Saint or Ain't?

To 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 (KJV)

Unto 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 their's and our's: I Corinthians 1:2 (KJV)

The word saint in these verses is the Greek word hagios, which means pure, blameless, holy ones, separated, sanctified, sacred, consecrated to God. All believers in Jesus are called saints. We’ve been set apart from sin and set apart to God. We are the holy ones, or the separated ones.

Once we’re saved, we’re called saints, no longer sinners. We are saved saints, not saved sinners. Our identity has changed as well as our position. God calls us saints. I was a sinner, and I’ve been saved by grace. Now I’m a saint. People are either saints or sinners, but not both at the same time. People think saints means we are perfect and never mess up. Saint refers to the fact that we are no longer associated with sin.

As a saint, don’t live like what I call an “ain’t.” Don’t call yourself a sinner, an ain’t. Sinner comes from a Greek word that means awful thing. Don’t refer to yourself like that! Ain’t means am not, is not, are not. Once you were washed in Jesus’ blood, your were made clean and righteous, holy, sanctified, and set apart from being a sinner and living a sinful lifestyle. Having been made a saint, you are pure and can live unto God. You’ve gone from ain’t to saint.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10 (KJV)

Some people ain’t saved. They are not a saint; they are an ain’t. If that’s you, know that right now you ain’t saved, holy, or set apart, but you can be. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, confess verbally that He is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Then you can go from being an ain’t to being a saint. You’ll be forgiven and washed clean. You will be separated from sin and from the identity of a sinner. You will be set apart for God and will be in right standing with Him. You’ll be able to live the way God intended all along, dedicated to Him for His purposes!