This word saint brings to the minds of many, an idyllic state that a person who has died enters if he has done some great work on this earth. Some religions bestow sainthood on those who have performed, in their opinion, miracles. The hierarchy of the church will go through its process to determine if the person qualifies for sainthood. Some of the qualifications are; waiting five years after their death, doing an investigation into their life, finding proof of heroic virtue, verification of miracles by this person, and finally a canonization by the church. Sheeesz, what a process!
The word saint simply means “holy ones.” It means to be set apart as belonging to God. Guess what? That means all who have given their lives to him, and are living to please him, are saints! We become a saint as soon as we repent of our sins and place our faith in him. There is no waiting for death to declare us saints. There is no man that can make that determination based on our works. It has already been taken care of by God.
The Apostle Paul refers to believers many times as saints. In Philemon 1:7, we are to love the saints. In Romans 8:27, we are to pray for them, and in Romans 12:13 and 15:25, Paul instructs us to minister to them. Paul uses this term a few other times as salutations at the beginning of some of his letters.
Romans 1:7 “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
1Colossians 1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”
Ephesians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:”
Peter also referred to Christians as saints in Acts 9:32. In I Corinthians 6:2, Paul instructs the saints to judge their own matters. If one Christian has a grievance against another he is not to take it to those outside the church, but is to be settled within the church by the saints.
In Ephesians 5:3, he instructs saints to not be involved in sins such as fornication, uncleanness, or covetousness. They are to be a good example to a watching world. We are called Christians and should emulate Christ.
In I Thessalonians 3:13, we are to live a life that is worthy of the name of Jesus Christ, so when he returns there could be no “charge” or “accusation” against us.
In the New Testament alone, there are 61 references to saints, and all but four deal with those still alive. Those dealing with the deceased are Matthew 27:52 where the saint’s spirit will be reunited with their body at the second coming of Christ. In Revelation 5:8, the saint’s prayers are stored in a golden vile and when released they are as a fragrant odor to Heaven. In Revelation 11:18, the saints will be rewarded, and in Revelation 15:3 the Lord God Almighty is declared as the King of the saints.
So, are you a saint? If you have repented and placed your faith in Christ, God declares you a saint! It’s that simple. It is amazing to me that our redemption was such a horrible process for God the Father and His Son Jesus, yet, he made it such a simple thing for us to attain. With that process, we receive a new destination, a new spirit, a new purpose, a new hope, a new love, and a new name: SAINT!
