CALLING ALL SAINTS

Today, when a born again believer reads the word "saints" in the Scriptures, he invariably thinks of those who have placed their faith in our resurrected Lord. In other words, he thinks of Christians. However, there have been "saints" ever since God created Adam. The word "saints" is from the Hebrew qodesh, and the Greek hagios, meaning "most holy one." "Holy," in turn, means "those who are sanctified, that is, set apart unto God."

Going by the chronology of James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh, published in A.D. 1650, I believe it has been approximately six thousand years since Adam was created. Two thousand years passed until Abraham, known as the Father of the Hebrew people, was chosen. Another two thousand years passed until the birth of Christ. And, as most people know quite well, it has been two thousand years since our Lord "became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn. 1:14). That means for the first two thousand years, there were only Gentiles living on earth. From the time Abraham, the father of the Jews, until the beginning of the Church Age (Acts 2:1-4), there were two kinds of people in our world: Gentiles and Jews. Since the birth of the Church, however, there have been three groups of people: Gentiles, Jews, and born again believers. I prefer the phrase "born again believers" because there are millions of "Christians" who are not saved, and therefore are not genuine members of Christ's Body, the Church (see Christ's parables in Matthew 13).

The Book of Hebrews has an entire chapter devoted to men and women of faith, saints of God. Although there are only three names listed from the first two thousand years of man's history on earth (Abel, Enoch, and Noah), obviously there were more than three people set apart unto God (Adam, Abel, Seth, Melchizedek, etc.). The same is true of the two thousand years from Abraham to Jesus. Hebrews lists only seven (Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab), but the writer states he did not have time to discuss people like Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, or the prophets (Heb. 11:32). I have always found it interesting that he had time to discuss two women, one a prostitute, but did not have time for folks like Gideon, David, or the prophets.

I am not sure if there is any significance to the number of saints listed in the first two two-thousand year periods (3 and 7), or if there is some meaning to there being seven for which the writer had no time. I would think that there being seven mentioned, and seven not discussed could indicate that Israel, like the Church, consisted of those who were genuine Jews, and those who were Jews in name only (Matt. 13:1-53; 25:1-12; Rom. 9:6). It is ironic that Hebrews 11 addresses only the first four thousand years of man's history, especially since over the last two thousand years, all born again believers are called saints. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote: "He (God) gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11-12). If Jesus is your Lord, you are a saint.

Born again believers are saints; therefore we should live like it!