The world needs more saints

In the way we normally use the word saint, a saint is an extraordinary figure, someone whose devotion to God and love for those around them are remarkable. To be a saint is to go above and beyond what is required of you and serve with extreme sacrifice. However, in the New Testament, the word saint is used for ordinary, average Christians, the regular people of the church. These were ordinary people called to live extraordinary lives following Jesus. The vision of the New Testament was that every follower of Jesus should live the life of a saint giving themselves radically to God and those around them. 

They were to be devoted mothers and fathers to their own families as well as spiritual parents to neighborhoods and whole cities. They were to be exemplary in their jobs, trustworthy, and eager to do good. They were to be people of prayer, rooted in Scripture, and confident in their God. They were to be thankful, joyful, humble, and wise. In other words, they were the type of people you wanted living next to you. Their beliefs may have appeared odd, but their lives made those beliefs compelling and attractive. These are flawed people, of course, but through the grace that they have in Christ and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, they are called, compelled, and being formed for the heavenly life now.

I think it is time that the normal usage of saint and the New Testament idea come back together again. So that on the one hand a saint is extraordinary, their devotion is remarkable, and their sacrifice is evident, but that this describes a normal Christian. Christians need to stand out not only in what we believe, but also in living lives that make what we believe compelling.

We’re in desperate need of more saints. Let’s live up to what we have already attained and become the saints we were called to be.