I am not certain how common this is in other areas, but it is very common here and among "Christian superstars". Sin was (could still be) the pattern of the life of Jimmy Swaggert. Benny Hinn is as phoney as a three dollar bill, but some people think He is God's right hand man.
And one more thing -- sin is no longer the deciding factor in our relationship with Christ. Romans 3:23 is constantly ignored on this forum by several who want to make personal and individual righteousness the issue that determines our saving relationship (is there another kind) with the Lord. You know what it says but I will remind you: All have sinned and fall short (present tense action -- "are falling short even as we speak") of the glory of God. There are three venues in which sin works its ugly will, two of which are pertinent to this discussion: historical sin and sins of character. Smoking, drinking, cursing, doping, etc are sins commited in time -- they are historical, having a beginning and an ending. Sins of character are very different. They are with us all the time and form the basis for those things we commit (the historical sin). Pride, conceit, bigotry, anger, selfishness, and the life and so we sin and continually fall short of the glory of God.
This is why John can say that we "have sin" at any time (I Jo 1:8.) We are no better than those whom we dispise. It is Christ who makes us right. It is His faith and victory that saves and this never changes. We always need Him and are always lost without Him.
John
