Jesus said: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” A century or so ago, it was the righteous that preachers called to repentance — maybe because in those days just about everyone — sinners as well as saints — went to church. So, preachers thundered from the pulpit!
Evangelists who pastor churches end up doing the same. Lately there’s been an overemphasis on Grace. Some go to extremes, preaching that Christians should never repent; that the blood of Christ covers not only past but also present sins. This is true, but only “if we confess” them. When we do, Jesus as our Great High Priest intercedes for us.
The Apostle John’s first epistle addresses this, and was written to “those who believe” (1 John 5:13). When we as sinners heard the message of the Cross we repented of our sins and believed; but when we as believers sin, we confess it to God and the living Lord Jesus pleads our case (1 John 2:1).
The guilty sinner comes to the Cross, repents, and the burden of sin “rolls away”. The believer who has sinned comes to the Father through His Son Jesus, and confesses the sin, which is then forgiven and forgotten.
Yes, we are “the righteousness of God in Christ”, but we don’t always live up to what we are in God’s sight. Our standing with God is perfect in Jesus, but our state is not always so. What’s important is that God has provided forgiveness for the one who is a sinner by nature, and also for the believer who is not a sinner by nature, but who has yielded to temptation.
Thank God that our Everlasting Life insurance policy comes without hidden clauses and conditions!