Saints

“...among whom you also are the called-out ones of Jesus Christ: to all those who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:6-7)

Paul was writing to the Roman Jewish and Gentile believers who were this internal strife between them. The big deal with the Jewish Christians was that they wanted to keep the Torah especially the ritual of circumcision. And the Gentiles were denied equal privileges because they were not circumcised. Paul makes arguments throughout his letter to the Romans to keep the pure Gospel of Jesus and not mix the Jewish traditions with the Gospel. Paul makes it clear that the Law doesn’t justify us. “But we know that whatever things the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law; so that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may be under judgment before God, because by the works of the Law none of all flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:19-20) It’s only by God’s grace, His unmerited favor, that we are justified. “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

Paul begins his letter to the Romans calling them “called-out ones of Jesus Christ.” What he was saying to them was that they were special. They had been appointed to be part of Christ and belong to Him and are saints. This is a concept that many ignore. Because when we think of saints we think of these divine humans who did miraculous things and are canonized according to Catholic requirements. But the truth is, that if we belong to Christ, have surrendered to Him and live for Him, we are saints. The Greek word that Paul used and was translated saints is “hagios” which means according to Strongs, “sacred physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated and most holy one.” We fail all the time in our Christian walk and don’t see ourselves as saints, but in Paul’s eyes, we are saints. In God’s eyes, we are saints.

God doesn’t look at our flesh failings. They’ve been forgiven and forgotten. When He sees us, He sees us in Jesus, with a pure and holy spirit. Now many think this gives us a license to sin. On the contrary, if we’ve truly given our lives to Christ and love Jesus, our spirits were born of God. What comes from God is pure, holy and perfect. We abhor sin and the tendency to sin in our flesh. This is the struggle in a Christian’s life. That struggle of the flesh and the reborn of God spirit. Paul recognized it in himself. “For that which I do, I know not. For what I desire, that I do not do; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7:15) This is the process of sanctification where sin is revealed in our flesh. But if we repent of it, surrender it to the Holy Spirit, He purges it out of us. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9) Each victory over sin brings us closer to the image of Christ. “But we all, with our face having been unveiled, having beheld the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord Spirit.” (2Corinthians 3:18)

Briefly, Paul addresses the fallible Romans as God sees them. When he called them saints. It was food for thought for them because of the strife among them. Paul changes the perspective on who we think we really are in God’s eyes. And even if they were disputing among themselves, Paul blesses them. He emphasizes the grace of God, the unmerited favor and peace of the New Covenant.