Twice, when writing to Christians, Paul reminded them that they were “called to be saints” (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2).  This is true of all of us who are Christians.  We have all been called by the gospel of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:14 (ESV)

¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only have we all been called but we have all been called to be saints.

1 Corinthians 1:2 (ESV)

² To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.

We called on the name of the Lord when we obeyed the gospel (Acts 22:16).  According to Paul, that made us saints.  So, what does it mean to be a saint?  The word “saint” comes from the Greek word “hagios.”  It  “fundamentally signifies ‘separated,’ and hence, in Scripture in its moral and spiritual significance, separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

To be a saint, then, means to live a life separated from willful sin and dedicated to God.  That is what we are called to be.  It is a lifetime commitment to holiness and God expects nothing less from us.

1 Peter 1:15–16 (ESV)

¹⁵ But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Paul often exhorts us to live lives of holiness, that is, to separate ourselves from sin.

Romans 6:12–13 (ESV)

¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.  ¹³ Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

While we all sin from time to time (Romans 3:23), we must avoid allowing sin to reign in us.  Sin reigns in us when we make a practice of it, something we can and must determine not to do.  When we sin, we must repent of it as soon as possible and ask God to forgive us.  Fortunately, we serve a merciful God who will forgive us if our repentance is sincere.

1 John 1:9 (ESV)

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Another passage that encourages us to live holy by separating ourselves from sin is found in Paul’s second epistle to the saints at Corinth.

2 Corinthians 6:16–17 (ESV)¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷ Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you.

While separating ourselves from sin is critical to maintaining our relationship with God (1 John 1:5-7), we should also be careful to avoid people, places, and things that can easily lead us to sin.  It is unwise to make a friendship of this world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17).  We are called to be saints, now let us fulfill our calling by walking worthy of it (Ephesians 4:1).

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.