Called to Be Saints • Deshen Daily

PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints… (1 Corinthians 1:1–2, KJV)

Paul addressed the Roman believers as “beloved of God” and added that they have been called of God to be saints. What a refreshing address! First, to know that you have been called of God. Second, it is an unusual calling, to be a saint. How many of you ever thought that being a saint is a calling by itself? I certainly did not know that until I began seeing it all over the scriptures! Many of us are familiar with ministry calling, to serve here or there, but not this general Christian calling.

A saint as used in this verse is a holy one. Well, I am sure many of you will also be scratching your head now, probably wondering if that calling is really for you! A divine calling is an invitation from God to be or do something. When God calls us to be saints, He has simply invited us to be His holy ones. God Himself provides the holiness through the death and blood of Christ. The calling to be a saint has nothing to do with you. All you have to do is to accept the invitation and that is what you did when you believed the Gospel.

Being a saint is a privileged position with God. Only those that God invites can share in its privileges. And you are one of those called!

MEDITATE

How does this calling to be saints compare with Paul’s calling mentioned in verse 1 of the chapter? (Romans 1:1)

APPLY THE WORD

Every believer has been divinely called to be a saint before God. It has nothing to do with you. God Himself is the One who sanctifies you at the new birth. What He wants is for us to accept the invitation and be faithful to walk in it. You are called. Now, be faithful to that calling( Ephesians 1:11).