Having a firm grasp of who we are is always healthy as Christians.  The problem is the easiest person to deceive is ourselves.  This is why the Bible encourages us to examine ourselves.  When we are aware of our weaknesses, we can both overcome them and strengthen ourselves as servants of God.

One thing we should all be aware of is that we are sinners.  This does not mean that we are living in sin.  We should all be walking in the light.  This is the only way that we can maintain fellowship with God (1 John 1:7).  Nevertheless, we have all sinned.  Being a sinner points to two things.  First, we have all been stained by sin.  We are all on equal ground when it comes to this.  We were created upright (Ecclesiastes 7:29), but, at some point, we all chose to sin.

Romans 3:9 (ESV)
⁹  What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,

Romans 3:23 (ESV)
²³  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Remembering this keeps us humble and leads to being blessed by God.

Matthew 5:3 (ESV)
³  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Who are the poor in spirit?  They are those who recognize their true spiritual state without Christ.  We are all spiritually poor, apart from the blessings that come from being redeemed, but not everyone is poor in spirit.  The word spirit here refers to our attitude or disposition.  To be poor in spirit is to recognize that we are helpless without Christ (John 15:1-5).

Being a sinner also suggests that we all sin from time to time.  If you think that you never sin, you are deceiving yourself.

1 John 1:8-10 (ESV)
⁸  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

None of us are so strong that we never stumble in any way.  Jesus is the only one who lived a perfect life, qualifying Him to be our Savior.  The rest of us are imperfect.  Realizing that we are sinners should help us when dealing with those who either have never obeyed the gospel or have fallen away from the faith.  We should not treat them poorly, as if we are better than they are because we are not.  We should try to help anyone who is living in sin, but we should do so with the right spirit.

Galatians 6:1 (ESV)
¹  Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Love and gentleness are always in order when trying to bring a lost soul to Christ.  And don’t miss the importance of the last part of this verse.  We all can be tempted.  When we are attempting to bring someone back who has left Christ, we should remember this and treat them the same way we would want to be treated if we stumble.

One more thing.  Since we know we are sinners, that is, that we are susceptible to sin, we should always be alert, keeping our guard up and armor on, lest we be overtaken by the devil.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things