To Be A Saint or To Not Be A Saint

Are we saints? Are we called to be saints? These questions seem to be points for debate today. Most people probably do not know what a Saint is, others believe that a Saint is a special individual that has met some certain criteria and the pope, some monarch or church leader have ordained that they are a Saint, usually this position is not attained until they are dead.
The scripture does not leave such confusion though. The word Saint in the Greek is ἅγιος pronounced hag-ee-os, which basically means a holy one, one set apart. As a interesting side note the root word is the same for a holy sanctuary, ἅγιον pronounced hag-ee-on . In the new testament the word for saint is used to address the members of a particular church, or those that reside in a certain region or city.
Acts 9:32;

32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda.

The New King James Version. 1982 (Ac 9:32). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Rom. 1:7;

7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:

The New King James Version. 1982 (Ro 1:7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

It also speaks to the members of the body as a whole.

Rom. 8:27;

27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The New King James Version. 1982 (Ro 8:27). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

So, if we go by what the scriptures say and by the pattern of words that are written there in, we know that when the Bible speaks of the Saints of God, it is speaking of us and to us! Just as those men that we see as giants of the Bible were and are Saints, we are on a equal footing with them, we are Saints also.

I received in my daily reading a short but concise synopsis that speaks to us, the Saints. Charles Spurgeon penned it and it was in his publication Morning and Evening. It has been updated for easier reading and relevance by Pastor Alistair Begg of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio. I am including the synopsis in this post.
You can get more information, as well as sign up for daily readings like this at http://www.truthforlife.org/. Read on and enjoy, and as usual, please let me know what you think!

CALLED TO BE SAINTS.
Romans 1:7

We are very apt to regard the apostolic saints as if they were "saints" in a more special manner than the other children of God. All are "saints" whom God has called by His grace and sanctified by His Spirit; but we are apt to look upon the apostles as extraordinary beings, scarcely subject to the same weaknesses and temptations as ourselves. Yet in doing so we forget this truth, that the nearer a man lives to God, the more intensely has he to mourn over his own evil heart; and the more his Master honors him in His service, the more the evil of the flesh vexes and teases him day by day. The fact is, if we had seen the apostle Paul, we would have thought him remarkably like the rest of the chosen family: And if we had talked with him, we would have said, "We find that his experience and ours are much the same. He is more faithful, more holy, and more deeply taught than we are, but he has the selfsame trials to endure. Actually, in some respects he is more sorely tried than ourselves." Do not, then, look upon the ancient saints as being exempt either from infirmities or sins; and do not regard them with that mystic reverence that will almost make us idolaters. Their holiness is attainable even by us. We are "called to be saints" by that same voice that constrained them to their high vocation. It is a Christian's duty to force his way into the inner circle of saintship; and if these saints were superior to us in their attainments, as they certainly were, let us follow them; let us emulate their passion and holiness. We have the same light that they had, the same grace is accessible to us, and why should we rest satisfied until we have equaled them in heavenly character? They lived with Jesus, they lived for Jesus, therefore they grew like Jesus. Let us live by the same Spirit as they did, "looking to Jesus,"1 and our saintship will soon be apparent.

1Hebrews 12:2

Please note: Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth for Life with written permission. Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright (c) 2001, Good News Publishers.