Dave spoke tonight from Hebrews 11 about saints – God’s people listed there as heroes of the faith. Most people have a very different understanding of the word, associating saints with God’s people, but generally thinking they must be particularly holy or close to God and generally must have been dead for a great many years! Eph 1:15-18 names these people as ‘God’s people’, His ‘holy people’, but the term ‘saint’ has now become a formalised religious term, instead of describing God’s chosen ones.
We sometimes associate particular attributes to saints, such as dedication. Saul was dedicated to God in pursuit of Christians originally, but it was not until his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus that he was converted and thus became a saint. All those saved by God are saints; they are made holy by God. He is the one who determines our status. We are made holy by Him, set apart for His work, and our role is now to live in such a way as to glorify Him. Saints are not perfect, pious people; they are simply those who seek God and seek to follow Him, acknowledging their sinfulness and the work of God in them. Being a ‘saint’ is not about being perfect or even necessarily doing miraculous deeds. It is the term God uses for all He has called out of darkness, and as such, God’s children are also saints!
