Monday after Trinity XI - Devotion in semi-Exile
Lection for Monday after Trinity XI
1 Kings 5:1-18 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17
The other day, someone asked me the other day about ‘saints.’ Aren’t saints holy? Who are the saints? What does it take to become a saint? The question was brought about because of the fact that they read that it was St. Mary, Mother of our Lord day. I thought it was a good opportunity to address this question in a more public forum, for I am sure that others have similar questions.
Hey, it is my blog, I can do this here if I want to. While it is not technically a “devotion,” it is devotional.
What exactly does it mean to be holy? Holy is to be sinless, without sin. We know that there is no one that is sinless. In fact, we know from the Psalmist that we are all born sinful. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5 ESV) So, if we are sinful and nothing good dwells in us, that is in our flesh, as Paul explains his own struggles with sin (see Romans 7), then who can be holy?
We also know that God cannot abide the presence of that which is unholy, wicked, or stained with sin. So, to be granted a place in God’s kingdom, we must be holy, perfect, sinless. That is precisely why the Son of God came to earth and took on human flesh. He came to take our sinfulness into Himself and grant to us His righteousness, thereby making us holy. Peter proclaims, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9‑10 ESV)
All those who have faith in Christ, have been clothed with Christ; all these are holy. Now, to be holy is to be nothing more than a saint. When we go to the Greek, the word saint means “holy one.” To be a saint is to be holy.
Now, who exactly is to be called holy? Who is to be called a saint? Those who trust Christ alone for salvation are holy and are to be called such. All believers in Christ are to be called God’s holy ones, His saints.
Unfortunately, calling someone holy or calling someone a saint isn’t very prevalent in today’s Christian culture. It wasn’t always this way. According to the King James Version of the Bible, there are ninety-six instances of living people being called saints. Paul addresses a number of his letters (called Epistles) to “saints” (see Rom. 1:7, 1 Cor. 1:2, 2 Cor. 1:1, Eph. 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Col. 1:2).
Having now said this, I would stand in good company with many others were I to greet the members of my congregations with the title of Saint: St. Dorothy, St. Pauline, St. Robert, St. Nathan, and many others. They are indeed saints because they have been cleansed of all sin by the blood of Christ and stand redeemed and holy through the forgiveness of their sins.
1 Kings 5:1-18 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17
The other day, someone asked me the other day about ‘saints.’ Aren’t saints holy? Who are the saints? What does it take to become a saint? The question was brought about because of the fact that they read that it was St. Mary, Mother of our Lord day. I thought it was a good opportunity to address this question in a more public forum, for I am sure that others have similar questions.
Hey, it is my blog, I can do this here if I want to. While it is not technically a “devotion,” it is devotional.
What exactly does it mean to be holy? Holy is to be sinless, without sin. We know that there is no one that is sinless. In fact, we know from the Psalmist that we are all born sinful. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5 ESV) So, if we are sinful and nothing good dwells in us, that is in our flesh, as Paul explains his own struggles with sin (see Romans 7), then who can be holy?
We also know that God cannot abide the presence of that which is unholy, wicked, or stained with sin. So, to be granted a place in God’s kingdom, we must be holy, perfect, sinless. That is precisely why the Son of God came to earth and took on human flesh. He came to take our sinfulness into Himself and grant to us His righteousness, thereby making us holy. Peter proclaims, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9‑10 ESV)
All those who have faith in Christ, have been clothed with Christ; all these are holy. Now, to be holy is to be nothing more than a saint. When we go to the Greek, the word saint means “holy one.” To be a saint is to be holy.
Now, who exactly is to be called holy? Who is to be called a saint? Those who trust Christ alone for salvation are holy and are to be called such. All believers in Christ are to be called God’s holy ones, His saints.
Unfortunately, calling someone holy or calling someone a saint isn’t very prevalent in today’s Christian culture. It wasn’t always this way. According to the King James Version of the Bible, there are ninety-six instances of living people being called saints. Paul addresses a number of his letters (called Epistles) to “saints” (see Rom. 1:7, 1 Cor. 1:2, 2 Cor. 1:1, Eph. 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Col. 1:2).
Having now said this, I would stand in good company with many others were I to greet the members of my congregations with the title of Saint: St. Dorothy, St. Pauline, St. Robert, St. Nathan, and many others. They are indeed saints because they have been cleansed of all sin by the blood of Christ and stand redeemed and holy through the forgiveness of their sins.
Can any person be declared holy, or called a saint? According to the witness of Holy Scripture we must answer, “Yes!” Yes, solely by the grace of God. Indeed, all who trust in Christ are Christ’s holy people, His saints. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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