THE APOSTLE, SAINT JOHN
First century AD Believer
SAINT JOHN
21st century believer
DEFINITION OF SAINTHOOD
I don’t know if you ever thought about what the definition of “Saint of God” means, so here it is!
The word ‘saint’ means one who is sanctified or set apart for God. It is not a statement of one’s spiritual status that only a few Christians attain. On the contrary, a saint is anyone who has a living relationship with God through his mercy and grace expressed in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So, Hallelujah, you and I are saints of God, if, and when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! How can we be so sure? From the earliest writings we see that the leaders of the faith called all true believers, saints. So, let us look at the scriptures.
Paul writing to the churches addresses them as saints.
Romans 1:6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
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.
1Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
1 Corinthians 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:
2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
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:
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We can see by these writings that those who accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, were called saints immediately! Were they perfect? No! No one but Jesus ever lived a perfect life, but we are all saved by grace! Let us further confirm this with scriptures.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
So, does that mean I can accept Jesus Christ as my savior and then live anyway I want? NO!
Interestingly, that same question came up in the early church!
Paul writes to the church in Rome the following.
Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
I highly recommend that you take the time to study the book of Romans as a guide to Godly living.
So, where have we come to in our thought process?
Answer. We are not saints because of our perfect living, but rather because we have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and through His sacrifice on Calvary, He paid the price for us, so we can be and are, saints of the most high God!
Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus!!
Written by John H. Dumke, Sr, 7/14/2025