Saints by Love's Calling
"To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours . . . ." (1 Cor 1:1-2)
During an "All Saints Day" reflection, considering what it was to be a saint, to live and die like a saint, God's love moved me.
To the modern English tongue - from the Old French seinte, altered from the Old English sanct, born from the Latin sanctus - the word saint means "holy" or "consecrated". (1) And from the Greek ἅγιος (hag'-ee-os), meaning "set apart by or for God" or "sacred" or "holy", (2) the Christian gets a glimpse of God's vision, work, and plan. God created a people set apart to be a testimony of His glory and holiness (see Gen 2; Deut 7; Titus 2; 1 Pet 2). The Fall marred the image of glory that God bestowed upon His people. That could have been the story's end. But it was not! In His great love, God rescued His people unto purification and set them apart again for holiness unto His glory. In Christ, we are now as we once were, a people called holy - called to be saints - AMEN!
God's loves us! He saw us reeling in the filth and muck of sin, picked us out, cleaned us up, and said something like, "These are mine! I want them to reflect my glory!" Being a saint is the call to a holy life that glorifies God in all things (Col 3:17), for saints reflect the Holy Character and Work of God. There is a awe inspiring and beautiful connection between God's holiness and love; remember, when we take personal holiness seriously, we are taking God's love seriously. For it is God's love that called us back into His holy presence to reflect His glory.
And on a lighter note considering All Saints Day:
