I have been studying the doctrine of Justification for some time and I must say it's a deep doctrine that beats the human mind of what the Lord our fortress did for us. How can a just God declare a sinner righteous even with their sins because they are in Christ Lord our fortress and some still say they have sin in their lives? Another issue is how can a sinner be declared guiltless without works? This doctrine of justification and righteousness by faith is really the Lord our fortress doing. So my question is is one who is justified and declared righteous still a sinner? Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified? I need my brethren in this discussion please.

Invited: Everyone
Special invitation: BabaGnoni, vooks, candour, Image123, Bidam, Gombs, Mbaemeka, 5solas, shdemidemi, elantraceey, Alwaystrue, PastorOluT, nannymcphee, Goshen360, DrummaBoy, ayoku777, GooseBaba, frosbel, ichuka, MEILYN, Ubenedictus, OLAADEGBU, nlMediator, Ishilove, ATMC, PastorKun, esere826, lastmessenger, italo, trustman, haibe, WinsomeX, Mintayo, God2man, nora544, QuiverBox, sexyseun, christemmbassey

FortresOfChrist:
I have been studying the doctrine of Justification for some time and I must say it's a deep doctrine that beats the human mind of what the Lord our fortress did for us. How can a just God declare a sinner righteous even with their sins because they are in Christ Lord our fortress and some still say they have sin in their lives? Another issue is how can a sinner be declared guiltless without works? This doctrine of justification and righteousness by faith is really the Lord our fortress doing. So my question is is one who is justified and declared righteous still a sinner? Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified? I need my brethren in this discussion please.

Firstly we are justified in Christ before we live by faith, we do not live by faith before we are justified in Christ. And God declared us righteous through the redemptive work of Christ. It is a free gift and it is never earned by works.

Romans 3:18
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.


Concerning whether believers have sin..there is the nature of sin and the acts of sin.The sin nature has been dealt with by the vicarious death of the Lord Jesus Christ. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins;” Philippians 2:8,

As born agains we renew our minds by consciously and daily meditating on God's word so the acts of sin would be dealt with. A christian who hardly prays, meditate and study scripture and share the good news of Christ would hardly manifest the fruits of the Spirit. This is where the devil attacks. He injects thoughts into our minds. The mind is always the battle ground for the Christian. It is either you accept these thoughts and hence fall into temptations or you reject them by repelling them with God's word stored in your heart like Jesus did when He was tempted of the devil in the wilderness.

Concerning justification...Romans 3:24 states in very clear terms that we are being "justified freely" by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Not only are we justified by GRACE, but also justified FREELY.We are justified by GRACE - it is God's GIFT - and it is FREE.

Concerning Righteousness.... "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5).

It is after these can we be able to live a righteous and holy life as we progress in fellowship with God and with other believers. Cos when the righteous falls seven times and rises again is what matters to God and not falling and staying down. I hope this helps. Thanks.

FotresOfChrist,
I applaud your inquiry into these things.
Let me try to break your question(s)
1. is one who is justified and declared righteous still a sinner?
2.Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified

I will begin by defining JUSTIFICATION. It is a legal term,a legal declaration that gives us right standing before God. it is basically declaring the believing sinner 'NOT GUILTY'. Justification is a one time event happening at the point of believing.

Some verses

Romans 3:24-25 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Romans 4:5 New King James Version (NKJV)
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

Romans 5:1New King James Version (NKJV)
5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

FortresOfChrist:
So my question is is one who is justified and declared righteous still a sinner? Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified? I need my brethren in this discussion please.

FortresOfChrist:
I have been studying the doctrine of Justification for some time and I must say it's a deep doctrine that beats the human mind of what the Lord our fortress did for us. How can a just God declare a sinner righteous even with their sins because they are in Christ Lord our fortress and some still say they have sin in their lives? Another issue is how can a sinner be declared guiltless without works? This doctrine of justification and righteousness by faith is really the Lord our fortress doing. So my question is is one who is justified and declared righteous still a sinner? Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified? I need my brethren in this discussion please.

Una don turn me to pastor kwo?

Ok, I could say many stuff, but I'll approach it this way
Why are we plus you usually bothered about sin?
There are 2 or 3 main reasons?
1) Punishment in the afterlife
2) Punishment in this life
3) Lack of blessings in this life

Now we were told wether na allegory or algorithm or na film trick
that Adam ate a simple fruit which was placed temptingly close to him
and then (2) and (3) became the birth right of his descendants plus death. Many add (1) to the mix with a lot of arguments like what happens to dead children etc.
This is despite you being a good guy which some argue might only bring a small measure of relief in this life.

If this is true, then it is also possible for one person that is your dad like Adam can also reverse this I should think
irrespective of your good or bad actions

Let's imagine that the person cannot solely guarantee you Point (1) except you join am work out your salvation with trembling
The person should at least be able to provide (2) and (3) without your efforts
But we are told to do stuff like sow for the blessings
and then some have even gone as far as saying tithing takes away the punishment of unprotected sex
aside from that we are pretty sure that if we cross our hands, we wont see fruits dangling from around us to pluck from

So what is the new Adam solely responsible for that does not need your input?
You know how crazy it sounds that God allowed the entire humanity to slip into catastrophe by living a fruit worse than atomic bomb in his garden.
If God did this, like it is said, then the antithesis of this should also be as crazy too


Now, let's rewrite the Genesis again
God tells Adam the day you eat of this fruit, you shall live
Adam eats the fruit and realises that he is now clothed in Glory
God looks for him, and he jumps out happily saying "surprise, surprise"
God smiles and say "ah ..in happiness shall you work the ground, and you shall reap bountifully"
this same blessing is passed on to all the seeds of the new Adam no matter what.

Yeah, ... I am talking yaga yaga
But whatever sin means, at the minimum the fellowship of Jesus should afford one the courage to stand boldly before God first and foremost
and call him daddy.
It doesn't me you should go about wronging people, if you do, they should catch you and beat the day life out of you.

But if me as a little innocent kid could be a child of death and its attribute because of papa Adam no matter what
I'd be happy to argue the case of life for me and its attribute because of Jesus no matter what

After all, there is a judgement before our final abode. Na there we go tok the matter.

@FortresOfChrist
Thanks for the thread and invitation.
Our justification is to the end that we should be righteous. There is a righteousness of faith and one by the law (deeds) . The former is what saves and comes before the latter. It is of God and not ourselves. It is imputed. The latter is the one we are admonished to have after our salvation. It is the one most people are familiar with, of which John says, "he is righteous who doeth righteousness". If we bear this in mind, it will help in the discussion.

Thank everyone who contributed. The Lord our fortress bless you all. Still waiting for more contribution from others.

FortresOfChrist:
I have been studying the doctrine of Justification for some time and I must say it's a deep doctrine that beats the human mind of what the Lord our fortress did for us. How can a just God declare a sinner righteous even with their sins because they are in Christ Lord our fortress and some still say they have sin in their lives? Another issue is how can a sinner be declared guiltless without works? This doctrine of justification and righteousness by faith is really the Lord our fortress doing. So my question is is one who is justified and declared righteous still a sinner? Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified? I need my brethren in this discussion please.

Invited: Everyone
Special invitation: BabaGnoni, vooks, candour, Image123, Bidam, Gombs, Mbaemeka, 5solas, shdemidemi, elantraceey, Alwaystrue, PastorOluT, nannymcphee, Goshen360, DrummaBoy, ayoku777, GooseBaba, frosbel, ichuka, MEILYN, Ubenedictus, OLAADEGBU, nlMediator, Ishilove, ATMC, PastorKun, esere826, lastmessenger, italo, trustman, haibe, WinsomeX, Mintayo, God2man, nora544, QuiverBox, sexyseun, christemmbassey

Yeeee, they haf expose me today oh. I didn't know all this big big things like doctrine of justification oh. But i can do copy copy at least i am not in exam hall. I think it was Zac Poonen i heard explain justification using this analogy. Justification is like a step after forgiveness. While forgiveness comes through repentance, confession and accepting Christ as paying your debt, you do about nothing for justification but believe(faith). So as a huge debtor sinner, you receive forgiveness which is like a total erase of your debts. Justification takes you a step further by making you a rich man. A justified person is a billionaire. God alone can credit your account from negative to not just zero fresh start but a rich child of a rich king. That is justification.

He goes further to describe a sinner as a vile offender and criminal. When the sinner is forgiven, he is well, a forgiven criminal. He has been given presidential pardon, but we all know and he well remembers he is a forgiven pardoned criminal. He's got to hang his head a little low and endure the shame, ridicule, and gossip around about his past life and debt. But justification, that one. He is righteous! He is seen as if he never did anything wrong. He's seen like Jesus as it were. Not just forgiven, but a child of God and brother of Jesus Himself. He can hang his head high like na we get this street. That is justification. It has nothing to do with not been able to sin again. Of course a rich man can become a debtor if careless and prodigal. And a son can commit crime if foolish enough.

Thanks for the invite @Fortresofchrist

The term Justification can easily mean or be best put as 'just as if you never sinned'.

The detailed explanation of our justification can only be found in the Pauline epistles though we can discern from other parts of scripture that the teaching of justification has always been God's faithful plan for mankind.

Jesus began to tell parables as a way of judgement to unbelievers. He told parables to veil and hide the truth from those who were not part of Him. He started to talk to the people in languages they will not easily understand but would explain some of these things to his disiples though they themselves hardly understood what Christ really meant by his parables at that point in time.

Information regarding 'Justification by God' was presented to the people in so many ways through parables by Jesus. In one of his parables, He spoke about a prodigal son (represents every man born of Adam) who came back to his senses and reached for the father. He was Justified by His father and was given the fattest calf(God's word) to feast on.

He also spoke about hired hands(Gentiles, fatherless, Godless) that was employed late but was remunerated with the same wage as the workers who had been working for the master all day.

He talked about justification in most of his parables and there was one common factor in most. There is always one party that gets to be justified and the other that is always envious/bitter because they have WORKED. In the parable of the prodigal son, the brother that was 'good' felt the father was unfair to justify the son that he deemed 'bad'. In the other parable the workers who had toiled all day felt cheated by the master for placing the workers that came late to the scene an equal reward. WORK is always against GRACE just as the flesh constantly war against the spirit. But God remains a merciful father who does not pay His own children according to their 'work' but according to His mercy and Grace.

Paul simply unveiled all Jesus said in so many parables. The doctrine of Justification is the leg Grace stands upon through propitiation of our Sin. I think it becomes imperative to know of what 'sin' we have been justified. It is not merely the fact that one lie, or fornicate etc (those are acts of sin), God took sin by the jugular, from its very root which is from the fall of Man/adam.

Hence, we are no longer accused by the sin of Adam but we yet carry a body that was made in sin. Our body and its members are the main instrument of sin. They crave for sin even when our mind mean to do good. Our body and its member suppresses our mind and we give in more often than none. Falling for our fleshly desires does not make us less justified but it means we are yet carnal in the areas where we are subdued by our flesh to do its demands.

No man can completely wash himself off sinful acts- It is a work we have to consciously engage in until we are separated from our earthly/sinful body. That is no excuse or license to become lascivious for a sincere Christian of course, it can be for one who is not truly transformed. The fact remains that we are all a 'WORK-IN-PROGRESS' though we have been JUSTIFIED in the salvific sense..

Image123:
He goes further to describe a sinner as a vile offender and criminal. When the sinner is forgiven, he is well, a forgiven criminal. He has been given presidential pardon, but we all know and he well remembers he is a forgiven pardoned criminal. He's got to hang his head a little low and endure the shame, ridicule, and gossip around about his past life and debt. But justification, that one. He is righteous! He is seen as if he never did anything wrong. He's seen like Jesus as it were. Not just forgiven, but a child of God and brother of Jesus Himself. He can hang his head high like na we get this street. That is justification. It has nothing to do with not been able to sin again. Of course a rich man can become a debtor if careless and prodigal. And a son can commit crime if foolish enough.

This one is making sense.

italo:
This one is making sense.

Bidam too. I think this is covered. But a little scripture that changed my mindset forever on what Jesus by God did for us. How He so loves us!

Romans 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Once you're declared righteous (the moment you got born again) by God through Jesus Christ, you can stand boldly before God without guilt, condemnation or inferiority, because you are now God's righteousness in Christ Jesus. Meaning, after being justified by faith, we received the gift of righteousness, therefore we now have th ability to do right things ie sin no more.

But we err and sin, but that doesn't make us sinners, sinners do not hav the nature of God in them, and so, when we sin, because we have being justified, our advocate, Jesus will b there for us. But Paul asked, do we then continue in sin because grace abound?

Someone who is justified is not a sinner but is Holy, righteous, faultless blameless in the sight of God (Col 1:22 & Eph 1:4)
Someone who is in Christ can never sin because there is no sin in Christ (1John 3:5&9).

Hiswordxray:
Someone who is justified is not a sinner but is Holy, righteous, faultless blameless in the sight of God (Col 1:22 & Eph 1:4)
Someone who is in Christ can never sin because there is no sin in Christ (1John 3:5&9).

This is hard meat bro...alot of folks would struggle to understand this. Break it down please.

Gombs:


This is hard meat bro...alot of folks would struggle to understand this. Break it down please.

I know you understand.
But for the sake of others I would give a little explanation.
When you become born again God literally gave birth to you. You became identical to God having His nature therefore you cannot sin.
Jesus explained that "What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6)
God is a Spirit so when he gave birth to you, he gave birth to the spirit you. It is this spirit you that carries the nature of God and it is this spirit you that cannot sin. If you walk by the Spirit you won't be able to sin.
When you sin it happens only by the flesh. It was you spirit that was born of God not your flesh. The spirit you is the child of God not the flesh you.
The spirit you being a child of God cannot sin that is what John was trying to say in 1John 3:9 "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."


When you walk in the flesh you are not acting like the child of God which you are and you will commit sin.
When you walk in the spirit you are acting like a child which you already are and you cannot sin. Therefore as a child of God you cannot sin.

When you commit sin it is not the child of God (i.e the spirit you) that commit sin but the flesh.

Therefore you as a child of God (the spirit you) have never committed sin before and can never commit sin.
But you as a human being (the flesh you) is an enemy to God and always commit sin.
The real you is the spirit you, the one that is born of God.
So even though we are justified we still need to act like the child of God that we are.
True freedom is when you are able to express yourself.
The body is meant to express the life or the person in it. Living in true freedom is when you as a child of God can easily express yourself (the nature of God) in your physical body. True freedom is when your spirit (the real you) is able to dominate the flesh.

This is difficult to explain. I hope you understand.

Dear sister FortresOfChrist, happy new year to you.

Most of those who have responded have answered well in my opinion as they've largely said the sane thing.

Justification makes us as though we never sinned. When God looks at you and I today, he doesn't see a sinner, he sees his own righteousness

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

God is the one who justifies you and nobody can declare you unjustified.

Romans 8:33 KJV
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

So be rest assured that your slate has been wiped clean and this will make you live victoriously over sin to the glory of him who gave so much for your redemption.

God bless you

@Candour.. Happy New Year bro

Not seen you around here in a while, I am guessing you've not had spare time for nairaland lately .

shdemidemi:
@Candour.. Happy New Year bro

Not seen you around here in a while, I am guessing you've not had spare time for nairaland lately .

Same to you bro. I've been busy on some important project lately. I'll soon be free to engage again

Cheers bro

FortresOfChrist:
I have been studying the doctrine of Justification for some time and I must say it's a deep doctrine that beats the human mind of what the Lord our fortress did for us. How can a just God declare a sinner righteous even with their sins because they are in Christ Lord our fortress and some still say they have sin in their lives? Another issue is how can a sinner be declared guiltless without works? This doctrine of justification and righteousness by faith is really the Lord our fortress doing. So my question is is one who is justified and declared righteous still a sinner? Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified? I need my brethren in this discussion please.

Invited: Everyone
Special invitation: BabaGnoni, vooks, candour, Image123, Bidam, Gombs, Mbaemeka, 5solas, shdemidemi, elantraceey, Alwaystrue, PastorOluT, nannymcphee, Goshen360, DrummaBoy, ayoku777, GooseBaba, frosbel, ichuka, MEILYN, Ubenedictus, OLAADEGBU, nlMediator, Ishilove, ATMC, PastorKun, esere826, lastmessenger, italo, trustman, haibe, WinsomeX, Mintayo, God2man, nora544, QuiverBox, sexyseun, christemmbassey

i go talk abt this later.

Justification means to declare a person righteous. Man, being a sinner does not have the inherent ability within him (through works or whatever) to get to the position of being qualified to be proven just. It therefore requires a qualified person outside of man that man can, as it were, piggyback on to qualify him to be declared righteous. That qualified person is Jesus Christ. The non-meritorious (not involving works) entrance of achieving justification through him is faith in him. 

In his justice God declared that through one man, Adam, all humanity are sinners. In his same justice God has provided that through one man, Jesus Christ, all who express faith in him will be declared justified. 

Justification then is a gift of grace given to those who express faith in the finished work of Christ who paid the debt for sin (redemption) and satisfied God's righteous demands (propitiation). 
Romans 3:24 "And are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus". 
Romans 5:1a "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand". 

Positionally therefore, justification makes us have a right standing before God. God then looks at the justified through Christ. The individual believer still possesses the Sin Nature (Rom. 6&7) but justification frees him from the condemnation that would ordinarily have gone with the possession of the sin nature.

FortresOfChrist:
I have been studying the doctrine of Justification for some time
and I must say it's a deep doctrine that beats the human mind of what the Lord our fortress did for us.

FortresOfChrist:
How can a just God declare a sinner righteous even with their sins because they are in Christ Lord our fortress
and some still say they have sin in their lives?

To justify is to make excuses for one's actions.

Jesus Christ, Our Lord, is the excuse for God's action, to declare a sinner righteous, even with their sins
This is because sin separates us from God but with the brilliant idea of Jesus Christ our Lord, the end (i.e. the salvation of souls)
justified the means (i.e. declared or made righteous in the sight of God for salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord)

Your eyes are too pure to look at evil. You can't watch wickedness.
Why do you keep watching treacherous people?
Why are you silent when wicked people swallow those who are more righteous than they are?
- Habakkuk 1:13 GOD'S WORD® Translation

In spite of Habakkuk 1:13a above, God took advantage of the golden rule and used it.

He declares a sinner righteous even with their sins inasmuchas they are in Christ Lord our fortress because He, God, tolerates the presence of sin in order to wrought out and/or accomplish His purposes with mankind

Some REALLY do not have to still say they have sin in their lives
If knowledgeable, wouldnt say we have sin in our lives, as there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus or who belong to Christ Jesus (i.e. Romans 8:1-10)

Even if we sin or when our world crumbles, we can go/come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There, we will receive His mercy, and we will find assistance and grace to help us when we need it most (i.e. Hebrews 4:15-16)

God has taken the rap (i.e. the punishment or blame), so that whoever receives and accepts the gift of salvation wont have to.
He has done the just thing. He did what was morally right and fair Himself, in the person of God the Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord

FortresOfChrist:
Another issue is how can a sinner be declared guiltless without works?

⁸God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God.
⁹It's not the result of anything you've done, so no one can brag about it.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 GOD'S WORD® Translation

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 KJ Bible

a sinner is declared guiltless without works because the sinner is saved by grace through faith.
The declaration of not guilty or guiltless without works, is a gift.

The gift can be wholeheartedly received or outrightly declined/rejected

Besides, all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment or filthy rags like a menstrual rag (i.e. as the rag of a menstruous woman) in His sight.

FortresOfChrist:
This doctrine of justification and righteousness by faith is really the Lord our fortress doing.

The "justification" of your post and the "righteousness by faith" of writing it up, is really the Lord our fortress' doing.

FortresOfChrist:
So my question is, is one who is justified and declared righteous, still a sinner?

No, not anymore
because one who is justified and declared righteous, has converted from being a sinner to become holy and/or be a saint
(i.e. 1 Corinthians 1:2)

FortresOfChrist:
Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified?

No, it does not teach so.
One cannot remain a sinner if true conversion took place in the first instance and/or at the beginning
- no one has bad kids, but have good kids, good kids that ocassionally do bad things.
- in the same vein, saints that sin or saints sinning dont necessarily make them outright sinners
(i.e. this is because of 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:1-10, 1 John 1:8 and Hebrews 4:15-16)
- as a matter of fact & truth, if/when saints sin or when their world crumbles, saints can go/come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There, saints will receive His mercy, and will find assistance and grace to help saints when saints need it most (i.e. Hebrews 4:15-16)

Just to mention that Justification doesn't mean the justified wont sin.

He can sin.

Justification also doesn't mean the justified doesn't have to do anything else in order to go to heaven.

He does.

I see some people up there saying the opposite.

italo:
Just to mention that Justification doesn't mean the justified wont sin.

He can sin.

Justification also doesn't mean the justified doesn't have to do anything else in order to go to heaven.

He does.

I see some people up there saying the opposite.

You sure you're not the one missing it?

Gombs:


You sure you're not the one missing it?

If I'm missing it...St. Paul missed it.

Rom 7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.

St Paul was justified before he wrote that, yet he did evil.

1Cor9:27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

St Paul was justified yet he did more to avoid being disqualified.

italo:


If I'm missing it...St. Paul missed it.

Rom 7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.

St Paul was justified before he wrote that, yet he did evil.

1Cor9:27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

St Paul was justified yet he did more to avoid being disqualified.

Disqualified in what sense? That he was no longer justified?

FortresOfChrist:
I have been studying the doctrine of Justification for some time and I must say it's a deep doctrine that beats the human mind of what the Lord our fortress did for us. How can a just God declare a sinner righteous even with their sins because they are in Christ Lord our fortress and some still say they have sin in their lives? Another issue is how can a sinner be declared guiltless without works? This doctrine of justification and righteousness by faith is really the Lord our fortress doing. So my question is is one who is justified and declared righteous still a sinner? Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified? I need my brethren in this discussion please.

Justification is indeed a deep subject, an Apostolic doctrine as it is. It is part of the finished works of Christ but I will save time and go straight to your queries:

How can a just God declare a sinner righteous even with their sins because they are in Christ Lord our fortress and some still say they have sin in their lives?

Simple because, in Christ, we have no righteousness of our own but Christ has become our righteousness. God doesn't see us via our works or faults, but God sees us via the righteousness of Christ. Christ's experience becomes our experience just like If I place money inside an envelop and mail to you as a gift. The experience\movement of the envelop becomes the experience\movement of the money inside the envelop. Such is ours, IN Christ - He is our righteousness and our justification.

Being a sinner is by nature not by our works. We are not a sinner because we sinned but because we inherit the sin nature by Adam. So also, we are not righteous because we did something right, but because Christ became for us, righteousness and made us righteous.

King James Bible
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Romans 5:19

God doesn't see sin in the lives of those who he had declared righteous and those he had justified in Christ. Abraham had his faults and errors and missed the mark (sinned) but never was Abraham's sin recorded but instead, we was described as a perfect person. This is the works of Christ's finished works of Justification hidden in Abraham for believers. Heaven does not record the sins of believers because of Christ's righteousness\justifications, just like it never happened. God removed man from the equation and put Christ alone in the redemption!!!

Another issue is how can a sinner be declared guiltless without works?

Because your works didn't make God see you as righteous and declared you justified in the first place - it is because you're in Christ. So also, your works can't help God to declare you righteous.

King James Bible
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Romans 5:19

So my question is is one who is justified and declared righteous still a sinner?

No, one who is justified and declared righteous is not a sinner. Like a said, being a sinner is by nature, not because one did something wrong, just like being a male\female is by nature. The sin nature most time is what the Apostle dealt with but people misinterpreted as the act of sin and that's why they kept asking...."shall we continue in sin (act) that Grace may abound". Listen to the reply: How shall we who are dead to sin (nature) live therein in it? A dead man is no longer alive to an act...he's dead.

Does the bible teaches that one can be righteous, justified and at the same time be sinner after being declared justified?

No, the bible doesn't call or teach that one who is righteous or declared justified (in Christ) is still a sinner. Just as the Apostle taught the sin nature (outside of Christ via Adam), he also taught righteousness and justification as a nature\identity in Christ. You can't be a male and at the same time a female. You're either one but can't be both at the same time. You were once a sinner but now, righteous or the righteousness of God in Christ. Listen to this verse and pay attention to the tenses:

New International Version
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11

frosbel:
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?…" - Romans 6:1

First sin = acts
Second sin = nature or root.

Paul, the Apostle was dealing with the sin nature\root but they misunderstood it as the sin acts. The reply proves what he was addressing because they misunderstood his message of Grace as license to the sin acts. The root of sin which is the nature of sin is no longer there. So, he saying, how can a dead person live to the acts of sin anymore? You no longer have the sin nature but of righteousness. Why then do we still sin as act if the root is taken off or no longer there? That's another topic on its own that time will not permit me to deal with because one will think\assume the root of sin or nature of sin is the reason or cause for the acts of sin but scripture never taught it like that but rather scripture teaches, Christ is the vine and we the branches. If the vine\root is holy, believe also the tree and the branches will also be holy.

New International Version
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

King James Version (KJV)
For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Romans 11:16

Goshen360:


Disqualified in what sense? That he was no longer justified?

1 Cor 9:27

Castaway - 'adokimos'- 'rejected from testimony, with loss of future reward'

Reward isn't salvation

Goshen360:


Disqualified in what sense? That he was no longer justified?

Disqualified in the sense in bold below:

Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’

Those people were justified, since the were strong believers who even performed miracles in Jesus' name...yet they were disqualified.

Lord our fortress bless everyone for their contributions. I'm blessed reading from everyone.

Candour:
Dear sister FortresOfChrist, happy new year to you.

Most of those who have responded have answered well in my opinion as they've largely said the sane thing.

Justification makes us as though we never sinned. When God looks at you and I today, he doesn't see a sinner, he sees his own righteousness

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

God is the one who justifies you and nobody can declare you unjustified.

Romans 8:33 KJV
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

So be rest assured that your slate has been wiped clean and this will make you live victoriously over sin to the glory of him who gave so much for your redemption.

God bless you

Happy New Year sir. I want to ask sir, does your answers only deal with our past sin before we receive Christ or does it include our sins in the present state as Christians and future?

italo:
Just to mention that Justification doesn't mean the justified wont sin.

He can sin.

Justification also doesn't mean the justified doesn't have to do anything else in order to go to heaven.

He does.

I see some people up there saying the opposite.

Okay sir that's deep sir. Can you explain sir both statement. If he sin, is he still a sinner? What does he have to do again to go to heaven. Thanks sir