Called Saints and Called to be Saints

Called saints and called to be saints. What kind of a title is that for a blog post?

In my previous blog post I commented on how those who believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord should be His disciples. Disciple is the the term used extensively to refer to believers in the Gospels and book of Acts in the New Testament. But there is another term used for believers multitudes of times in the epistles and book of Revelation. What term is that? It is the word saint.

The word saint as used in the Bible does not have the same meaning as how many, if not most, people use it today. The inspired writers of Scripture used the word "saints" to refer to all who believed in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Today it is common to only call certain people saints if they have been officially designated that by a particular religious leader or group, or if it is believed by many that those persons are exceptionally better than most other people.

To get God's perspective on what it means to be a saint it is essential that we look to the Bible and see what He has to say about the subject.

1 Corinthians 1:2  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:  ESV

The letter to the church in Corinth was necessary because they were a really messed up bunch of people. Yes, they had heard the gospel and believed that Jesus had died for their sins and rose from the dead and that He was their Savior and Lord. Nevertheless they were flagrantly sinning and believing false teachings.

The Greek word translated here "saints" means "holy one" which refers to their belonging to God for His holy purposes. All who truly believe in Jesus as their Savior and Lord belong to Him, and are forgiven and accepted based on what Jesus accomplished on the Cross. They are "sanctified (made holy - set apart for God) in Christ Jesus."

Scripture refers to believers as saints because of who Jesus is and what He did. But Scripture does not stop there. Yes, we belong to God. Yes we are sanctified in Christ Jesus. But God also commands us to change our wrong attitudes and actions so we will live out being holy as He is holy.

Many call themselves Christians, even those who have concluded that since Jesus paid the price for their sins then they are now free to go on sinning as much as they want. What a wretched attitude! Jesus had to endure the wrath of His Father because of His hatred for sin. Shall we not seek God's help to avoid what He hates and embrace living each day the way He wants us to live?

We who call ourselves Christians need to remind ourselves that it is a term only used once in the Bible (Acts 11:26), and although it is an acceptable term for we who believe in and follow Christ, perhaps when we do use it we should give thought to our being called saints, holy ones, who are called and commanded to be holy as God is holy.

Whose Disciple are You?

Whose Disciple Are You? That is a question we should all ask ourselves.

A disciple is a student who not only learns from a teacher but also seeks to live out what is learned. The Pharisees had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples. And, of course, Jesus had them, both those He called to follow Him, and others who chose on their own to follow Him for a time until they no longer liked what He was teaching.

Many of us call ourselves Christians which implies we identify ourselves with Christ, But how much time do we actually spend learning what what Jesus wants His followers to know and do?

Matthew 28:16-20  Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.   (17)  And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.  (18)  And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19)  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20)  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Jesus said to make disciples and teach them to observe all that He had commanded them. That is what disciples are supposed to do. Learning a little about Jesus is not the same as learning to observe all that He commanded. To do that takes time and diligent effort.

How much time do you and I spend learning what Jesus wants us to know and do? Is it an hour or so in church once a week and maybe a handful of minutes on the other days of the week?

Another question to should ask ourselves is how much time do we spend watching TV, movies, and reading printed and online materials for entertainment purposes. How expert do we become and playing games, socializing, and learning how to tell jokes, or interesting stories or news items? Are we more disciples of those things than we are of Jesus?

And when we do learn what is called Christian things from books or other media, do we check Scripture carefully to make sure they line up with what is actually inspired by the Spirit of God? Or do we allow ourselves to become disciples of false teachers because what they say tickles our ears?

I want to do better at being a disciple of Jesus Christ. I know Christ is ready and willing to help each of us do that. I believe that is why He concluded His commission to those 11 disciples who were to go out and make disciples of all nations with the promise that He would be with them always, to the end of the age.

The gift of faith that God gives us in the finished work of Christ on the cross is what provides us with salvation. In gratitude we now ought learn all that God wants us to learn from His Word so we can please Him in all He has for us to do. Then we'll be the kind of disciples God wants us to be.

What Have We Learned?

Eph 4:11-16  And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.  ESV


The ministries that are specifically mentioned in this passage of Scripture all involve proclaiming, preaching and teaching the Word of God.  The purpose for doing so is the building up of the body of Christ. We desperately need godly preaching and teaching because without it we'll remain immature, children who are easily deceived by all manner of teachings that come along.

With good teaching of truth, members of the body of Christ can grow up and become equipped to do what God wants us to do. They are no longer limited to doing what they feel like doing and guess might be OK things to do.

All children need to learn. What they learn can make all the difference in what sort of lives they lead as they grow up. If all they learn is to do is whatever they feel like doing, or what is "acceptable" to the current standards off society, they will remain childishly immature in regards to godly living.

Even Christians can be severely stunted in their ability to be a follower of Christ. Those who fail to learn and apply what is in Scripture can be drawn away by things that sound right but are actually at best only imitations of the truth of God.

There was a time in America that the Bible was a standard textbook in schools. Even before then, the pilgrims who settled in Plymouth taught their children to read so they would be able to read the Bible and learn from it. But now children grow into adulthood without ever reading or being taught what is in the Bible. Therefore there are many adults who are still infants or even babies in regard to their understanding of what God wants us to know in Scripture.

Today there  are countless Bibles available to people, yet all too few people seek to gain a clear knowledge of what is in them. Many who do want to hear more about the Bible include in their learning efforts the teachings of popular TV preachers and book writers who say clever things which sound great but actually twist the meanings of Scripture passages. Those Christians can think they are becoming mature, when in fact they may just be dressing up to look (at  least to themselves) like they have become grown up disciples of Jesus.

Just because preachers, writers, or teachers are popular does not mean that what they say is true to the Word of God even if they quote Scripture repeatedly to "prove" what they teach. We need to be diligent to both examine what they teach ourselves, and also find out what other respected Bible teachers have to say in regards to their teachings.

The quantity of what we learn is not the key to maturity. Both in the first centuries of the Church and now there has been an abundance of false teachings to get Christians going in wrong directions in there lives. We need to be sure that what we learn is what is true to the Word of God as intended by those inspired by the Holy Spirit to write it down for us learn. Only then will be able to fulfill the verse of Scripture that I'll use to conclude this blog post.:

1 Thes 4:1  Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. ESV

What If God Told You To Do Something?

What if God told you to do something? I'm talking about the God who created everything that was created. The God who has the final say in everything. If that God told you to do something, what would your response be?

Would you tell the almighty God, no I won't do what you've told me to do because I don't feel like doing it. Maybe another time, God, but not right now.

Would you tell God that you have better things to do than obey Him. Or that you have more important things to do than pay attention to what He wants you to do?

Try that sort of response with you boss when you're at work. Tell your boss that you can't be bothered doing what he or she wants you to do. See what sort of consequences you face if you try that with your employer.

Well, God has told us to do some things. For centuries He did the telling through people like Moses and the prophets. Then He came in the flesh, being born as a human being, Jesus Christ. As Jesus one of the incredible things He did was to suffer and die on the cross on our behalf, the sinless one dying for our sins. Another awesome thing that He did is speak to us and tell us directly what we need to be told.

Jesus told His disciples what to do. What He told them wasn't optional. What He told them weren't suggestions for them to consider whether or not to obey. He was God in the flesh. He knew exactly what was best for everything and everyone in the creation He had made.

One of the things Jesus said to His disciples was this in John 15:12-14  "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." ESV

Commands from God are not simply things we find in the Old Testament. God is still God and He is still the Lord. He's still the boss. We're still to obey Him with no excuses for not obeying.

To make it clear that His commands were not just for the disciples Jesus chose to follow Him while He was here in the flesh, He told them before He ascended back to heaven, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20) ESV

So we are to be taught to observe all that Jesus commanded His disciples. We're to look to what is written in the Bible and learn what God commands us to do and how to do it.

For example, when it comes to His command to love one another, we can learn more of what that means in John's first letter:  1 John 3:16-18  By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? ESV



There are times when my wife and I have been in need, and we're thankful that those in our church and others came to our need. She and are both disabled, but we know we're not exempt from obeying God's commands. Each week at church we do our share in contributing financially to the needs our church helps meet.

I'm pleased that those in our church helped form a group that provides groceries and other basic necessities to families facing hard times in our area. I'm also pleased that our church supports missionaries who help people in poor communities and nations with both their physical and spiritual needs.


Before I close this blog post I should add that I'm not suggesting that we can earn salvation by doing good works in obedience to what God commands us to do. The sacrifice of Jesus as the only sinless offering is the only basis for our salvation. But in God saving us, He has a purpose for the rest of our lives and all eternity. God has things for us to do.  Eph 2:8-10  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ESV

God has told us to do things. The things He commands us to do are written in the Bible. Let's not make excuses. Lets discover what is in the Bible and do what God wants us to do.