What comes to mind when you hear the word “Saint”?
Perhaps for most people, this would represent someone that has led an exemplary life of devotion, spirituality, religion and good works in service and dedication to God. Generally, Saints are regarded as exceptionally “good” people who are immortalized in remembrance after death by being canonized as a Saint!
We need to recognize that this view or idea of a saint is very different to how the word is used by Paul in 1 Corinthians. Paul uses the word saint in conjunction with those that have been sanctified. Basically, the reference to the believers as saints was the recognition that they had been set apart for God, they were a holy people having been declared righteous and sanctified through the work of Jesus Christ. (The only way to become a saint). Therefore, every believer and follower of Jesus Christ is a saint. The concept of being a holy people set apart for God and His purposes would have been very familiar with the Jewish converts, as they recalled passages such as Exodus 31vs13 or Leviticus 11vs45 and 19vs2.
In the New Testament, for me a passage that sums up and describes well what is intended when a believer is referred to as a saint would be 1Peter 2vs9-10, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
This week on Sunday Lord willing, we will be considering what is intended, expected and what it looks like to live as “sanctified saints”, after all this is what we have been called to.
Your fellow servant in Christ
Dave