HoHum:
Two brothers were convicted of stealing sheep many years ago in England. In accordance with the punishment of those days, they were branded in the forehead with the letters “ST” for sheep thief. One brother, unable to bear the stigma, fled to a foreign country where he died full of bitterness and was buried in a forgotten grave. The other brother chose not to run away. He said, “I can’t get away from the fact that I once stole sheep, but I will remain here and make the best of it. I’ll change my way of living, do what’s right and try to get back the respect of my neighbors, as well as my own self respect.” The years passed, and he gradually established a reputation for his integrity and respectability, his honesty and worth. Then one day a stranger was in town and he happened to notice this old man with the letters “ST” branded on his forehead. He asked one of the local people what that meant. After pondering for a while, the villager said, “It all happened so long ago that I can’t remember the particulars. But I really think the letters are an abbreviation for the word “Saint.”
Thesis: A Christian Is... A Saint. Several questions tonight
For instances:
I. What is a saint?
The Greek word translated “saint” in the NT is used 56 times. This word can also be translated as “holy ones” or “sanctified ones.” Literally the word means “to be set apart, to belong exclusively to God.”
In the OT we read that the temple and many objects in the temple were sanctified or holy. Priests were called holy. They were all set apart because they belonged exclusively to God. In the NT, however, we do not read of holy places or holy objects. We read only about holy people.
Peter says this: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”” 1 Peter 1:15, 16, NIV.
Paul tells us that God: “has saved us and called us to a holy life” 2 Timothy 1:9, NIV.
Every Christian Is a Saint:
Paul called the Roman, Corinthian, Ephesian, Philippian, and Colossian Christians saints in NT
Because of years of false teachings, many view saints as super spiritual Christians, an elite group. Talk to the average person today and a saint is a person who is extraordinarily good. St. so and so everywhere, St. Peter, St. Benedict, St. Joe, St. Bernards. Even the best Christians are hesitant to refer to themselves as saints because of this false idea of what it means to be a saint.
How does a saint live?
According to the Bible we become saints the moment we become a Christian. The word “saint” does not mean “morally perfect.” When Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth he addressed them as “saints.” Read these letters to the Corinthians and we will soon discover these Christians were far from being “saint like” in the way we define the word today. In spite of their immaturity, worldliness and confusion Paul referred to them as saints.
Saints are to abstain from certain things:
“You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” Acts 15:29, NIV.
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11, NIV.
Abstain from all forms of impurity: “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7, NIV.
Many groups have rules that expand on this: don’t dance, don’t play cards or dice, don’t go to movies, don’t drink, don’t shoot pool, don’t go the swimming pool. Women must wear long skirts, never cut their hair and never wear make up or jewelry. Jack Cottrell said that to these people God is “The Great Prohititor who does nothing but erect stop signs and sit behind billboards waiting for us to run them.” Carlos Ortiz said that he grew up in a strict church. He said they had all kinds of rules as to what a Christian was not supposed to do. They even said Christians should not whistle because this was the sound the serpent made when he approached EVe. He also said, “We did not, however, have any rule against gossiping.”
We need to abstain from certain things but many times this is abused. Focused more on externals like the Pharisees who had a rule for everything. “Their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”” Matthew 15:9, NIV.
B. Saints are to be like God
“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.” Ephesians 4:22-24
Holiness also refers to what we do, is not limited to what we do not do. Saints, by their actions and attitudes, are to show that God lives in us; that we are seeking to follow in His footsteps. In his letter to the Colossians Paul spelled out some of the positive qualities we are to develop in our lives as holy people: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14, NIV.
Holy people reject simply living for themselves and seek in every way possible to be of service to others. Holy people strive to be kind and loving in their relationship with others. Holy people show respect and reverence for the things of God. Holy people are thoughtful, generous, honest, truthful, full of compassion. Holy people watch their thoughts and words as well as their actions. Holiness means we love what God loves and we hate what God hates. Some people are like the man who said to a preacher: “I’ve got religion.” “That’s wonderful! Are you going to lay aside all sin?” “Yes, indeed!” “Are you going to attend church?” “Yes, indeed!” Are you going to help the poor?” “Yes, indeed!” “Are you going to pay your debts?” “Now wait a minute preacher. That’s not religion, that’s business.”
Why should we be saints (holy)?
Because God wants us to be holy. “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified” 1 Thessalonians 4:3, NIV. This is God’s plan for us. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” Ephesians 1:4, NIV.
To be useful for God. That is what being holy is about, set apart for God. “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20, 21, NIV.
So we can be powerful in our prayer life. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;” Psalms 66:18, NIV. God is perfect and can’t abide sin in us. If we knowingly tolerate sin in our lives, it pushes God away from us. As a result, it makes our prayers powerless.
So that we can see God. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no-one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14, NIV.
How can we be a saint (a Christian)?
We have to be called. “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” Romans 1:7, NIV.
How are we called? By the gospel. “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14, NIV. The gospel reveals God’s plan for saving people from their sins with facts to believe (Jesus and his death, burial and resurrection), with commands to obey (believe, repent, confess, be baptized), and with promises to receive (“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23, NIV.)
Every time the gospel is preached, God is calling people to become saints. Those who hear are encouraged to obey. Those who obey are washed, justified and sanctified. Those who are sanctified are set apart, consecrated for God’s purpose; they are saints.
Invitation:
Lester Roloff told about visiting a friend in Massillon, Ohio who had a number of pigeons. During the visit his friend showed him one of the birds and said, “See this bird. She just flew 500 miles from St. Louis to Massillon non stop.” Roloff interrupted his host: Come on, non stop! How do you know? You weren’t there.” His host replied: “There’s a simple way to know. She came in clean.” “What do you mean, she came in clean?” responded Roloff. His host replied: “When she came in she had no maize chaff on her to make me think she had stopped. This tells me that she came in clean, that she flew all day long, non stop. There was only one thing she thought of: ‘I must get home; there’ll be somebody standing in the backyard waiting for me.” God wants us to “come home clean,” free from the muck and mire of this depraved world. He is waiting to welcome us and exchange our earthy clothes with our white robe.
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23
