Although the NIV of the Bible does not use the word “saint” but has chosen the term, “God’s people”, I have placed the word in the title because this is the literal translation. Unfortunately, people will not often accept this designation for their position before God because of a misunderstanding and misuse of the word. We have come to use the term to refer to older people who have lived exemplary lives. “He is a saint of the Church.” Or we’ve made it a reference to a person who goes over and above to show compassion and care for others. “She spends hours caring for her sick mother. She is such a saint.”
While these examples are not bad, they are not the full definition of what God intends when calling us saints. We are not saints because of what we do, we are saints because of who we are. Romans 8:9-11, says, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
What an amazing truth. As men who are redeemed and transformed through faith in Jesus, we are the dwelling place of God’s Holy Spirit. With this explanation, we can see more clearly the importance of the Apostle Paul’s declaration that we are fellow citizens of the saints. This means we live in some pretty good company. The power of God’s Spirit living in me is multiplied by the number of other saints with whom I share the hope of eternity.
So what does this relationship mean in a practical way? Scripture is full of answers to this question. Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” We are part of a community designed to do good to one another. The book of Acts gives us a very vivid picture of what God intended for this to look like. Acts 2:44-45, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” Being citizens with the saints provides a safe place when we are in need. It implies more than promising to pray for someone who is hurting. It involves rolling up our sleeves and being an answer to their prayer.
This position also gives us a safe place to be honest with our failures. James 5:16, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Our loving Father has offered us the opportunity to have a release from our guilt and shame when we fail. Of course, we must confess our sin to God, and he will offer forgiveness (1 John 1:9). However, sometimes we need “Jesus with skin on” to help us walk the path of repentance. We refer to this as accountability. Telling another of your failures and asking them to walk through the process of healing with you provides strength and support in difficulty. We need to remember that we are all on this journey together. None of us are free from the temptation of Satan and the tendency to fall. John makes this abundantly clear in 1 John 1:8. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Honestly addressing these weaknesses to others gives us the courage to deal with them aggressively.
We could list multiple verses that speak of the power we have in numbers as Christ followers. Power to succeed in our own journey as well as power to take new ground for the Kingdom of God. All we need to do is swallow our pride and accept what God has provided.