I have so far defined and expounded
on the definition of a saint as stated by the Psalmist David who wrote; “Gather
My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice"
(Psalms
50:5).
So let us now look at another definition of a saint as defined by the apostle Paul which states: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).
This definition is quite clear
and simple and does not need to be expounded as the first; it simply means what
it says, that is, a saint is one who is keeping the commandments of God and has
faith in Jesus Christ. Keeping the commandments of God is synonymous to one of
the terms of the covenant which the saints have covenanted to offer to the Lord
by sacrifice which is, to be a slave of righteousness. For according to the
Psalmist David; “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments
are righteousness” (Psalms 119:172).
Becoming a slave of righteousness
is something that is automatic to one who has been set free from sin as we have
been duly admonished saying; “And having been set free from sin, you became
slaves of righteousness.” And; “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free
in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which
you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been
set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to
holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (Romans 6:18, 20-22).
Therefore, one does not have to
die and be canonized by some religious organization to be recognized and
considered to be a saint; because in summary, a saint is one who has been
redeemed by the blood of Jesus and has entered into a covenant of sacrifice
with God, keeping His commandments and has faith in Jesus Christ.
This covenant of sacrifice
includes placing Jesus Christ first and foremost in our lives and remembering to
offer Him as the acceptable sacrifice and offering to the Father, prayer,
worship and righteousness, taking cognizance of the stumbling stone which
causes so many to stumble at the words which state; “Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have
no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and
I will raise him up at the last day.
For My flesh is food indeed, and
My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in
Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the
Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which
came down from heaven --- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He
who eats this bread will live forever" (John 6:53-58).
This is the stumble block; this
is the rock of offense to those who do not believe, for we preach Christ
crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to
those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness
of God is stronger than men” (1Corinthians 1:23).
And this is the responsibility
and the agreement which God has assigned and covenanted to His saints as
verified by the apostle Paul who wrote; “To me, who am less than the least of
all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles
the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship
of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who
created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold
wisdom of God might be made known by the church (the saints) to the
principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal
purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have
boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him” (Ephesians
3:8-12).
This boldness and access with
confidence that we have through having faith in Jesus Christ is clarified by
the apostle Paul who wrote: “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the
Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for
us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the
house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for
He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:19-23).
This is the wisdom of God in a
mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which
none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory. This mysterious wisdom of God did not end at the
cross but it is being perpetuated at the breaking of bread and drinking of the
cup as explained by the apostle who wrote: “For as often as you eat this bread
and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes” (1
Corinthians 11:26).
A saint therefore is one who keeps his/her
part of the covenant with God by sacrificing his/her life to Jesus Christ
placing Him first above everything else and offering Him as the offering for
their sins, spending time in prayer, worshiping God, not according to the
customs and traditions of men, but in accordance to God’s prescribed manner of
worship, practicing righteousness, which is synonymous to the keeping of His
commandments and last but not least having faith in Jesus Christ, for without
faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that
He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
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Lucius Joseph
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