I enjoy and follow your ministry closely. My question is this: Do we identify Christians living today as Saints? Are we today living as “saints” in the “kingdom,” serving God “in the Kingdom?” I hear this preached over and over and dispensationally, it doesn’t fit.
ANSWER: The word “saints” is a good word and we can call each other saints today. The word is the Greek hagios meaning “holy” and has its highest application in the person of God Himself, but when used of others means, “saints” set apart for service to God. The Greeks used to word for one dedicated to the gods, so it moves to the Christian vocabulary to mean “separated from sin" and therefore consecrated to God, or devoted to God. For example, Paul says,
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” (1Co 1:2)
Dr. Vine helps when he says, “Sainthood is not an attainment, it is a state into which God in grace calls men; yet believers are called to sanctify themselves (consistently with their calling, 2 Tim 1:9), cleansing themselves from all defilement, forsaking sin, living a holy manner of life, 1 Pet. 1:15; 2 Pet. 3:11, and experiencing fellowship with God in His holiness. The saints are thus figuratively spoken of as ‘a holy temple,’ 1 Cor. 3:17 (a local church); Eph. 2:21 (the whole Church), cf. 5:27; ‘a holy priesthood,’ 1 Pet. 2:5; ‘a holy nation,’ 2:9.“ (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)
To clarify what Dr Vine’s is speaking of, let me explain the Jewish terms he uses. By saying the saint is spoken of figuratively as “a holy temple” is meant that we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit so that our bodies are the vessels of a truly Holy thing and it is His who is holy not us. We can sin, do sin and as such often grieve the Holy Spirit with our sin, but we are commanded to be holy (set apart) for He is holy.
To answer your question about saints living in the kingdom today, the answer depends upon their context. There are many dispensational teachers who teach we are living today in the universal kingdom of God. The universal kingdom is seen as God’s sovereign control over all things, as Creator, Sustainer, and Director of all history. His universal rule extends through all ages, encompasses every aspect of creation, and is administered by God directly.
So, even though it is true that this “universal kingdom” exists, the Bible speaks of the Kingdom of God as a future kingdom and in reference to Christ’s reign on earth. Almost everywhere you find the word kingdom, it is in reference to Christ’s millennial reign on earth. When dispensational teachers say words like you have said most likely they are moving towards spiritualizing the kingdom – they are moving away from the plain sense of Scripture in order to sound spiritual and exhort people to holy living.
We should live a holy life and look forward to the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for we will be with Him in the millennial kingdom.
Thanks for your question,
John Pappas, ThD (8/12)
