Today’s Encouragement is, “including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.” Romans 1:6-7a ESV
Called To Be Saints –
“I am no saint!” “Nobody’s perfect!” we hear it often, these admissions of our human imperfection. And we certainly are imperfect; we know that no one on earth is pure and holy like a saint.
But, what does God’s word say? Paul wrote to the believers in Rome and he identified them as people “called to be saints.”
This is the introduction of the book of Romans. It is addressed to saints. The Greek word translated here is “hagios,” most often rendered as “holy.”
(Bear with me, our human nature doesn’t want to hear this.)
“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” Hebrews 10:10 NLT
You might need to read this verse a few times.
We are saints, Jesus made us holy; we did not, we cannot. And our holiness is permanent, eternal; Jesus never failed and never will.
Our status is assured because the perfect salvation of Jesus provides it. One of the greatest lies of our enemy goes like this, “Yes, Jesus cleansed you from your sins when you first prayed to be saved; but now it’s up to you to live up to his expectations and be a good Christian.” And he has many more!
We can do nothing without Jesus. (John 15:5). We cannot “obey ourselves” into holiness, only faith in Jesus makes us holy. (Galatians 3:3).
Father, we thank You that Jesus accomplished what we could not and cannot; He has made us Holy, Forever.
Holy Forever
Chris Tomlin