We conclude our series on the Seal of God by thinking about the fact that only saints are sealed. There are two other facts that go with that, so we have three points to make up this lesson. However, first we'd better take some time to think about what a saint is.

The Marks of a Saint

Twenty one terms keep appearing in the scriptures that we are studying. Some of our English Bibles use the special word "saint" to describe those of whom all these terms are true. I have mnemonically arranged these 21 terms into seven groups of three. We might call these the seven marks of a saint.

Three First Chapters

The list below is drawn from three first chapters
 
Ephesians 1  2Thessalonians 1  1Corinthians 1

A Saint is One Who Is...

• 1. Called, chosen, confirmed... Those who are called by the gospel and respond, so that they might be chosen by God and confirmed in their faith --those are saints.
• 2. Enlightened, enriched, empowered... Those who have been enlightened by God’s light in the gospel, and enriched by the depth of the heavenly riches, and empowered by the divine power --those are saints.
• 3. Forgiven, fellowshipped, a firstborn heir... Those who have been forgiven of their sins and brought into God’s family fellowship as firstborn heirs in his family --those are saints.
• 4. Justified, glorified, gathered in... Those who have been justified (or deemed righteous in his sight) by their faith in Jesus Christ, who have been glorified because a crown of life is stored up for them in heaven, who have been gathered into the great assembly of God’s servants both angels and humankind --those are saints.
• 5. Predestined, partaker of grace, preserved... Those who are predestined by God because God has made known to them the paths of life, and who have become partakers of the grace of God and are preserved for eternal life --those are saints.
• 6. Redeemed, reborn, reconciled... Those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus and born again by his word and the power of his resurrection, and have been reconciled to God from whom they were once alienated --those are saints.
• 7. Saved, sanctified, sealed... Those who have been saved from God’s wrath, sanctified (or made holy) by the washing of water through the word, and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise --those are saints.

There is nothing more wonderful than to be one of God’s saints, and there is nothing to prevent anyone from becoming, by "the obedience of faith" one of God’s saints.

The word saint is really the same word as sanctified. In 1Corinthians 1:2 for example, Paul uses forms of the same Greek word hagiazo, where the English translations use sanctified and saints. Also note that the English words sanctified and holy are synonyms and thus the word saint means holy one in the sense of someone made holy by God.

Home | Topics | List | Next