Not long ago I wrote about how often the Bible uses the term "disciple" to designate a follower of Christ and how we tend to prefer "Christian" or "believer".
Here's a New Testament word for a believer that is even less popular than "disciple": Saint.
If calling ourselves "disciples" makes us uncomfortable, the word "saint" makes us positively recoil.
"Oh, I'm no saint," we will say.
Really? Why not?
The Apostle Paul addresses his letter to the Romans like this: "To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints". (1:7)
To be saints is our calling!
But "saint" doesn't mean "a person who is perfect in every way".
"Saint" means one who is "set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred".
We need to reclaim "saint" in its original meaning. Because as followers of Christ, we ARE set apart for God's purposes.
If we don't understand that - if we don't live that as our reality - we are in grave spiritual danger.
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