SAINTS

Did you celebrate All Saints Day yesterday?  It felt good to be done with Halloween's darkness.

Who are the saints and why do we celebrate them?  Men say certain people are saints by canonization, but who does God say the saints are?  Let's start at the beginning:

QUESTION:  What does the word "saint" mean?
The Greek word "hagios" (saint, holy one) means someone consecrated to God or "called out".  Saints are people set apart for the Lord and His work.

QUESTION:  How do you get to be a saint?
There are SIXTY-SEVEN times the Bible uses the word "saints" to refer to believers; only once is the word used as the singular noun "saint".  And in that one usage, saint is used in the larger sense ("Greet every saint in Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you." Philippians 4:21).

Saints are people who have asked Jesus to cover their sins and then live for Him.  

QUESTION: Where are the saints...in heaven or on earth?
Both.  But the majority of Bible verses that speak of saints, the verses are instructions to Christ's body, the church.

....."To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours" 1Corinthians 1:2

.....(Paul speaking of his persecution of Christians) "And I did so in Jerusalem.  I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them."  Acts 26:10

.....(Paul praying for the Ephesians) "...that since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened - so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints..."  Ephesians 1:18

.....(Ephesians 6:18) "With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints."

.....(Paul writing to the church at Rome)  "To those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints" Romans 1:7

.....(Paul preparing the Romans for Phoebe's arrival) "Welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many, including me." Romans 16:2

.....(Paul to Christians who were suing Christians in Corinth) "or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?  And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits?"  1 Corinthians 16:15

QUESTION:  What do the saints do?
In Ephesians 4, it says when Jesus ascended He gave gifts to men of preachers, teachers, prophets, and evangelists...to "equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ."

Why do we need full stature?  Sometimes I need it because I feel like I'm flopping around as I follow Him.  The passage goes on to say "Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth."

We learn from teachers/preachers/evangelists/prophets so that we can be equipped for the work of ministry (building up/adding to the body of Christ ).  We mature in Christ so that we can love others to Him.  That is our work on earth.

And at the same time we are also working out our sanctification, earning crowns, and clothing ourselves in righteous deeds.  My works do not save me; my shame has already been dealt with at the cross.  But as I follow the urging of the Holy Spirit, I am adding to my reward which will be distributed at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  There He will evaluate how well I have used the gifts He has given me for His kingdom... from the day of my salvation forward.

QUESTION:  What about the saints in heaven.  What do they do?  
The souls of saints above wait for the day of the Lord when they will regain their physical body and be like Him, once and for all, in a place without sin.  And they pray for justice on earth.

Should we pray to them?  WHY WOULD WE WANT A SIDEBAR WHEN WE CAN GO DIRECTLY INTO THE JUDGE'S CHAMBERS?  Christians have a great privilege to approach the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16).  We all have people we ask to pray for us, but our best Advocate before the Father is the LORD Jesus.  "Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him because He always lives to intercede for them."  Hebrews 7:25

QUESTION:  Why do the saints need to set their hearts on things above?
We are not yet done with earthly things, but the souls in Revelation who are under the altar are praying from a whole different perspective.  There is a time coming when our affections shift away from the earthly.  There is no marriage in heaven and there is nothing we can UHaul into heaven.  Heaven is a place of undiminished and unfettered affection for a holy God.  How do I know?

In Revelation it speaks of the souls under the altar (martyred for Jesus' sake as were the Coptic Christians on the seashore) crying out  "how long, Lord?"

They are not praying for earthly things.  They are wanting to know how much longer until the Lord brings His glory and sets up His kingdom and avenges corruption. These saints LONG to see His Kingdom come so that things can be set straight.

QUESTION:  Where's the focus?  Canonization puts the focus on the individual's work...but seeing a believer as "saint" puts the focus on Jesus' work in the individual.  Canonization suggests that a candidate for sainthood has special deeds and status given after they die, but the Bible views Christians as a saint involved in service to the church while he lives.

In fact, Jesus is seen AS the altar in Hebrews 13:10. "We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat."  Amazingly, our Great High Priest IS both our Altar and our Sacrifice.  He does it all.  He is the Beginning and the End, the Provider and Provision, and the place of permission to meet with God.

QUESTION:  Have you made friends with the whole concept of being a saint? 
It's more than we can take in.  We know we're not worthy.

Why would He shower us with pardon and salvation and purpose and crowns and a future that reigns with Him forever?  Why?

We have disobeyed and disregarded Him and we deserve the place with flames.  Nonetheless, He makes us a saint if we have humbled ourselves before Him.

We give thanks to the Father for His qualification that allows us to share in the saints' inheritance in the light.