No, no, no, a thousand times, “No, you are not a sinner!!” However, we must read the Bible for this answer…

Paul says, “I am the foremost of sinners.” But in the context, I do not believe Paul means that as a Christian. As the foremost I think he means, “That was true of me when God saved me,” because he supports it with this statement in 1 Timothy 1:12-14, “I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and our Lord’s grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus.” He is no longer that person.

We must know these things:

1. Believers do Not live under the OT Law. Believers have died to the Law once for all. However, if anyone practices the Law, that person is not born-again in Jesus. Being ‘in Christ’ means complete forgiveness and in a permanent unchanging relationship with Him. Romans 7:4; 2 Corinthians 5:18–19.
2. This change is offered and caused by the Holy Spirit by grace through faith. What Paul tells us the Law ignites sin if it remains after a confession made with the Savior. Titus 2:11–12; Romans 7:5,8.
3. Believers do not have two natures living within. Sin is the result of falling into temptation making an attempt to enslave every Believer. The old man no longer exists and is not the identity of any Believer. Everyone born-again in Christ is a new creation in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:17.

However, we need to be careful, because the fact that he uses the present tense  “I am the foremost” 1 Timothy 1:12-17, “ I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and our Lord’s grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them! But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate his utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. Now to the eternal King, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.”  Paul tells us this, “I remain among all people the least likely candidate to have received salvation because of my former life as a  persecutor of The Way.” But does he mean that he is living as the foremost of sinners right now?  I do not think so.

In  James 5:19-20 we find a Christian caught in sin. “ My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” So yes, that is right. James does use the word for Christians, but this is not the standard term used in the NT in describing Believers.

We know from 1 John 1:1-10,  that there is not a Christian who does not sin: “Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.”

And we must understand from Romans 7:15 that Paul speaks of one who does practice sin that he hates. But, the Apostle is not speaking of himself as a Believer. He is referring to the time before His Damascus Road encounter with the Resurrected Christ. His conversion is discussed in his letters and in Luke’s account in the book of Acts. According to these sources, Saul, or Paul, was not a follower of The Way and did not know Jesus before the crucifixion.

Paul references Christians as being saints. We are holy ones, consecrated ones, set-apart ones, being-made-holy ones, saved, set apart for God, walking in the light — he calls  Christians these things forty times in his letters, but he never speaks of Christ-followers as sinners…NEVER.. You might think there might be one or two exceptions. I would not.

In fact, in Romans 5:8-9, Paul writes, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath” Well, what does that mean — “while we were still sinners?”  Paul’s understanding of the word ‘sinner’ no longer applies to us.

Yes, the Apostle does say that Christians will sin. The question then, “Is a person who sins is a sinner?” This is not so simple, for two reasons. First, saying someone sins and calling the same a ‘sinner’ is not one and the same. the same. Would you call yourself a golfer because you sometimes play miniature golf? No, because the two are not quite the same.

Christians  have a personal identity as new creatures in Christ. The tag of ‘sinner’ is not our identity in Christ only because we sin. This is the point of the question.

Consider Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, “Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough—you are, in fact, without yeast. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. So then, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of vice and evil, but with the bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth” This is a demonstration of what we were and now are. Because of Christ’s death for us, we are in our most essential identity unleavened, we are now made sinless. And the unique thing about Christian morality and ethics is that we now fight against temptation that can result in sin.

The fight against temptation is the evidence that we are ‘in Christ.’ Sin is not present in our life because just as you follow the instruction of Paul, “Cleanse out the old sin because Christ has now removed the old man with the sin of it. That’s the mystery of the Christian life. Cleansing the old sin nature.   The fight against our ongoing sinning is the evidence that we are in Christ — and in him without sin in our inmost, essential identity. “So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh (for if you live according to the flesh, you will die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)—if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:12-17.

We are involved in spiritual conflict indicating that we are saints, Believers in Jesus Christ. We look for the evidence that we are Christians, that we are in Christ. And because you are in Christ, you are without sin because sin has been removed. So fighting the conflict with temptation is the evidence that you are without sin. This does not mean we do not sin, but sin is not who we are. Our righteousness in Christ draws us to Christ in order to confess our sin and to receive His forgiveness. 

You have put off the old self, namely, the self that was the previous identity a sinner. That old self has died with Christ. Now you are a new person. Put on what you now are. That is, cleanse out the old leaven because you are unleavened. Specifically, he says, “This is the reason Paul never uses the term ’sinner’ to describe the Christian.

Paul gives plenty of evidence that Christians still sin. Again, read from Romans 8:12-13, “So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh (for if you live according to the flesh, you will die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Paul has clearly said our sin has been removed…this is who we are. And listen to Colossioans 3:12-16, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond. Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. You are chosen; you are holy; you are loved. So put this identity on, and treat each other with love in Christ.”

Jesus is Lord.