"Who Are the Saints?" 9-5-21

Overview

Who Are the Saints?

The word "saint" in Hebrew refers to the sacred or holy one, set apart; in Greek, it means a most holy thing. A saint, then, is one set apart to be holy unto the Lord. Scripture speaks plainly of saints—"Love the Lord, all you saints" Psalm 31:23—and tells believers, "you are no longer strangers and aliens, but… fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" Ephesians 2:19. Saints are not an invention of any denomination; to deny saints is to deny God's Word. As Lutherans, we honor the saints in three ways our confessions describe: we give thanks to God for showing His mercy through them, we are strengthened in faith by their examples (Peter forgiven after denying Christ, Paul forgiven after persecuting believers), and we imitate their faithfulness—the courage of Stephen Acts 7, Polycarp, Tyndale, and many others who gave their lives for the gospel.

But honoring saints is not the same as praying to them. Scripture commands us to pray—"if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" 1 John 5:14; "praying at all times in the Spirit" Ephesians 6:18; and Jesus Himself taught His disciples to pray, "Our Father" Matthew 6:9. Nowhere are we commanded to pray to another mortal or to address the dead. Believers who have died are "asleep in Christ," in His presence and concerned with His glory, not with petitions from earth. To turn to mortals as mediators is to turn from Christ as Savior and to give His honor to men. Peter, Paul, and every saint were sinners saved by grace; they cannot lend us their merit, because they stood in the same need we do.

We have one mediator and high priest: Jesus, who "had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest" Hebrews 2:17, and who has "passed through the heavens" so that we hold fast our confession Hebrews 4:14. The unblemished Lamb has made the atonement, once for all. This is the inheritance of the saints, as Paul writes: "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" Colossians 1:13–14.

So who are the saints? They are all whom God has called by grace into faith in Jesus Christ—those who trust in Christ alone for forgiveness and righteousness. Paul addresses his letter "to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints" Romans 1:7. In your baptism, you were given sainthood, brought into the full righteousness of Christ and named a child of God. Paul's prayer for the saints is also a prayer for you: that you would be "strengthened with all power… for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light" Colossians 1:11–12. Look around—we are saints today, and one day we will stand among a multitude of saints giving glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Transcript

If you would, please open your Bibles to Colossians, the first chapter will be studying out of 2s

Colossians, the first chapter. 10s

St. Christopher. 15s

This is the patron saint of Bachelors, Transportation, Traveling Storms, Epilepsy, Gardeners, 16s

Holy Death, and Tuthake. 23s

And the story of St. Christopher is built on a legend that he sought to serve the highest 26s

power. 35s

So he went to the king and when the name of the devil was mentioned and the king reflected 35s

on that, then he thought the devil is more powerful than the king. 42s

So I'll worship the king or the devil. 47s

I'll serve the devil. 50s

And so he went to serve the devil. 50s

And as he was out in life and the devil's name was revoked in the name of Jesus Christ, 53s

he said there is one that is more powerful than the devil. 60s

I will serve this Christ and he went on. 63s

Now he's not officially recognized by the church. 68s

He's not officially recognized or canonized or there's no date of beautification for him. 73s

But it's widely thought that he was real, although we don't have more than a legend. 80s

And it continues to be believed that he intercedes on behalf of Christians, especially children 86s

today. 94s

St. Cecilia. 96s

St. Cecilia is regarded as the patron saint of music because she heard heavenly music in 97s

her heart when she was married and she is represented in art with an organ or organ 104s

pipes in her hand. 111s

St. Joseph. 113s

This is the father of Jesus. 115s

St. Joseph is the patron saint of the dying because assuming that he died before Jesus 117s

public life, he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary close to him. 123s

He's the patron saint of the universal church, of families, of fathers, of pregnant women, 128s

travelers, immigrants, house sellers, buyers, craftsmen, engineers and working people in general. 135s

And there is a prayer to St. Joseph that says St. Joseph, patron of the universal church. 142s

Watch over the church as carefully as you watched over Jesus. 148s

Help protect it and guide it as you did with your adopted son, amen. 152s

Do you hear any problem? 160s

Here, is there any problem with what we just read? 162s

What we just heard? 167s

As Lutherans, do we acknowledge saints? 170s

Yes, we do. 176s

And a great question was brought up a few weeks ago by a very intelligent young lady. 178s

And I asked her permission if I could share her question with the congregation in this sermon. 183s

And she said absolutely. 190s

She is not a member. 193s

She of this congregation, she was a visitor. 195s

And after service, she said, 197s

she said, what do you believe about saints? 199s

What do Lutherans believe about saints? 204s

Who are the saints? 209s

What a great question from such a young lady. 212s

The word saint in Hebrew, it refers to the sacred, the holy one, set up heart, separate, 216s

and in Greek it means a most holy thing. 224s

So a saint is one who is set apart to be holy unto the Lord. 228s

In Scripture, we read, we just read sharing in Psalm 31, love the Lord all you saints. 236s

In Ephesians the second chapter, it says you are no longer strangers and aliens, 243s

but you are also citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God. 248s

So saints, saints aren't made up by different Christian denominations. 254s

We do have saints, saints are in the Bible and to deny saints is to deny God's Word. 261s

The reformers during the Reformation, they are in our confessions. 273s

They state that we approve giving honor to the saints. 279s

We give honor in thanksgiving, thanking God for showing examples of his mercy and revealing his will to save men, 282s

and give teachers and other gifts to the church. 293s

So we're thankful for the saints. 298s

We're thankful for those who have taught God's Word and passed it down. 300s

Otherwise, we would not be here this morning. 306s

We honor the strengthening of our faith. 310s

We see saints such as Peter who is forgiven after denying Christ. 314s

We see Paul who is forgiven after persecuting the saints in Jerusalem, persecuting the saints of the true believers. 320s

We are encouraged to strengthen and to believe by those examples of those saints that indeed God's grace does 332s

about more than sin. 345s

God's grace is greater than our sin. 347s

And we honor the saints in imitation. 352s

And we imitate the faith of the saints, their willingness to preach the truth, to serve the Lord at all costs and going to all extents. 355s

Think about Stephen. 367s

Our first martyr in the book of Acts, he is stoned because he's preaching of the faith. 369s

Pauli Carp was burned at the stake. 377s

William Tindale was strangled, barf Falamu was scind alive. 379s

And after he bled to death, he was beheaded and crucified. 386s

The men and the women who died for the faith who were martyred for their love of the Lord and the service of the Lord. 392s

And proclaiming his truth, we should honor them. 402s

But are we called to pray to them? 407s

Are we called to invoke their name on our behalf to intercede with the Father for us? 412s

Well, we're called to pray. 424s

In first John chapter 5, John wrote, and this is the boldness we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will that is God's will, he hears us. 426s

In Ephesians chapter 6, verse 18, it says, and pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. 436s

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. 446s

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus is teaching his disciples, the Lord's prayer. He's teaching them to pray and he says, whenever you pray, 452s

or when you pray, or pray like this, our Father. 461s

So Jesus commands the disciples to pray. He does not command His disciples to pray to another mortal. 468s

We are not called or commanded to pray or to speak to the dead. 480s

So the argument is not, do we have saints? Do we recognize saints because we do? 488s

But the question is who are the saints? Are they men and women who did something heroic that gives them a special privileged place in the presence of God in heaven? 496s

Are they spiritual guides for us? Mentors for us? Are they chosen as our special protectors over various aspects of our lives? 512s

In collageians the first chapter, verse 26, it says, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations, 527s

but has now been revealed to His saints. In Romans 1 chapter, Paul writes to all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints, 533s

grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 544s

The saints, the saints spoken of in Scripture are those to whom the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has been revealed. 552s

The gospel which proclaims salvation from our sin. In Matthew, when Jesus is resurrected, 562s

it says that the tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 573s

When we die, when we die, here on earth, if we are believers, we are asleep in Christ. 580s

Have you ever spoken to someone when they're sleeping? They don't usually respond. 593s

Has anyone spoken to you while you're sleeping? And then they demand these things and they ask these favors 601s

and when you don't deliver on it, they said, but I talked to you. Well, when did you talk to me? 610s

When you were asleep, I didn't hear that. I was asleep. When we have died this side of heaven, 616s

we have entered into paradise in the presence of Jesus Christ and we are fully and completely 627s

conscious and aware of being in His glory. And with Him, we are asleep in Christ. 634s

So when someone on earth calls our name, when we are in paradise, we are not concerned 643s

with who's calling on us. We don't know someone's calling on us because we are in the presence of God. 653s

We are asleep in Christ no longer concerned with the matters of this world, but only concerned. 662s

With glorifying our Lord and living in His presence, if we turn to mortals, to mediate 672s

on our behalf for us, to the Father, then we are turning from Jesus as our Savior. And we're 685s

giving the glory and the mercy and the honor of Christ to men. The saints cannot be mediators. 694s

They cannot be mediators for us because that means that Christ's work was not for Him and Him alone 709s

to achieve. It means that it can be achieved. This mercy, this grace can be achieved 717s

by anyone who does something good. Saint Peter, Saint Paul, we could argue that the church was built 726s

by their labors and men and women who worked with them. But if we relied on their merits to give us righteousness, then we are all condemned. 738s

And we are all in the same boat of condemnation, and of damnation, 755s

because Saint Paul, Saint Peter, they were sinners. They were not perfect. They did not lead 764s

perfect lives. They cannot give us their merit because they are in the same boat with us as sinners. 775s

We are righteous based upon Christ's merit based upon Christ's righteousness. We trust in 788s

His righteousness, His mercy, and that is the basis for our prayer. Think about the 801s

Christ is our intercessor. He is our high priest. In Hebrews 2, it says, therefore, he had to 818s

become like his brothers and sisters in every respect. That is Jesus took on flesh, became man, the second person 826s

of the Holy Trinity took flesh upon himself to enter into creation, to be one with his brothers and 835s

sisters so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make a 843s

sacrifice of a toement for the sins of the people. The priest, the Jewish priest, would make 851s

a toement. He would sacrifice animals. He would bring a sacrifice into the holiest of 860s

the holys to make a toement for all the sins of the people. Christ himself, the unblemished lamb, 869s

is the sacrifice. One, once and for all, the sacrifice for all sins. In Hebrews 4, 880s

it says, we have a great high priest, that is Jesus who passed through the heavens. Jesus, the Son of 890s

God, let us hold fast to our confession. Jesus made himself the sacrifice for all our sins. He 896s

became the mediator. He became the atonement, bringing us one with God the Father. And we are 907s

called to hold fast to that confession. Now we turn to our reading today, collage ends the first chapter. 915s

We're going to look at verses 13 and 14. We're going to look at what this confession is that we 928s

hold so fast to. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom 934s

of His beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. This, this is the inheritance 942s

of saints. This is what makes the saint. Jesus Christ saving us from the power of darkness, 953s

pulling us out of the grip and the grasp of Satan and His power. Washington's pure and 967s

righteous and holy, not by our merits, not by the merits of our Father or His Father or the 976s

by the blood of the martyrs, not by the blood of Saint Peter Saint Paul. 996s

But by Christ and Christ alone. So who are the saints? Do you remember in Romans 1, 1004s

Paul begins to all gods believe it in Rome who are called to be saints, grace to you, and peace 1015s

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, those who are called into faith. 1021s

By God's grace, faith into Jesus Christ, those are the saints. Those who call upon the name of 1028s

Christ and Christ alone for forgiveness, for righteousness, for salvation, those are the saints. 1038s

In your baptism, you were given St. Hud. You were brought into the inheritance 1049s

of all saints. You were brought into that full forgiveness, the full righteousness of Jesus Christ 1062s

called His saint, called to be a child of God. Paul has a prayer for the saints in collusion's 1072s

one, verses 11 through 12, where he prays may you be made strong with all the strength 1085s

that comes from His glorious power and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, 1093s

while joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has enabled you to share in the inheritance 1100s

of the saints in the light. Saints are real. As a baptized child of our Lord and save your 1106s

Jesus Christ, you can touch yourself and know that saints are real, but we do not pray to the saints. 1119s

For we too will be called just like them into the presence of the Lord. 1133s

When we pass from our earthly presence into the presence of Christ in paradise, 1141s

in your baptisms you were given the eternal life to live eternally here and now and forever 1150s

as saints in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look around, we are saints today and we have the promise 1161s

that when we are in the presence of Jesus in the fullness of time, we will be able to look around 1174s

and see a multitude of saints all praising and all giving glory and honor to one 1183s

that is God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 1193s