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The Christian Saint
What does it mean to
be a Christian saint?
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In the Old Testament,
the word translated "saint" is the Hebrew word qadowsh.
It means sacred, Holy
One, set apart.
Qadowsh does not only refer to
- people (Psalm 16:3) but,
- as the adjective "holy,"
also describes a place (Leviticus
6:16),
- food (Leviticus 7:6), and
- God (Leviticus 20:26).
The Aramaic qaddiysh is
related to the Hebrew qadowsh (Daniel 7:22).
The word "saint" in
the New Testament is the Greek agioss.
Agioss can also be translated “holy” and
refers
- to people (Matthew 27:52),
- the Holy
Spirit (Matthew 1:18),
- Jerusalem (Matthew 4:5),
- the Holy of
Holies in the Temple (Matthew 24:15),
- prophets (Acts 3:21), and
- general body
of believers (2 Corinthians 1:1).
Nowhere is the term restricted to a
particular class of individual that is granted the title by the organizational
authorities of a religion.
The concept of a
Catholic saint is a little different.
Catholicism takes the
cloud of witnesses surrounding us from Hebrews 12:1 and combines them
with the prayers of the righteous in James 5:16 to derive the belief
that people who were especially pious on earth can pray for others from heaven.
Identifying these
deceased prayer-warriors was difficult until the Catholic Church enacted a
policy that gives the exact qualifications.
Other religions have
different definitions of saints.
Eastern Orthodox says
that any believer who is in Heaven is a saint, whether those on earth know it
or not; the title has little to do with behavior or piety.
In Buddhism, an Arhat
is a person who has found release from the cares of this world and has achieved
nirvana.
The Bhagat of the
Sikh religion are also a type of saint.
In modern vernacular,
a "saint" is anyone who is kind, generous, or follows the rules.
The Bible defines the
Christian saint as anyone who follows Jesus.
Every Christian is set apart from
the world, to do good works through Jesus.
The term "saint" in
the Bible is a reflection of the changes God makes in us, not our success in
embodying those changes.
In the Bible a Christian saint can be:
- Dead (Matthew 27:52): "The
tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep
were raised …"
- Alive (Acts 9:32): "Now
as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints
who lived at Lydda."
- Inclusive (Romans 16:15): "Greet
Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who
are with them."
- Anointed by God (1 Corinthians 1:2): "To
the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in
Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours …"
- Non-exclusive (Philippians 1:1 NASB): "Paul
and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus
who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons …"
- Non-influential (Revelation 11:18): "The
nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and
for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your
name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth."
A saint is not someone who is particularly
pious, whose prayers cause miracles, or who sacrifices a great deal for his
faith.
According to the Bible, a saint is just
someone who has accepted Christ as his Savior.
God never calls us to
do something for Him that He does not empower us to do if we are willing to do
the work and time. Please, take the time to get to know God in an intimate way.
As your relationship
with Him grows, you move up in rank and are assigned harder missions. Your
purpose on earth is to shine God’s love to a lost, dying world.
Open your ears and
your heart to the Lord and be excited about your new future serving Him in
truth and spirit.
Allow God to change your life.
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience
an amazing change in your own life.
Serve Him.
Wait on Him.
And expect … for He
is able to do much much more than you can ask or imagine.
Settle that sin issue
...
“Father God, I
confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You.
I am truly sorry. I
now want to turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to
You.
Please forgive me, and
help me avoid sinning again.
I believe that Your
Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive,
and hears my prayer.
I invite Jesus to
become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day
forward. Thank You that according to Your Word, I am now born again.
Please send Your Holy
Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. I
promise to study Your Word – the Bible.
Use me for Your glory.
In Jesus' Name I pray.
Amen.”
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