Definition and List of Christian Saints in Scripture

The saints of God are a beloved and cherished people, set apart by the Lord Himself to be His own treasured possession. As the apostle Paul writes in Romans 1:7, they are those who are "called to be saints," a designation that underscores their identity as holy ones, sanctified in Christ Jesus. This calling is not based on their own merits or works, but rather on the sovereign grace of God, who has chosen them in Christ before the foundation of the world, as Ephesians 1:4 so beautifully expresses.

As saints, they are those who have been justified by faith, having put their trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, and thus have been declared righteous in God's sight, as Romans 5:1 so clearly states. Their sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit, who sets them apart from the world and conforms them to the image of Christ, as we see in 2 Thessalonians 2:13. This process of sanctification is ongoing, as the saints are being transformed by the renewing of their minds, and are thus enabled to live lives that are pleasing to God, as Romans 12:2 so aptly puts it.

The saints are not perfect, but they are being perfected, as Hebrews 10:14 reminds us. They stumble and fall, but they are lifted up by the Lord, who is their rock and their redeemer. As 1 John 1:8-9 so honestly acknowledges, they still struggle with sin, but they are not defined by it, for they have been given a new identity in Christ, and are thus called to walk in the light, even as He is in the light. The saints are a community, a body of believers who are united in their love for Christ and their desire to glorify Him, as we see in Romans 12:5. They are the church, the bride of Christ, and they will one day be presented to Him in all their glory, as a radiant and spotless bride, as Ephesians 5:27 so wonderfully promises.