Oak Ridge Church Sermon - Who Are Saints?

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Print Version Who Are Saints?

Sermon notes for Sunday, February 17, 2008

Notes written by Murray Wade

The world uses the term “saint” to apply to some almost divine human who is beyond the realm of the average person: a person who is abnormally good. Some may say that “I am a pretty good person, but I am no saint.” What do they mean by that? They are saying that pretty good is good enough, and beyond that you are an abnormally good person. These same people would feel ashamed if others considered them a “saint” in this sense. Some have decided to choose some of these supposedly super good people to be worthy of “sainthood”. Who determines which people should become saints and just what qualifies them to be saints? What we want to do this morning is to see what the Bible says about saints. Who they are and what makes them a saint.

Definition from Vine’s Expository Dictionary: saints – In the plural, as used of believers, it designates all such and is not applied merely to persons of exceptional holiness, or to those who, having died, were characterized by exceptional holiness, or to those who, having died, were characterized by exceptional acts of “saintliness”. See especially 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10, where “His saints” are also described as “them that believed,” i.e., the whole number of the redeemed. They are called “holy ones” in Jude 14-15.

Psalm 37:28; 50:5; 116:15, 1 Samuel 2:9, Daniel 7:21,25 – Saints are referred to in the Old Testament as those who belong to God; the saved.

Matthew 27:51-53 – Here the saints are those who died as faithful followers of God

Romans 1:7 – Saints are called and are the beloved of God.

Romans 8:27 – Saints are blessed by the Spirit making intercession for them.

Romans 12:9-13 – The saints here are followers of Jesus who are worthy of caring for.

Romans 15:25-26 – Saints are those whom Paul was ministering to and those Christians who were in need in Jerusalem.

Romans 16:15 – Saints are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Ephesians 1:15-23 – The Ephesians are commended for their love for all of the saints and he wants them to know of the inheritance in the saints.

Ephesians 2:19-22 – Saints are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens and members of the household of God.

Ephesians 3:8 – Paul considered himself less than the least of all the saints.

Ephesians 4:11-16 – In this passage all those ministering (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) are for the equipping of the saints.

Ephesians 5:1-7 – Saints do not participate in worldliness and sinful things. Also see 1 Peter 4:1-6.

CONCLUSION

The fact of the matter is God and His Son Jesus Christ all people to become. This is something that you can choose to do. There are no manmade organizations to decide whether you are worthy of “sainthood” and there are no manmade requirements that you have to meet. Simply come to Jesus and humbly submit to Him and His commandments and you can be a saint. One becomes a saint by repenting of their sins and then being baptized in water to wash away all his sins. Then you come up out of the water cleansed and holy in God’s sight because your sins are washed away in the waters of baptism. You are then a sanctified Christian who can also be called a saint (Romans 12:1-2).

Who are saints? They are God’s saved children who are also known as Christians! Do you want to become a saint? Then obey Jesus! That is how one becomes a “saint”. One who is set apart from the world to live their life for Jesus! It is not a complicated process, but it reaps eternal rewards in Heaven! Please come forward while we stand and sing if we can help you!