Before you label yourself based on religion, first understand what sin actually is. Nearly every Christian I've encountered relates sin to an action.
Sin is not an action. Sin is a nature that has a root that creates desires. IT IS WHO YOU ARE before you are born again! Sin is a person and it's you! The actions come from the root of who you are, hence you are a sinner! You don't do sin; you are sin!
Let's look at the original context.
Sin in the Greek is #266 and the word hamartía
266 hamartía (a feminine noun derived from 1 /A "not" and 3313 /méros, "a part, share of")—properly, no-share ("no part of"); loss (forfeiture) because not hitting the target; sin (missing the mark).
266 /hamartía ("sin, forfeiture because missing the mark") is the brand of sin that emphasizes its self-originated (self-empowered) nature—i.e., it is not originated or empowered by God.
Notice it says this sin nature is a loss (forfeiture) because it's missing the mark, not hitting the target. One of the definitions of "target" is a goal to be achieved. You cannot achieve the goal (mark) of righteousness because it's a self-originated, self-empowered nature and not by God!
Does that sound like an action? No! It's a nature! You are automatically disqualified; you forfeit because you can only achieve righteousness based on having God's nature, not yours.
Now that we know what sin truly is in the proper context, it becomes clearer when you understand how the original Adam brought the nature of sin into this world.
In Hebrews 10:2-4, Scripture tells us that before Jesus became our sacrifice, it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to remove sin permanently, as it was unable to cleanse the consciousness of sin. Why? Because sin was not an action but a nature! Can you grasp that every person born into this world was a "sinner," as they were sin?
Do you see it now? You are only a sinner by nature, not by your actions. You may act like a sinner out of habit; however, once you are born again, that person is dead. The old man died and that body of sin was crucified (Rom. 6:6).
Now you have been recreated in Christ and have become a new creation, created in righteousness in Christ. From the Father's eyes, you have been totally cleansed and are seen as righteous (2 Cor. 5:17, 21).
You are no longer a sinner and you no longer have the sin nature or its desires; in fact, it states you should no longer be conscious of sin. That old man is not you anymore! Scripture says you are now pure, holy and complete in Christ (Ti. 1:15, Col. 3:12, 2:10).
Jesus took that body of sin, that nature of sin, and put it to death and in return, as a gift, gave us His nature. Righteousness is our nature now. Hallelujah!
Article was originally published here: https://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/50892-sinner-sinner-yes-you