Musick-al note # 198
I am not sure what is expected in response to this question. I will try to give a scriptural answer to the best of my ability. Simply, the Christian life is a life which a follower of Jesus Christ tries to live in this world. It is a life dedicated to Him who saves from sin. It is a sanctified life, set apart from sin that one might serve God. Christians are called saints in the Bible. The term Christ means ‘The Anointed One’ as the anointed by the Lord God set apart to bring salvation to all men (Titus 2:11-14). Following Christ then is being ‘anointed’ with salvation and thus we are ‘anointed ones’ or Christ-ones – Christians.
The word “saint” in the Bible is from the Greek word “hagios” which means “one set apart”. It refers to EVERY Christian, for every Christian has been called and set apart for the work and service of God. He is “sanctified”. (See 1 Corinthians 1:2). The Roman Catholic idea of someone being a “saint” who has been especially called and named by their leaders, and one who has died and gone on somewhere is not found in the Bible. The practice of having ANY dead person pray for you is not in the Bible. Of course all saints in the Bible sense should pray for each other (James 5:2), but that means that if I am a Christian, I am a saint, and I should pray for you. And if you are a Christian, you are a saint, and should pray for me.
SANCTIFICATION has a basic meaning of “separation” and, in the Bible relates to that which is separated from ordinary things to be used for a sacred purpose. It is used of times, places, things and people. The idea of some denominational groups that sanctification means “total sinlessness” is not supported by the Bible. When the Bible speaks of God as being “holy” (the root word is the same as “sanctified”), it refers to His being separated from all evil. When man is sanctified, he is separated from the world and worldly things and his life is therefore dedicated to God. Of course, if he is thus “positionally” sanctified, he should live apart from sin, but when Paul wrote to those “saints” in Corinth, who were “sanctified” or holy, in the sense that they had been separated from sin in their obedience to the gospel, he pointed out that they were not living sinless lives, and needed to repent. The Christian life is the striving to live a sinless life in the world. Since all sin (1 John 1:7-10), the Christian will repent and ask forgiveness for all sin that is committed.
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 