Saints

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

When you hear the word “Saint,” what comes to mind? A person that has been dead a long time? A statue? Someone worthy to be prayed to? A person who has lived a faultless, holy life? 

Paul used the word saint to describe the Christ followers at Corinth. If you’ve read the letter, you know that they weren’t people we usually associate with sainthood. Paul sent the letter to correct their behavior. They struggled with pride, jealousy, immorality, idolatry — just to name a few. But in his greeting to them, he referred to their calling as saints. 

The Bible has a different approach to sainthood than most people do. Sainthood starts right here on earth. A saint is anyone who has separated himself or herself from the world and consecrated themselves to God. In other words, a Christ follower [see Romans 1.7; 8.27; Philippians 1.1; Hebrews 6.10.

The problem with the Corinthian Christ followers is that they weren’t living according to their calling. Their living contradicted their assertion of knowing and loving God — living for Him. 

Their contradiction is ours too when we live inconsistently to our calling as saints. Our way of life should match our beliefs, especially that we have been saved from sin by the blood of Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit, to put away the ungodly.

As you head off into the weekend, consider your calling to be a saint. Is that calling consistent with your daily living? Are your priorities consistent with sainthood? If you think of an area in your life that is not pleasing to the Lord, pray about it. Ask God to help you to deal with it. Specifically ask Him to help you be the person He wants you to be — a Saint! 

Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 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: 1 Corinthians 1.1-2