Bridges begins by clarifying the true definition of a saint. Most often the term is used for those known for one's good deeds and unusually godly character. The truth is every believer is a saint. A believer who has been separated or set apart by God for God. The biblical meaning of a saint is someone whom Christ bought with His own blood and has separated unto Himself to be His own possession.
What does it mean to be separated, or set apart?
It means you are set apart to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. You've been separated from your old sinful way of life and set apart by God to live a new life glorifying Him.Contrary to what modern culture believes sainthood is not a status of achievement but an entirely new condition of life. We don't become a saint by our actions. God promised us in Ezekiel 36:26 to "...give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
Have you ever thought of how much you sin in a day? How about in an hour? Tainted by our inner motivations we sin in thought, word or deed every waking hour!
"The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." - Galatians 5:17
Daily our hearts face guerrilla warfare between the flesh and Spirit. We must learn to be aware of internal struggles with sin and remember we are all saints called to live a life that is set apart FOR God.
Obviously, there are degrees of seriousness of sins. But sin is sin. Gossiping, impatience, judgmental thoughts ... they are all sins! We and the rest of society live in denial of our sin. In the next chapter, we will dig deep into the denial we frequently face in our daily lives.
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