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What is a saint? The death of Mother Teresa in 1997 sparked a resurgence of interest in saints. Many of her admirers have pressed the Roman Church to expedite her consideration for sainthood. Born Agnesa Gonxha Bojaxhiu - Mother Teresa indeed did an astounding work in helping the poor in India. She exhibited what most think of as a saintly life.
What makes someone a saint by Biblical definition? The apostle Paul addressed an epistle "To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:1b). No less than 9 times in that letter does Paul refer to his readers as "saints."
The New Testament consistently indicates that those who are true followers of Christ are saints. That would be me and you if we are those followers. So why the problem of the unsaintly actions of some Christians?
The answer lies in living or not living out who we are. If you are in God's family, you don't have to live like the devil's offspring anymore than a wealthy person would have to live in a shack. You can begin right now to accept and live your special designation with God's help. If you keep in mind your position as a saint, you will find strength in Christ to be faithful and avoid unsaintly living.
All Scripture references are from the New American
Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
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~Faithful Saints
