37: Set Apart, Not Set Above: The Truth About Saints

Welcome to the Ready for Eternity podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to inquisitive

Bible students exploring biblical truths that might not be fully explored in typical sermons or Bible studies.

My name is Eddie Lawrence. When you hear the word saint, what comes to mind?

A flawless believer? A miracle worker? Someone long dead and officially recognized?

The Bible paints a different picture. In this episode, we'll explore what it really means to be a saint.

When Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians, he addresses it,

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.

This greeting is not unique. Paul consistently refers to Christians as saints throughout his letters.

But what does that mean? Today, many believers hesitate to call themselves saints, while others reserve the term for a select few.

The Catholic Church even has an entire process for declaring certain individuals as saints.

These differing views reveals a gap between how the Bible defines sainthood and how we often understand it today.

To clarify, we need to examine three key points. How the New Testament defines a saint, why many assume that sainthood applies only to certain

Christians, and how the Catholic Church developed its ideas of canonized saints.

So what's the New Testament definition of a saint? In the New Testament, a saint is simply a

Christian. The word saint means holy one or set -apart.

It doesn't refer to moral perfection, but to a person's position in Christ. Paul calls entire church assemblies saints, including the

Corinthians, despite their many moral and doctrinal failures. The word holy means being dedicated or consecrated to the service of God.

A synonym would be set -apart. The word doesn't primarily refer to moral perfection, but it carries a strong connection to righteous living because God sets his people apart to serve him, and serving

God requires a life that honors him. Ephesians 1 .1

makes this clear. Paul does not single out an elite group within the church.

He calls all the believers in Ephesus saints. The same pattern appears in Philippians 1 .1,

Colossians 1 .2, and Romans 1 .7. In each case,

Paul assumes that every Christian is a saint because they belong to Christ.

Nowhere does the New Testament describe saints as a separate class of believers.

Instead, sainthood is part of the believer's identity. Every Christian is a saint not because of personal righteousness, but because they've been set apart by God.

Despite the clear biblical teaching, many Christians do not think of themselves as saints.

Several misconceptions contribute to this. First, some believe that sainthood belongs only to exceptionally righteous people.

Since people often associate the word saint with moral excellence, many assume it describes only the most faithful Christians.

But Paul's letters prove otherwise. He calls ordinary believers saints, even those struggling with sin, because their holiness comes from Christ, not from their own achievements.

Second, some assume saints must be dead. Church traditions often highlight saints from the past, reinforcing the idea that only believers who have already died can hold that title.

But the Bible applies the term to living Christians, not just those who have died.

And third, some think sainthood must be officially conferred. Because the

Catholic Church has a formal process for declaring saints, many assume that being a saint requires special recognition.

But in the New Testament, no human institution bestows sainthood.

God calls his people saints from the moment they enter Christ.

These misunderstandings obscure the simple truth. Every believer is a saint, not because of what they have done, but because they are in Christ.

Unlike the New Testament, the Catholic Church defines sainthood as a special status granted to certain

Christians after death. The process of canonization involves investigation, verification of miracles, and official recognition by church authorities.

Catholics believe those declared saints intercede for the living and serve as examples of extraordinary faith.

This idea developed gradually. In the early church, Christian honored martyrs, those who died for their faith, as examples of steadfast devotion.

Over time, certain figures gained recognition for their exceptional holiness, and local churches began commemorating them.

By the 4th century, churches sought official approval to venerate these individuals, and sainthood became more institutionalized.

By the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church had established formal procedures for canonization.

The process required evidence of miracles attributed to the person's intercession, reinforcing the idea that saints had a special role in heaven.

This shift moved sainthood from being the identity of every believer to an exclusive title reserved for a select few.

This departure from the New Testament view has led many to think of sainthood as something earned rather than something granted in Christ.

While honoring faithful Christians is not inherently wrong, the idea that sainthood belongs only to a few contradicts the

Bible's teaching. Ephesians 1 .1 reminds us that sainthood is not a status conferred by the church, but an identity given by God.

Every Christian is a saint, not because of personal holiness, but because they belong to Christ.

Misconceptions about sainthood, whether through church tradition or personal doubt, shouldn't keep believers from embracing what

Scripture says about their identity. The Catholic Church's development of canonized sainthood has influenced how many people view the term today, but the

Bible presents a different picture. The saints are not an exclusive group of miracle workers or martyrs.

They are the people of God, ordinary believers made holy by God's grace.

If you are in Christ, you are a saint. The question is not whether you are holy enough to deserve that description, but whether you believe what

God has already declared about you. Thanks for listening to the podcast.

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