Though our sins are forgiven, we remain sinners. We can call ourselves the forgiven sinners. But many believe that they are no longer sinners. They think that if we talk about being sinners, it means that we do not know the gospel that well. But this may not be all that true. Paul did not say that his sins were not forgiven. But he did say that he was a sinner (1 Tim. 1:15). Have you seen the difference here? If you were to ask Paul if his sins were forgiven, he could not be so humble as to say no. But Paul could humbly say that he is a sinner. He could not deny the work of God in him. But neither could he deny his position in Adam. Although we have received fresh grace in Christ, God has not fully removed the problem of sin; we are still sinners. The problem of sin will not be fully solved until the new heaven and new earth appear. However, this does not mean that we have not received a complete salvation. Please do not misunderstand me. In a few days we will come to this point.

The thing that we must see clearly and accurately is that everyone in the world is a sinner. Whether you have sinned or not, as long as you are a man, you are a sinner. When some listen to the gospel, they spend the whole time reasoning about how many or how few sins they have committed. But before God there is only one issue: Are you in Christ or in Adam? All who are in Adam are sinners, and as long as you are a sinner, nothing more needs to be said.

Why then did Paul have to tell us in Romans 1—3 about all the sins that man commits? These few chapters show us that sinners sin. The first three chapters of Romans prove that a sinner is known by the sins that he commits. But Romans 5 tells us what kind of person a sinner actually is. Once I went to Jian in Kiangsi and one evening met a brother who is a security guard. He did not believe that I was a preacher and a worker for the Lord. Here was a problem. I am a worker for the Lord and a servant of Christ, but he would not believe it. Therefore, I had to prove to him that I was one. I gave him many proofs. In the end he did believe. In the same way, we are sinners already. But this has not been proven to us. The first three chapters of Romans prove that we are sinners. They give us the evidence. By showing us that we have sinned in such ways, these chapters prove to us that we are sinners. Chapter five says that we are sinners, but the first three chapters prove that we are sinners.

Let me relate another story. In Fukien, there were some robbers and kidnappers who had previously been nominal Christians. Though they were robbers and kidnappers, their consciences were still somewhat exercised; therefore, if they realized that they had kidnapped a pastor or a preacher they would release him without ransom. By and by, when some were kidnapped, they said that they were pastors or preachers of such and such a denomination. What could the robbers do? After some time, they came up with a way. Every time someone said that he was a pastor, the robbers would ask him to recite the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Beatitudes. Those who could recite them had to be pastors, and so they were let go. I heard this story recently and thought that it was very interesting. If you were a pastor, you had to prove it. The robbers required that these people prove to them that they were pastors. In the same way, God wants to prove to us that we are sinners. Without proving this to us, we may forget about our true self. This is why Romans 1—3 enumerate all those sins. It is to show us that we are sinners. After so many facts are presented there, we are proven to be sinners.

Therefore, one should never think that it is the many sins that makes us sinners. We have been sinners for a long time already. We do not become sinners after these sins are committed. We must lay this foundation clearly. Today you can walk out to the street and meet anyone, and take him by the hand and tell him that he is a sinner. If he says that he could not be a sinner because he has not murdered anyone or set fire to anyone's house, you can tell him that he is a sinner who has never murdered anyone or set fire to anyone's house. If someone tells you that he never robs or commits fornication, you can tell him that he is a sinner who never robs or commits fornication. But no matter whom you meet, you can say that he is a sinner.

In the whole New Testament, only Romans 5:19 tells us who a sinner is. All the other places in the New Testament tell us what the sinner does. Only this one place tells us who the sinner is. A sinner can do a million things, but these do not constitute him a sinner. As long as he is born in Adam, he is a sinner.