“Saints” – Romans Part 1
Opening Illustration: Almena Your Words from Blue Fish TV – This clip talks about the willingness on our part to give God all of our lives!
Thesis: Paul tells us in Romans 1 that we are called to be saints. A saint is an individual who has 7 spiritual qualities.
Scripture Text: Romans 1:1-7
The Holy Bible, New International Version.
Ro 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God
Ro 1:2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures
Ro 1:3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David,
Ro 1:4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ro 1:5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
Ro 1:6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
Ro 1:7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Message: Romans 1:1-7
I, Paul, am a devoted slave of Jesus Christ on assignment, authorized as an apostle to proclaim God’s words and acts. I write this letter to all the Christians in Rome, God’s friends. The sacred writings contain preliminary reports by the prophets on God’s Son. His descent from David roots him in history; his unique identity as Son of God was shown by the Spirit when Jesus was raised from the dead, setting him apart as the Messiah, our Master. Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus. You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus Christ! And I greet you now with all the generosity of God our Father and our Master Jesus, the Messiah.
Introduction: Jon Stensrud states this about the Historical impact of the book of Romans in the history of the world from His sermon Introduction to the book of Romans on sermoncentral.com.
Martin Luther in his book “Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans” argues that:
“This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian’s while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes. Therefore I want to carry out my service and, with this preface, provide an introduction to the letter, insofar as God gives me the ability, so that every one can gain the fullest possible understanding of it. . . . it is in itself a bright light, almost bright enough to illumine the entire Scripture.”
John Calvin said that, "When anyone gains a knowledge of this Epistle he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture."
F.F. Bruce is quoted as saying "Time and again in the course of human history {Romans} has liberated the minds of men, brought them back to an understanding of the essential gospel of Christ, and started spiritual revolutions.”
Warren W. Wiersbe: in his commentary on the book of Romans tells the story of a man whose life was changed by this book and who in turned changed the lives of literally millions of men and women:
"On May 24, 1738, a discouraged missionary went ’very unwillingly’ to a religious meeting in London. There a miracle took place. ’About a quarter before nine,’ he wrote in his journal, ’I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’
That missionary was John Wesley. The message he heard that evening was the preface to Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. Just a few months before, Wesley wrote in his journal: ’I went to America to convert the Indians; but Oh! who shall convert me?’ That evening in Aldersgate Street, his question was answered. And the result was the great Wesleyan Revival that swept England and transformed the nation."
The book of Romans is to Christianity what the Declaration of Independence is to America and the Magna Charta is to Great Britain! It can set you free if you study it and believe it.
So we are as a church going to take the next few months to study this wonderful book and to use it to grow and mature in our faith with the Lord. So lets begin by reading Romans 1:1-7: (see above)
As I read our first seven verses of this powerful book, a phrase in the NIV leaped out at me in verse seven, “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.” This phrase echoed in my mind over and over and the Lord drew my attention to the word “saint.”
What is a Saint? – What makes one a Saint?
• Is the type of “saint” Paul is referring too in this passage look like Roger Moore from the TV series “The Saint?”
o The Saint TV show was a spy action series about a thief who only stole from criminals and then usually got them caught and put in prison. He was kind of a "self-hired and self-paid" law enforcement officer. That would be a good enough story line in itself, but there’s another twist! He was constantly chased by a real lawman called Inspector Teal who didn’t see the difference between The Saint (Simon Templar) and any other criminal! That kept Simon looking over his shoulder while he went after the loot!
o See picture on Power point along with theme song on the TV show “The Saint”.
o But his is not the type of “saint” that Paul was referring to though:
• What a about the New Orleans “Saints?” This is a NFL football team and is Paul referring to one of their players? They would be called “saints.”
o No Paul did not mean this kind of “saint.”
• Is the type of “saint” Paul is referring to one of the many “Sainted” saints of the Roman Catholic Church?
o There are more than 10,000 Roman Catholic saints. It is important to note that Saints should not be "worshipped" according to strict Christian terminology. Worship should be reserved for God alone, whereas Saints should be venerated, respected, and viewed as role models.
o The Roman Catholic process of sainthood and of being canonized to the special status of sainthood has no valid biblical basis and we are told by the Word that we are only to pray to God through Jesus Christ. First Timothy 2:5 states, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” But for what ever reason the Roman Catholic church has adopted a sainthood policy. Here is their process of sainthood if you so desire to “sainted”:
SAINTHOOD 101: Rules for Becoming a Saint
In the Catholic tradition, every once in a rare while a human being will lead a life of such incredible virtue that they are deemed to be closer to God than the rest of us, so close they can even bring about miracles. Such a person, man or woman, of any race of nationality, is declared after their death to be a saint. Saints play an important role in Catholicism, providing a human model of perfect virtue. It is also widely believed that a saint in heaven can speak directly to God on behalf of a desperate or ill human being. Thus, for example, many Catholics pray to St. Jude when they are in trouble. The best known saints are ancient – St. Jude, St. Augustine, St. Francis, St. Anne, etc. – but new saints are named in every generation (Pope John Paul II has canonized some 280) and undoubtedly there are people living today who will one day be sainted.
So what does one have to do to become a saint in the Roman Catholic Church?
The following are the basic steps to becoming a saint:
1) The candidate must be deceased for a minimum of five years
2) Even in our modern, fast-paced society, the candidate must have lived a life of extraordinary asceticism, self-denial, faith, good works and inspirational virtue, often helping the poor and sick
3) The candidate must be recognized for two posthumous miracles (when The Third Miracle was written, three were required) verified by a scientific board appointed by the Vatican
3) Once it is determined that the candidate has led a life of holiness, he or she is declared a Servant of God and the investigation of their candidacy begins
4) A postulator is appointed on the candidate’s behalf, undertaking an exhaustive investigation into his or her life, works, writings, sayings, family life, early history, etc. – digging for any small thing that might be inconsistent with tireless faith and Church teachings
5) Witnesses (if still alive) are called to appear before a church tribunal and further evidence is gathered
6) A positioning paper presenting the case of the saint is handed to the Bishop
7) If the Bishop agrees with the evidence, he passes on the report to the Vatican’s Congregation of Saints
8) If the Congregation and the Pope agree that the person lived a virtuous life, the candidate is named a "Venerable."
9) This completes the investigation of the candidate’s earthly life. Now, the Congregation undertakes the investigation of the two posthumous miracles, if they have occurred. If not, they wait. The first miracle earns the candidate beatification, the second assures sainthood.
10) Miracles are intensively scrutinized by both religious and scientific authorities. Medical miracles are examined by a board of five doctors who must unequivocally determine that no other possible explanation for a cure exists.
11) All cures must be instantaneous and complete (One potential candidate’s miracle – restoring the sight of a blind man – was rejected because the sight was only 90% restored). In the case of cancer, a ten year waiting period must assure that the patient doesn’t come out of remission
12) If the high standards for miracles are met, the Pope bestows the title of saint on the candidate
This is quite an extensive process and the truth is few of us would ever make “sainthoood” in the Roman Catholic Church.
But let’s get back to what the Bible says about this term “saint.”
I looked up the word “saint” and discovered this definition from my research: ONE SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD AND CONSECRATED TO GOD; ONE HOLY BY PROFESSION AND BY COVENANT; A BELIEVER IN CHRIST!
Duncan Ross states, “A saint, as the bible uses that word, does not refer to a technical or even special class of especially godly persons. The word “saint” as it is used in Scripture is a synonym for words like “believer,” and “Christian.”
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia tells us the following about what this word “saint” is describing:
A saint is a holy person. The term comes from the New Testament, where it is used to refer to all Christian believers. Over the years the term has grown to be used and accepted in other Christian, religious, and even secular contexts, to refer to those who are considered to be exceptionally virtuous or glorified in heaven. Hence a "saint" is a (usually deceased) person whose life is regarded by a community as a good example, and their life story is remembered for sake of inspiring others.
Biblically, though, the term saint is correctly applied to anyone who believes Jesus Christ is Lord. To believe in Jesus demands obedience and conformity to His will. A saint bears true and faithful witness to Christ in speech and in life-style. To be a saint is a present reality when a believer seeks to let the Spirit form Christ within their hearts and inner spirit. A few scripture verse refer to this process:
Romans 8:29: For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Galatians 4:19: My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…
Ephesians 4:13: …until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
The truth is we become a saint when we become “Born Again” and the Spirit of the Lord seeks mold us into the image of Jesus with our lives.
Reality Check: A saint is not an “aint,” because the Spirit of Christ adds “S” to “aint” and makes the “aint” a “saint.”
T.S. – So lets take a deeper look at what the Bible says a “saint” is and isn’t!
I. Saints are ones who are righteous
a. Righteousness is defined as being able to stand in the presence of God in a right relationship with Him.
i. Romans 1: 16, 17: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
ii. We can not achieve righteousness on our own because we are unable to make ourselves right with God. Righteousness comes from God’s gift of Jesus. This is one of the things that we need to remember when we partake of Communion.
1. Romans 3:10 “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one…”
a. No one is able to achieve righteousness by their own good works therefore they must receive it as a means of God’s grace and it comes to the person through the confession of faith in Jesus.
b. Righteousness is the result of a person repenting and asking Jesus to forgive them of their sins. Upon the confession of their sins and the request for Jesus to enter their heart then righteousness takes over in this person.
c. This statement of faith in Jesus also justifies us in the sight of God and to His law. Righteousness – justification –sanctification and salvation all go hand in hand!
b. Righteousness is bestowed on an individual because of what Jesus did on the cross for us.
i. His righteousness becomes our righteousness when we are in right relationship to Him according to the Apostle Paul.
ii. Parsons dictionary states, “Faith is called a “condition,” not because it possesses any merit, but only because it is the instrument, the only instrument by which the soul appropriates or apprehends Christ and his righteousness (Rom. 1:17; 3:25, 26; 4:20, 22; Phil. 3:8-11; Gal. 2:16).”
c. Reality Check: So righteousness is one of the character traits of a “saint” if a saint is not righteous then he or she is not a “saint!”
T.S. – Saints are blessed with the gift of right standing before God as a reward for repentance and for their confession of faith in Jesus Christ. This divine act of grace should so transform and individual’s life that after salvation they then become dispensers of good and no longer producers of evil in their lives.
II. Saints are ones filled with goodness and their life produces good works for the Kingdom of God.
a. When an “aint” becomes a “Saint” a transformation takes place in their heart which bestows the Spirit of the Lord within them and this brings a heart filled with goodness.
i. Parsons Dictionary tells us, “Good works, while not the ground, are the certain consequence of justification (Rom. 6:14; 7:6). (See GALATIANS, EPISTLE TO.)
1. The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM: Ro 6:11-14: Ro 6:11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Ro 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Ro 6:13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. Ro 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
2. Romans 7:6: “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”
b. Our gift of saint-hood according to the Word changes the way we act and the way we live our lives.
i. Romans 2:6-11: God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.
ii. Doing good according to Paul’s writings and much of the New Testament revolves around understanding our status as a “saint” of God and the responsibility that comes with this great gift and title.
c. Reality Check: This gift should compel us to produce good works for the glory of Jesus and for His Kingdom.
T.S. – Saints are producers of good works not because these make them more saintly but because they now live to honor and please God. These saints know that when they take on the name “Christian” and produce good works then they are claimed as God’s children.
III. Saints are claimed by God as His own children
a. In the Old Testament we see references like Psalm 16:3 where God speaks through David and says, “As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.”
i. But as we read the Word of God we discover that God not only delights in the saints but he actually adopts them as His own children.
1. James 1: 17-18: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.
2. 1 John 5:1-5 (New Testament in Modern Speech): Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God; and every one who loves the Father loves also Him who is the Father’s Child. 2The fact that we love God Himself, and obey His commands, is a proof that we love God’s children. 3Love for God means obedience to His commands; and His commands are not irksome. 4For every child of God overcomes the world; and the victorious principle which has overcome the world is our faith. 5Who but the man that believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world?
3. 1 John 5:18-19 (NTMS): 8We know that no one who is a child of God lives in sin, but He who is God’s Child keeps him, and the Evil one cannot touch him. 19We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the Evil one.
b. Reality Check: The truth is a saint is one who is a child of God and this means that our Father will protect us from the Evil One just like a earthly father will protect his family.
T.S. – A saint is no longer and “aint” because they have attained the status as a child of God and the result is they are gifted with sainthood. Since we are therefore God’s children and He paid the price to adopt us and to deliver us from evil then we must realize that He really does own our lives.
IV. Saints are owned by God because He paid the price for our lives
a. When we were an “aint” it meant that were not owned by God because we really belonged to our evil Father the Devil. But when we became “Born Again” we then become the property and part of the family of the Lord.
i. Job 33:6: Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay.
1. Job knew that he belonged to God – his whole being- everything about him was God’s not his!
2. This realization to Job helped him deal with all the hardships that life had dealt him.
3. I am not sure that many confessing Christians today think like Job did – that is that they are owned by God and therefore they must live their lives to serve and honor Him.
b. The truth is Jesus paid the price to actually own us – He paid it with His own life.
i. He does own us – I know this phrase wrestles up against our American independent mindset.
1. Americans do not like to think that anyone owns them! They get bombarded all the way through their life that no one owns them!
2. In the Bible there are many references to the fact that if we are a saint then God actually owns us!
ii. We don’t even like the thought that someone actually owns our life or our things!
iii. But the apostle Paul accepted this fact and he expresses it in our first few verses in Romans 1.
1. Why did Paul acknowledge that he was a slave of Jesus?
2. The reason is because he understood what it meant to be a “saint” and he understood that the Lord Jesus gave His up so that he could be delivered from a horrible fate.
iv. But in spite of what our American mindset says “We are owned by God if we have become a saint and a child of His!”
1. Everything belongs to Him even our money!
2. Video Illustration: In God We Trust! From Faith Visuals
c. Here is a reality check for our American independent mindsets – what do we really own?
i. If you have mortgage on your house then the bank owns it.
ii. If you do not pay your taxes on your home then the Government can take your home.
iii. If you owe money on your car then the bank owns it.
iv. Yet Jesus purchased our wretched life with His blood and His life and He then gave us the gift of salvation and right standing with God. A gift from above and yet many do not even want to think that all they have or own or even possess belongs to God.
v. Yet the fact is – it’s all His even our lives!
d. Illustration: Bruce Larson tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ:
"For many years I worked in New York City and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with this yes-or-no decision. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the RCA Building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a beautifully proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden. ’Now that’s one way to live,’ I would point out to my companion, ’trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now come across the street with me.’
On the other side of Fifth Avenue is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and there behind the high altar is a little shrine of the boy Jesus, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort he is holding the world in one hand. My point was illustrated graphically.
We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, ’I give up, Lord; here’s my life. I give you my world, the whole world.’" SOURCE: Bruce Larson, Believe and Belong.
e. Reality Check: God owns all those who call themselves “saint” and he even owns all their things and he desires them to be used for a divine purpose not a selfish purpose.
T.S. – The truth is God does own us and He did pay the ultimate price for us. He does desire us to live for Him because of this great gift so that in turn He can actually bless us. But this conflicts with our American mindset of rugged individualism and we resist it to our own detriment. If we understand our position in Christ we also understand that saints are set apart by God for divine purpose.
V. Saints are set apart by God for His own divine purposes
a. Rick Warren in his book The Purpose Driven Life tells us that we all have a purpose for our lives and it is revealed to us through God. we can never understand or even discover our divine purpose without God because it all starts with Him.
b. Here are some quotes from his book that we need to take a few moments to reflect on:
i. Warren, “When you live in the light of eternity, your values change” (38).
ii. Warren, “This life is preparation for the next” (37).
iii. Warren, “Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purpose for your life, and nothing can compensate for not knowing them” (29).
iv. Warren, “The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness” (17).
c. The reality is God has set us apart to do a specific task for Him with our lives. Therefore we as saints need to discover what it is and then do it!
i. The Lord wants us to do His will with our lives and not live our life for our own selfish reasons. The reason the Lord requires this of the Saint is because He really made our life possible and He desires to make an eternal difference with our life.
1. Ross states the following, “Key to remember is that Saints are consecrated by God – they do not attain it on their own —which is the setting apart of the individual as one of the company whom God has in a peculiar way made His own— this springs not from man himself, but from God Himself who after being invited by the lost person into their life makes them a saint. It is a divine act of grace and not something achieved by the character of the individual.”
2. With this truth ringing in our ears and having the understanding of this great blessing being bestowed on our lives we should want to discover what God’s will is for our life and then do it.
d. Illustration: Oswald Chambers writes, "A saint’s life is in the hands of God as a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see; He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says, "I cannot stand any more." But God does not heed; He goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly." -- Oswald Chambers in The Love of God. Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 12. Contributed to sermon central by: Mark Beaird
e. Illustration: That great saint and missionary pioneer, Hudson Taylor said, "The real secret of an unsatisfied life lies too often in an unsurrendered will." Halfhearted obedience satisfies neither us, nor God. Contributed to sermon central by: Mary Lewis
f. Reality Check: God has a divine purpose for every saint on this earth and He wants us to come to Him and discover it and then do it for the glory of the Kingdom. This act will make a difference for all of eternity!
T.S. – Saints are set apart by God for a specific divine purpose with their life and they are also called by God to be a living visible witness to the power and presence of the Lord who resides in their lives.
VI. Saints are called by God to be His witness to this lost world.
a. Saints are called by God to be living breathing witnesses to the Gospel and to its power to transform a life.
i. Remember Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
1. We know that when a believer allows the Holy Spirit to take full control in his life then they become supernatural witnesses for the Kingdom of God. Just like all the examples in the Book of Acts!
ii. Romans 8:28-30: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
iii. We are all to be witnesses to Jesus if we claim the title of “saint!”
1. This means that everyday when I get up I am promising the Lord that I will be His witness at school, at work, at home, at the mall, and even at the movies!
2. Holman Bible Dictionary: This concept of one’s person being involved in the witness informs the way witness is used to described the early believers. Believers were challenged by Christ Himself to be His witnesses throughout the world (Acts 1:8). As Jesus had indicated earlier, this witness is informed and empowered by the Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27). Throughout the New Testament, believers are instructed that their witness is to be true and faithful, reflected both in speech and life-style (Acts 4:33; 14:3; Heb. 10:15-17; 1 Thess. 2:10).
b. Reality Check: A saint is one who lives his life in such a Christ like way that they are living breathing testimonies for the Lord each and every day!
T.S. – Saints are called by God to represent Him to a lost world by choosing to live a life that is holy and pleasing to their Father in Heaven.
VII. Saints are expected by God to live worthy of their gift of sainthood by living a holy life.
a. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
i. Holiness is a character trait of a “saint” – this means that the person lives his life in holy way – pure and Godly way!
b. God says to his people in the Old and New Testaments, “Be holy [that is, LIVE holy] just as I am holy.” (Lev. 11:44).
i. A saint is, by definition, a person who has been sanctified or made holy in Christ.
1. Hebrews 10:10 says, “…we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Christ’s blood shed for us has washed away the defilement of our sin and we have been made as white as snow in God’s sight. If we truly believe on Jesus then we are holy, we are saints.
ii. Ross states, “The New Testament not only calls for this, it assumes saints will live holy lives. We see this in texts like Romans 16:2. Paul is speaking of a believing woman named Phoebe who will be coming to Rome and he says in verse two, “I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints…” Paul indicates there is a certain way saints would welcome Phoebe and he asks the Roman believers to live consistently with that. We see the same truth in Ephesians 5:3. “But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints;” There is a standard of behavior that is consistent with being a saint of God and Paul calls the Ephesians to live consistent with their status as saints. We grow in this lived-out holiness, but saints not only are holy in status before God, we must also live holy lives.
2. Holiness is a character trait of a saint and it will distinguish him or her from the rest of society.
a. A person’s holiness in their daily life will bring honor to their Father in Heaven and help point people to the One who made them holy.
3. Reality Check: A saint lives a holy life so as to honor and to please their Father in Heaven and to stand out in a society filled with unholy behavior.
Conclusion:
Illustration: A little boy was asked, "What is a saint?" He replied, "A saint is a person who lets the light shine through." Evidently he got this idea by watching the sun shine through the prophets and other great people of God in the stained-glass windows of his church. But he was certainly not far off base. A saint, or a person who is pure in heart, will let the light of God’s grace and mercy shine through. As that person’s heart remains pure, it remains transparent to God’s light. Contributed to sermon central by: Curtis Kittrell
We as saints were created to serve God and God is calling on us as a “Saint” to be what He has called us to be. Anyone who is a Christian and has accepted the Lord as their Savior is a “Saint”.
This means that you are no longer an “aint” because the Spirit has placed an “S” before “aint” and made you a “Saint.”
These “Saints” are known for their 7 character traits.
1. Saints are righteous
2. Saints are filled with goodness
3. Saints are claimed by God as His children
4. Saints are owned by God
5. Saints are set apart by God for His purposes.
6. Saints are called by God to be His witness to the world.
7. Saints are ones who live holy lives.
We as saints were created to serve God and God is calling on us as a “Saint” to be what He has called us to be.
Paul calls on us to be what we are in Christ “saints” and we need to be the light of the Gospel to others we come in contact with daily. We need to allow Him to shine through our lives here on earth so that others may be drawn to this divine light and then choose to become a saint themself.
