Saints

The word saint is a Latin word or title meaning a holy person. So a saint is someone who belongs to God. Sometimes we hear the definition "holy," which means "without sin," which is really not a very good definition. The word holy or Saint or sacred means something that has been set aside for God by God, that is, something that belongs to God. So if we say the Holy Bible or holy communion, we aren't saying that those things are without sin; we are saying these things God has instituted, they are His, and He has given them to us for His purposes. So, in the same way, when we say a person is a saint, that person is holy, we aren't saying that person ever sinned or even if that person is now without sin. We are saying that person belongs to God, and God has claimed him or her and has forgiven him or her sins for the sake of Jesus Christ.

The Reformers kept the Saints, but not the abuse or the cult of the Saints. We read in the Augsburg Confession: "We teach our people that the Saints are to be remembered, so that we may strengthen our faith when we see how they experienced grace and how they were helped by faith. Moreover, it is taught that each person, according to his or her calling to, take the Saint's good works as examples..."

"It cannot be demonstrated from Scripture that a person should call upon the Saints or seek help from them, for there is only one single reconciler and mediator set up between God and humanity - Jesus Christ (1Timothy 2:5). He is the only one Savior, the only high priest, the Mercy Seat, and intercessor before God. He alone has promised to hear our prays according to Scripture in all our needs and concerns. The highest worship is to seek and call upon this same Jesus Christ wholeheartedly.

-Pr. David Petersen