Saints indeed!

by: carole l. haines
And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:27 NASB)
I have a precious new friend who is somewhat new to faith in Jesus Christ.  She is full of wonderful questions, as curious as a child who keeps asking “Why?”  It is such a privilege to be able to re-open and re-explore the treasures of our faith with her.
She asked me last night, as we were doing a Bible Study together. “Okay, so who are the saints?’
I said, “Let me show you!”  I took her to the beginning of the Epistles of Paul.  To the saints in Ephesus, it read.  To the saints in Colossae, to the saints in Philippi.  I asked, “Do you see who they are yet?”
“No,” my precious friend said.  I took her to a few more, and she still wasn’t seeing it.   So I asked her, “Do you want me to just tell you?”
“Yes, please, tell me!”
“Well,” I said, “You’re looking at one!  I’m looking at one right now, too!”

“What!” she exclaimed, “I’m a saint? You’re a saint? “Yup!”  A saint is someone who is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, no more and no less!”

We then talked about the misconception of saints in the world.  People who do miracles are only saints if they have trusted Jesus as their Savior and Lord.  It was mind-blowing for her.  I told her she could go home and call her husband, who is also a believer, Saint ________.  She laughed with such a joyous, pure laughter.  A saint, in the original Greek language means, most holy thing (one) a saint.  Jesus is the only one who can make us holy and blameless before God.  There is no good thing we can do to become saints, no miracle we can perform.  It’s all about Jesus, and His work on the cross and resurrection.  Our trust in His finished work alone makes us saints.
So rejoice, Dear Believer, for you are one of His saints, made Holy by Christ. Pure, blameless and clean, perfectly cleansed of all your sin. And so am I, praise God, so am I.  And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:27 NASB) To all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ( Romans 1:7 NASB)

*I encourage you to explore this precious truth more deeply.  Look up all the things God does for His saints, those who believe in Jesus.  It is our Precious and Beautiful Heritage.  Rest in Him this day, Dear Believer, Dear saint of God.