a responsibility to "reprove the unfruitful works of darkness," (Ephesians 5:11Ephesians 5:11
  11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.).