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WHAT IS A SAINT? By Jean Jantzen
" God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners" –Soren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher and theologian 1813-1855I thought "What is a saint?" is a very good question because everyone has a differing opinion on this subject. Many denominations, especially Roman Catholics, believe that a saint is a person who has died and gone to heaven. Then that person has to be recognized as holy and have sainthood bestowed upon them by the church. "When Pope John Paul canonized Blessed John Dukla, a Bernardine Franciscan, in Poland on June 10 during a pastoral visit to his homeland, the new saint was the 278th [this is out of a billion members [emphasis added] that this Pope has proclaimed since he was elected in 1978." SAINT is defined as: In Christianity, a holy person, living or dead; who has been saved. Saint is the French word for holy. Many churches reserve the title of saint for persons who have died faithful to their Christian commitment. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church require certain procedures before people can be officially named saints; this procedure is called canonization. (The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition) Does that mean that only the few are so recognized? Does God’s Word tell the story differently? How does the scripture define the word "saint"? The word saint comes from the Greek word "hagios" which means "consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious." The word "saint" is almost always used in the plural. It is a group of people set apart for Jesus Christ and His kingdom. Still, we get the crazy idea that a saint is otherworldly, that it is something definitely beyond our reach…that it is impossible to be holy. God does say be holy for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44) We are right—for us it is impossible. But Paul says with Christ all things are possible. And we see in Ephesians a blueprint for holiness. Ephesians 1 tells us whom and what a saint is. In the first verse in the letter to the Ephesians, Paul is addressing who he is writing to… he is writing to "the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus." So all the church members are called saints! (Romans 1:7, 1Corinthians 1:2, Philippians 1:1, Colossians1:2) They have not gone to heaven, nor are only certain ones singled out by Paul or the church at Ephesus. Paul goes on to say that Christ "chose us [his saints] in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [Christ] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us …In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…" We are chosen by God to be saints! Paul continues to remind the members [saints] of the Ephesus Church that "Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession… I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints." So the saints are sealed with the gift of God’s Spirit. That is what identifies them and gives them the ability to be a saint. Not some ceremony given by a group of high ranking biased officials of some church after you’re dead.The apostle Paul continues to encourage the saints in the Church at Ephesus when he tells them, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians 2). Paul wants them to understand how much Christ loves them and is rooting for them. The saints are called by God, given His spirit and encouraged to grow and develop godly character and to ultimately receive eternal life at His return. I Corinthians 1:2 states it clearly, "To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy…" The words "sanctified" and "holy" come from the same Greek root as the word that is commonly translated "saints." Christians are saints by virtue of their connection with Jesus Christ. Christians are called to be saints, to increasingly allow their daily life to more closely match their position in Christ. This is the Biblical description and calling of the saints. "For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:18-20). He then gives clear instructions how to fulfill that role of saint. Paul continues to address, exhort, and encourage the saints [congregation] of the Ephesus Church in this a new way of life for them, "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called…You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness ." … Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4) This is great advice for each of us as we continue to develop the holy characteristics of God as saints of the Most High."Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power… Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground" (Ephesians 6). The reason there is so much information on instruction in righteousness in Paul’s letters to the churches is that they (the saints) are newly called into the faith after the death of Jesus and it is Paul’s job as apostle to encourage them to stay faithful to Jesus Christ. So now we understand that saints are just ordinary people from every walk of life specially called to be holy as God is holy. It is up to God and us how we do in our journey. We need not wait till we die, nor do we need to wait for canonization to be called saints. For we have sure promises and can say with Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord…shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Timothy4:7-8). |
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