Happy All Saints Day

Yesterday I blogged about "Halloween" - which is actually "All Hallowed's Eve".  So if you haven't read that blog you might want to skip back a day and take a look at that before reading this one.

Today in the church's calendar year is the celebration of "All Saints Day"... that's You and Me too!
The word "saints" is used quite often in New Testament scripture.

It was used of those who arose from graves after the crucifixion of Jesus.  Matthew 27:52 (NASB) 
⁵² The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 

And in the book of Acts it appeared several times:  The first time it was spoken by Ananias whom God called to go give Saul's sight back to him after he was struck down on the road to Damascus.  

Acts 9:13 (NIV)
¹³ "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 

Of Peter shortly thereafter... Acts 9:32 (NIV) 

³² As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.

But Paul was the one who used the word liberally in his epistles to talk of the believers in the churches he was writing to:

 Romans 1:7 (NIV) 

⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Romans 8:26-27 (NASB) 

²⁶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
²⁷ and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  

Romans 15:30-31 (NASB)
³⁰ Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,
³¹ that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;

1 Corinthians 6:1 (NIV)
¹ If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?

2 Corinthians 1:1 (NIV)
¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: 

Ephesians 1:1 (NIV)
¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 

Ephesians 1:15-18 (NIV)
¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
¹⁸ I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,  

Colossians 1:3-4 (NIV)
³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
⁴ because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints--

Altogether there the word "saints" is translated 104 times.  The greek word that is used is "hagios" and it means "one's set apart for a unique purpose".  In that sense all of us who know Christ Jesus are "saints".  We've been set apart for Christ's purpose.  We are citizens of His Kingdom and we are considered to be God's own possession.

How did "Saints" become special people and not all believers?  The answer lies in history and the institution of the Church - or as we know it - the early Catholic Church.  

Many believers in the early church went through great times of persecution.  Martyrdom was not an infrequent issue.  Many of those who were martyred were leaders...pastors, theologians, evangelists, teachers of the church.  The belief of Roman governors and leaders was that if they could destroy the leaders, they could stop the church from continuing on.  

With the coming of Constantine the early church gained a foothold in the empire.  Not as some teach that the church became the State church....it did not.  All that Constantine did was make being a Christian acceptable in the empire.  

The first "All Saints Day" was celebrated after Pope Boniface IV made the veneration (honoring) of those who were martyred to be celebrated on a common date - then it was in May of the year.

A century later another Pope expanded the celebration to include all saints...known and unknown and fixed the date to be Nov. 1st - quite possibly to counter a Pagan festival date, which I dealt with yesterday in the blog on "Halloween".

To say that we are saints is to say something much different than simply that we are people who believe, or are members of a church, or go to church.  

The word "Saints" applied to us means we are set apart for God's purposes.  

We are much more than believers...although we are believers....we are those who commit ourselves to learn from Jesus on how to live our lives as he would live our life.  

We are "saints" because we have made a commitment to have a life full of Jesus' life!

We are "saints" because our life is reflection of the holy quality of the new life of God's grace.

At least that's what we're suppose to be! 

Happy All Saint's Day!

Peace