Called Saints

From: Young Christian: Volume 24, 1934

• 2 min. read • grade level: 8

The Bible tells us that all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are “saints,” not that in themselves they were any better or different from all others, but they are

“Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.” (Heb. 3:1¹Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)).

All true believers in Christ are “called saints” (see Rom. 1:7⁷To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7); 1 Cor. 1:2²Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: (1 Corinthians 1:2)). This does not mean that they are called saints by men, but that they become saints by the call of God. And how does God call them? He calls them by the gospel.

“We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 2:13-14¹³But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: ¹⁴Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13‑14)).

What marvelous truths are wrapped up in these two short verses! Let us just enumerate them, and leave all our readers to meditate upon them with thankful, adoring hearts:

Beloved of the Lord – chosen from the beginning, that is, from before the foundation of the world – saved – sanctified, that is, set apart to God by the Spirit – believers – called by the gospel – soon to be glorified in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is by the mighty operation of God’s Holy Spirit producing in the heart of a poor, lost sinner a belief of the truth contained in the gospel that such a one is saved. Called by God through the gospel that tells of man’s ruin through sin, of God’s sovereign grace towards such, of the remedy found in the precious blood of Christ, and much more besides – yes, and believing that gospel, thus and thus only, according to the Bible, does any one become a saint.

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.