Saints!

SAINTS!

Ps 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."

What a statement!

Just what is the "death of a saint", that it should be "precious" (or rare & valuable) to the Lord? But before we can understand how the death of a saint differs (from God's point of view) from the death of a 'non-saint', we really need to know what a "saint" is!

The Hebrew word used here is #2623, "Chaciyd" [kind, religiously pious, a saint, or Godly man, holy one, merciful] -> from the prime root #2616, "Chacad" [to bow (the neck), be kind, to show self merciful, to put to shame]. So we see the meaning of "saint" under the Law.

Now let's look at it's meaning under Grace! Acts 9:13 "Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:" Now the Greek word used here is #40, "Hagios" (this is the only word used for "saints" in the New Testament) [an awful thing, sacred, pure, morally blameless, consecrated, (most) holy (one, thing), saint]. It is also the word used in virtually every case for the Holy Spirit!

Now, since the word means sacred, set aside for God, sanctified; let's look at an example of it's use in this manner. 1Cor 1:2 "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints..".

Now notice that both "sanctified" and "saint" are used in this sentence. Then notice the present tense! (Most folks think we only become "saints" after we die, rather than AS we die!).

As stated before, the Greek word for "saints" here is #40, "Hagios". And the word for "sanctified" is #37, "Hagiazo" (always used!) [to make holy, purify, consecrate, venerate, hallow, be holy, sanctify].

I suppose the question is, "don't "things" that belong TO God belong WITH Him also? Hmmmmm! ["WITH-ness"]

In this world, the way to God is death! That is, we go to God by dying. Paul says in II Corinthians 5:8, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

And Jesus told us to "check in" ("die") daily! [Lk 9:23] So, what is a "saint"? We might say a "saint" is someone who is "dead" (by continual dying) to this world, and "alive" ("abiding") in Christ!

In the Old Testament, when God used the word "devote" or "devoted", the Hebrews knew exactly what He meant! He meant to kill or that which (by death) had been killed or "sent" ("devoted") to Him!

There is that same sense here. Christ's Life came to us by way of His Death. And we become "devoted" to Him by "dying" to "self" and the "world" (this life), and thus "continue in the Word" (become "sanctified", or "holy").

Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." The Greek word here is #5046, "Teleios" [complete in labor, growth, character, mature (ripe), perfect].

In the Old Testament God said "be ye holy". This, by the way, is not our work (which is to "believe"!, Jn 6:29), but is the work of the Holy Spirit within us!

So a "saint" is also one in Whom the Holy Spirit of God Almighty is Working out (manifesting) the "death" of self, and the Life of His Son Jesus Christ, even in THIS world, as above! So saints are dead men, Alive-In-Christ, who Love & belong to God!