What is a Saint? How do we become one? (Part 2, Final)

What is a Saint? How do we become one? (Part 2, Final)
By Tommy Franks

In Christ, we are never alone. He is the Head of His Body. We are complete in Him and He is complete in us…His Body…the Church. Fellowship with the saints facilitates communion with God.

The Book of Hebrews says, “We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). I believe the “cloud of witnesses” refers to the saints who have passed on. They are with us in the stadium as we run the race of life. They fill the bleachers. They applaud us and cheer us on to victory. I think they pray for us to attain our goal. They have advice to give. They have run on the very same track and have won the victory. They offer us more than applause and prayers. They offer us evidence. We know they have run the race and won. They trained for it. They maintained their strength. We are surrounded by these witnesses. The air is thick with them. They are like a cloud. We know some of their stories…stories of grace and mercy…stories that are full of encouragement for the runners of today. Some of their names we know…Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and millions of others. We are surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses. These are my personal views.

We need to lay aside every weight and sin which might cling to us. We need to run with perseverance the race that is set before us. We are admonished to look to Jesus the Author and perfector of our faith. The saints who have gone on before us are more than just watching us. They are surrounding us with their prayers…their cheers. They have challenged us with their stories of victories in Christ. We are not alone as we proceed through this land. We are on a journey to the Kingdom.

We believe in the communion of saints. I personally believe that this communion of saints is never-ending, especially when it comes to prayers. In addition to our Church Family on earth, we also belong to a larger family of God…which includes those who have gone on before us. We are united with those in heaven. We call this the Communion of Saints…the union of all who share in the life of Christ…whether on earth or in Heaven. Heavenly saints live in Heaven. We live on earth. The entire Church (in heaven and on earth) is joined together now and throughout eternity. Our hearts give praise to God.

Between the living saints and the departed saints, there is no division in God and His Church. All are one in the love of the Father. Whether we are alive or whether we are dead, as members of the Church we belong to the same family and we still have a duty to bear one another's burdens. Death cannot and will not sever the bond of mutual love which links the members of the Church together forever! Now, please do not misinterpret what I am saying. The Bible says that we have no contact with the dead. That is a fact. We cannot communicate with the dead. In accordance with Scripture, that would be witchcraft and necromancy…sin before God. What I am saying is this: The saints who have gone on before us…and we as living saints on Planet Earth all make up the Church family…now and forever!

Think about this for a moment. Every Sunday morning, we congregate in churches all over the world. Some might say, “Well, we did not have too many in church today. There were only a few of us there.”

I would like for you to entertain this thought for a moment. Just because only a few showed up in a small church on Sunday morning…does not mean that there were not thousands…even tens of thousands in attendance within God’s Church. You must remember that millions of saints are constantly worshiping God at all times. The liturgy even states, “Therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Thy glorious name, evermore praising Thee.”

This is the Communion of Saints in action! We remember and honor the saints who have gone on before us. We celebrate with them what the Holy Spirit has done in all of our lives. God is praised in and through His saints.

Saints are people who are becoming more like God in Christ.
Saints are made in the image of God.
Saints are baptized in the Trinity.
Upon repentance, every Christian enters into sainthood and is called by God to be a saint.
Saints are our brothers and sisters in the household of God…dead or alive.
We pray to God not only as individuals but also as members of God's family together with the saints.
Biblical saints are the heroes of our faith who have entered God's “Hall of Fame”.
As a great “cloud of witnesses,” the saints of heaven cheer us on to victory.
Jesus Christ is the “one mediator between God and man”. Saints are not mediators but intercessors.
Saints are not worshipped. They are honored and respected. Only God is worshipped.
The Catholic Church has canonized saints. These saints are only a tiny fraction of those who are with God in heaven.
Through the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, we are saints from the moment of conversion and baptism. We continue to be saints testifying for Jesus as we maintain our fellowship with Him through prayer, forgiveness, the sacraments, holy living, His grace, His mercy, and our love for Christ and our neighbor. Amen!