Are We Sinners or Overcomers?

Benjamin Müller · Wednesday at 9:20 AM

I am well aware of 1 John 1:8-10. That if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. But I realized one day that I have become uncomfortable with Christians calling themselves sinners: for example in the Hail Mary "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

I read Real Magic by Dean Radin which goes into the power of words and affirmations. And it got to me that it seems like calling oneself a sinner is only continuing a sinful life. We should confess our sins, yes, but to make a broad statement of sins or being a sinner doesn't get to the root of your problems. We need to identify each sin and confess it. And so while, yes, we sin should we really be calling ourselves sinners or should we refer to ourselves as overcomers. To overcome does not deny that one has sins; it is not a form of deception, but it amplifies that we are working towards righteousness. 1 John 3:7 Claiming to be a sinner implies there is no goal to overcome; that one has become complacent in a hopeless sinful state. There is no effort to overcome whatever sin there is in them. 1 John 3:8

I don't want to be a sinner. Therefore I'd rather identify as an overcomer and that I am overcoming. I sin, but I am not going to remain in that state.

bling · Wednesday at 9:53 AM

Benjamin Müller said:
I am well aware of 1 John 1:8-10. That if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. But I realized one day that I have become uncomfortable with Christians calling themselves sinners: for example in the Hail Mary "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

I read Real Magic by Dean Radin which goes into the power of words and affirmations. And it got to me that it seems like calling oneself a sinner is only continuing a sinful life. We should confess our sins, yes, but to make a broad statement of sins or being a sinner doesn't get to the root of your problems. We need to identify each sin and confess it. And so while, yes, we sin should we really be calling ourselves sinners or should we refer to ourselves as overcomers. To overcome does not deny that one has sins; it is not a form of deception, but it amplifies that we are working towards righteousness. 1 John 3:7 Claiming to be a sinner implies there is no goal to overcome; that one has become complacent in a hopeless sinful state. There is no effort to overcome whatever sin there is in them. 1 John 3:8

I don't want to be a sinner. Therefore I'd rather identify as an overcomer and that I am overcoming. I sin, but I am not going to remain in that state.

read further in John. 1 John 2: 1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

NewLifeInChristJesus · Wednesday at 10:52 AM

Benjamin Müller said:
I am well aware of 1 John 1:8-10. That if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. But I realized one day that I have become uncomfortable with Christians calling themselves sinners: for example in the Hail Mary "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

I read Real Magic by Dean Radin which goes into the power of words and affirmations. And it got to me that it seems like calling oneself a sinner is only continuing a sinful life. We should confess our sins, yes, but to make a broad statement of sins or being a sinner doesn't get to the root of your problems. We need to identify each sin and confess it. And so while, yes, we sin should we really be calling ourselves sinners or should we refer to ourselves as overcomers. To overcome does not deny that one has sins; it is not a form of deception, but it amplifies that we are working towards righteousness. 1 John 3:7 Claiming to be a sinner implies there is no goal to overcome; that one has become complacent in a hopeless sinful state. There is no effort to overcome whatever sin there is in them. 1 John 3:8

I don't want to be a sinner. Therefore I'd rather identify as an overcomer and that I am overcoming. I sin, but I am not going to remain in that state.

Both. Those who are alive in Christ can also see the deadness they inherited from Adam (Rom 4:12-19) -- the flesh. Our closeness to it makes us feel miserable and wretched (Rom 7:21-24). But the grace of God that brought about our salvation is greater than our sins or sinfulness. We stand forgiven (Rom 7:25-8:1).

But we also can see the person we have become in Christ -- the new man (Eph 4:24). We can see that we are risen with Christ from the dead (Col 2:12), are joined to the Lord, and are one spirit with Him (1 Cor 6:17).

So it's not either/or it's both.

fhansen · 2026-01-22T05:07:14-0600

Benjamin Müller said:
I am well aware of 1 John 1:8-10. That if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. But I realized one day that I have become uncomfortable with Christians calling themselves sinners: for example in the Hail Mary "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

I read Real Magic by Dean Radin which goes into the power of words and affirmations. And it got to me that it seems like calling oneself a sinner is only continuing a sinful life. We should confess our sins, yes, but to make a broad statement of sins or being a sinner doesn't get to the root of your problems. We need to identify each sin and confess it. And so while, yes, we sin should we really be calling ourselves sinners or should we refer to ourselves as overcomers. To overcome does not deny that one has sins; it is not a form of deception, but it amplifies that we are working towards righteousness. 1 John 3:7 Claiming to be a sinner implies there is no goal to overcome; that one has become complacent in a hopeless sinful state. There is no effort to overcome whatever sin there is in them. 1 John 3:8

I don't want to be a sinner. Therefore I'd rather identify as an overcomer and that I am overcoming. I sin, but I am not going to remain in that state.

Yes, we’re meant to overcome, by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. But to do so we must acknowledge that we’re sinners. And that tension, that back and forth dynamic or struggle is life-long as we, hopefully, grow in holiness, nearer and nearer to the image of God. Meanwhile some, ironically, seem almost proud to continue to beat their breast and proclaim their wickedness, as if we cannot and will not overcome in this life. That’s not of God, either.

And, in fact, John also tells us in 1 John 1 that if we confess our sins He'll purify us from all unrighteousness-so it's not as if remaining in our sins is somehow superior to God. And John affirms that later by telling us that sin can mean we're not even His.

ViaCrucis · 2026-01-22T10:23:03-0600

Benjamin Müller said:
I am well aware of 1 John 1:8-10. That if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. But I realized one day that I have become uncomfortable with Christians calling themselves sinners: for example in the Hail Mary "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

I read Real Magic by Dean Radin which goes into the power of words and affirmations. And it got to me that it seems like calling oneself a sinner is only continuing a sinful life. We should confess our sins, yes, but to make a broad statement of sins or being a sinner doesn't get to the root of your problems. We need to identify each sin and confess it. And so while, yes, we sin should we really be calling ourselves sinners or should we refer to ourselves as overcomers. To overcome does not deny that one has sins; it is not a form of deception, but it amplifies that we are working towards righteousness. 1 John 3:7 Claiming to be a sinner implies there is no goal to overcome; that one has become complacent in a hopeless sinful state. There is no effort to overcome whatever sin there is in them. 1 John 3:8

I don't want to be a sinner. Therefore I'd rather identify as an overcomer and that I am overcoming. I sin, but I am not going to remain in that state.

I would point out that St. Paul, of all people, not only called himself a sinner, but called himself the chief of sinners.

Scripture says we, who are being saved, are sinners and saints. So the word choice of Scripture is saint. The saint desires, believes, and hopes that--by the grace of God, the strength of the Holy Spirit, and the ultimate victory of God over the powers of this fallen world--he/she shall overcome. Not that we already have, but that we shall one day, at last, overcome. To our present condition, St. Paul writes of himself:

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. rothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:12-14

So the "duality" of the Christian is that we are Simul iustus et peccator; both saints and sinners. As it pertains to what we are before the naked pronouncement of God's Law, sinners; as it pertains to who we are in Christ by the power of the Spirit, saints. There are, indeed those saints who have overcome--the saints who have gone before us who are with the Lord in His presence, in heaven and who pray for us day and night and who are now a great cloud of witnesses cheering us as we run the race and fight the good fight, pressing forward and toward the goal: Christ Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

RandyPNW · 2026-01-22T18:11:05-0600

Benjamin Müller said:
I am well aware of 1 John 1:8-10. That if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. But I realized one day that I have become uncomfortable with Christians calling themselves sinners: for example in the Hail Mary "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

I read Real Magic by Dean Radin which goes into the power of words and affirmations. And it got to me that it seems like calling oneself a sinner is only continuing a sinful life. We should confess our sins, yes, but to make a broad statement of sins or being a sinner doesn't get to the root of your problems. We need to identify each sin and confess it. And so while, yes, we sin should we really be calling ourselves sinners or should we refer to ourselves as overcomers. To overcome does not deny that one has sins; it is not a form of deception, but it amplifies that we are working towards righteousness. 1 John 3:7 Claiming to be a sinner implies there is no goal to overcome; that one has become complacent in a hopeless sinful state. There is no effort to overcome whatever sin there is in them. 1 John 3:8

I don't want to be a sinner. Therefore I'd rather identify as an overcomer and that I am overcoming. I sin, but I am not going to remain in that state.

So well said! If in the OT we were a pagan standing outside of the camps of Israel, and utterly rejecting the need to enter into the courtyard of the tabernacle we remain a "sinner." But if via the priest we offer the sacrifice for our sin, wash at the laver, and enter into the tent with God, we see the light of Christ's righteousness and partake of his body as bread. We then yield up the incense of praise to God, which He accepts as legitimate worship. We are a forgiven sinner and we produce the righteousness of Christ, which alone is acceptable to God for Eternal Life.

Always in His Presence · 2026-01-22T19:52:42-0600

Benjamin Müller said:
I am well aware of 1 John 1:8-10. That if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. But I realized one day that I have become uncomfortable with Christians calling themselves sinners: for example in the Hail Mary "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

The prayer is not Holy Scripture.

Saying I am a Christian and a sinner at the same time is like saying I am a married bachelor.

RandyPNW · 2026-01-22T20:24:59-0600

Always in His Presence said:
The prayer is not Holy Scripture.

Saying I am a Christian and a sinner at the same time is like saying I am a married bachelor.

I agree that the prayer is not Holy Scripture. Otherwise, I think it was pretty well explained. It's not enough to be forgiven. One must show the fruit of repentance, which is good works.

Hawkins · 2026-01-23T07:37:35-0600

We are sinners relative to Law, we are righteous relative to Covenant. We need to call ourselves sinners because we do sin and God is never sin-compatible. We call ourselves righteous simply because God accepts that we are righteous due to our Faith (the kind of faith specified in the Covenant).

To God, our sin is a pain in the neck. We promised Noah to bear with us till but not beyond the Final Judgment. God not only atones for our sin but also bears with it along humanity. We take for granted to enjoy calling ourselves righteous, we are but sinners.

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Are We Sinners or Overcomers?

Benjamin Müller

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bling

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NewLifeInChristJesus

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fhansen

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ViaCrucis

Confessional Lutheran

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RandyPNW

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Always in His Presence

Jesus is the only Way

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RandyPNW

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Hawkins

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