One of the groups that I participate has an individual who begins the meeting by saying, “Good morning sinners!” Now it is met with the group that would be quick to say back, “Good morning sinner!” And there is clear acknowledgment that we are all sinners. The scripture is clear on this point… Romans 3 teaches all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Most people know this scripture and would be quick to say what is often on bumper stickers or famous statements like: Christians are not perfect, just forgiven. And if I were to ask you to raise your hand if you agree with that statement, most, if not all of you, would raise your hand. But I wonder if this statement has us focusing on the wrong thing? Or if it prevents us from moving forward in our Christian lives as God desires.
In a Barna survey most Americans do not consider themselves to be holy. Three out of four Americans believe it is possible for someone to be holy, regardless of their past. But only 3 in 10 (30 per cent) believed they themselves were holy. Again, if I were to ask you to raise your hand if you thought you were “holy” most of you would be very reluctant to raise your hand. This is like humility. If you say you are humble, then you have disqualified yourself for humility. It is hard to put yourself in this category because of how we view holiness. It would place us on a pedestal that we are sure to fall from very quickly. On another note, I think we often view saints much like the Catholic church. In Catholicism, a saint is someone recognized for living a life of heroic virtue, and potentially officially canonized by the Church. The process of declaring someone a saint, involves rigorous investigation into their life for holiness, often including the verification of miracles attributed to their intercession. So, this sets the standard much higher! So, we are very reluctant to view ourselves as saints. And we tend to identify ourselves as sinners saved by grace with the emphasis on our being sinners!
But while we acknowledge we are all sinners the bible stresses the greater reality that in Christ we are called to be saints, not sinners.
In the Bible, “saints” generally refers to all believers in Jesus Christ, not just a select few. The term, derived from the Greek word “hagios,” signifies those who have been set apart, sanctified, or made holy by God through their faith in Jesus Christ. This understanding is prevalent throughout the New Testament. The term “saints” is often in the introductions of Paul’s letters, to address the collective body of believers.
In essence, the Bible presents sainthood as a gift received through faith in Jesus Christ, not an earned status. All Christians are called to be saints by virtue of their relationship with God through Christ.
Here are some primary examples from Paul’s NT letters:
1 Corinthians 1:2 “those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.”
Ephesians 1:1 Paul greets the “saints who are at Ephesus”.
Philippians 1:1 The “saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi”.
If Paul were writing a letter today to 5 Rivers Church, how do you think he would address us? Do you think he would write, “To the sinners at 5 Rivers Church?” Some of you may be thinking he might. But I strongly believe he would address us much like he did the other NT churches, “To the saints at 5 Rivers. Wow! That sounds great, doesn’t it! Some of you may still be struggling with identifying yourself as a saint or being holy. Let’s look at this from another angle.
In our Methodist history, the founder of our Methodist movement, John Wesley, stated that he believed God raised up Methodists for 2 primary reasons:
1. To reform the nation
2. To spread scriptural holiness over the lands
That is an incredible vision or mission that we inherited and are still engaging in today. How huge is it to conceive our purpose is to reform a nation? Of course, we know that Wesley lived in the 1700s in England. Historians give credit to Wesley for helping bring England to a revival when other nations, including our own and France, were going through a revolution. However, the status of the nation was changed through this movement and revival happening in England. A nation was reformed, but how did that happen? It seems rather logical to conclude the reformation England happened because scriptural holiness was being spread throughout the land. The one was the catalyst for the other. Reform came through the revival of holiness. And that came through the Spirit of God working the lives of people like Wesley and other who were moved by God. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit was on full display in the impact of changed lives throughout the communities where Wesley visited famously on horseback, hence the circuit riding preachers. But again, this was in the 1700’s, many years ago.
What seems so strange is that now we are reluctant to embrace holiness or sanctification because I think we have adopted or maintained distorted conception of what being holy really means. So, talk of holiness is whispered and placed in a category of something that is not achievable or even desirable or only available for a few super spiritual people like a Mother Theresa or St Francis.
Yet we are missing the clear teaching of scripture and our own heritage and even more the greater design of how God wants us to live and the fuller application as to why Christ died for us and rose again!
Reflecting over our Methodist history, Charles Wesley was a great hymnwriter whose lyrics reflect some of the greater theological and biblical truths about holiness and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. I want to cite one of his hymns that underscore this teaching. Ever head the song, O For A Thousand Tongues Sing? One of the verses reads, “He breaks the power of cancelled sin. He sets the prisoner free.”
Now what in the world does this mean? What is cancelled sin? And the power of that sin in our lives? Wesley is clearly talking about sins that are forgiven but remain in our lives. It is sin that still has power in us even though it is forgiven or cancelled. Wesley talked about Justifying Grace and Sanctifying Grace. In Justifying Grace, we encounter the gift of forgiveness through the shed blood of Christ that covers our sins. Yes, we are all sinners and we fall short of the glory of God. But the other part of our salvation, scripture teaches what Christ has done for us sinners… This is Romans 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.
This is the great doctrine of justification by faith, meaning that we are justified or made right with God through the offering of Christ for us. The Greek word for justified also means righteous. So, we received forgiveness of our sins, only because of Christ dying for us. Our sins are then cancelled. In legal terms it means we are “acquitted” or declared, “not guilty”. We can stand before God justified because Christ paid our penalty. As the modern song puts it…I’m forgiven because He was forsaken…I’m accepted He was condemned…I’m alive and well, His Spirit is within me…Because He died and rose again! Alleluia! Our sins are forgiven…Our record of sins has been cancelled! This is what Wesley was writing about!
However, you will notice that he mentions the power of cancelled sin has been broken. When we are saved or justified, he is implying that the power of sin still resides in us. We are forgiven but sin still remains in us. It is the sanctifying work of the Spirit that breaks the power of cancelled sin. This is what Wesley called entire sanctification like what Paul instructs or prays in Thessalonians here: Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless…
Let’s look at holiness or sanctification from a couple of other scriptures.
We all know John 3:16. It contains the core of our salvation. Let’s say it together as an affirmation of our faith, For God so loved the world He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This scripture represents what Wesley called Justifying Grace. It means that through the death of Christ my sins are forgiven, and I am given the gift of eternal life. This scripture represents what God does FOR us.
But there is another part of the completeness of salvation which represents more than our justification or forgiveness. Let’s say it together also, Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.
It is one thing for me to believe that Christ died for me and accept Christ as my Savior. It is another and deeper thing for me to say that I am crucified with Christ and He now lives in me…Do you catch the difference? This scripture represents what God does IN us.
One more scripture which describes both justification and sanctification. We use this scripture in our Communion liturgy…I John 1:9 If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to FORGIVE our sins (Justification) and CLEANSE us (Sanctification) from all unrighteousness. I added the words to emphasize the distinction of these actions of God in our lives and particularly, the cleansing aspect of God’s work through the Holy Spirit.
Some have put it in this imagery. When we confess our sins and believe on Christ our sins are forgiven (cancelled to use Wesley’s words) and we are adopted into the family of God. This makes Jesus our Savior. But there is a continued work of cleansing and renewing that takes place in our lives wherein we are being made holy and becoming more and more like Christ. This is the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Justification makes Jesus our Savior. Sanctification makes Jesus our Lord. Herein we say that holiness is the completeness of salvation which makes Jesus BOTH Savior and Lord.
Would you want to eat with a dirty fork or off a dirty plate?
Would you want the water you drink to be unclean water?
Would you want a surgeon to use a scalpel that was not sterile?
Or your dentist to use an instrument that was not sterile or clean?
NO…NO…NO…NO… You would want all those elements to be washed and cleansed and sterilized or there could be real problems which lead to infection and even death. In a similar way, it is not the design or desire of God for us to be impure or unrighteous in our lives. He wants us to be clean instruments for his greater purpose in the world.
One final scripture which speaks to the vital nature of holiness.
Hebrews 12:14, in the New King James Version, reads: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord”.
This verse serves as a powerful reminder that holiness is not optional for believers; it is a vital aspect of the Christian life. It calls believers to actively pursue holiness in all areas of their lives, recognizing that it is essential for both present fellowship with God and it is vital if we want to live in the presence of God forever. And that forever starts now.
Think about your life as a house with many rooms…like your house now. I’m sure there are rooms or closets you may not want people to see. Maybe the attic or basement or other places that are collecting cobwebs and they have not been cleaned in a long time. I think Paul was indicating even as David centuries before. Search my house, search my heart O God! I want every part of my life under your Lordship. Come and cleanse my house and my heart that I can be that person you have designed me to be!
Bobby Moore was the England soccer captain who received the World Cup from Queen Elizabeth when England won the trophy in 1966. An interviewer later asked him to describe how he felt. He talked about how terrified he was as he approached Her Majesty, because he noticed she was wearing white gloves, while his hand, which would soon shake the Queen’s, was covered in mud from the pitch … As the triumphant captain walks along the balcony, he keeps wiping his hand on his shorts, and then on the velvet cloth in front of the Royal box in a desperate way to get himself clean.
If Bobby Moore was worried about approaching the Queen with his muddy hands, how much more horrified should we be at the prospect of approaching God? Because of our sin, we are not just dirty on the outside; our hearts are unclean. And God doesn’t just wear white gloves; he is absolutely pure, through and through.” Close with alluding to the song Holiness, Holiness is what I long for… Take my heart and form it. Take my mind transform it. Take my will conform it… to Yours…to Yours…O Lord!