What makes a person a Saint in God’s eyes? When someone serves ‘beyond the call of duty’? When a person finds someone lying on the sidewalk gasping for air & calls 911 for an ambulance, and accompanies the person to the hospital, staying with them all night - the patient may wake up in the morning and say to his rescuer: ‘You’re a Saint! Thanks so much for caring enough to get me medical attention! But does service alone make a Saint? Well then every Philanthropist who helps his fellow-man, but doesn’t believe in God would have to be considered a Saint…

When someone outside of Christianity leads a very pure, chaste & virtuous life - somebody might think of them as a Saint… but does purity & virtue alone make a Saint?

We’ve all heard of Patron Saints… Men & women of Christian renown, who have been declared by the Catholic Church to be the guardian or representative of a certain namesake, group, trade, or nation. People know me as Tony - but my legal name is Anthony - and St. Anthony is the Patron Saint of ‘Loss’; Lost items, lost people, lost causes & lost souls. So if a Catholic experiences loss - he or she will pray to St. Anthony for help! Addicts can pray to St. Augustine, the Patron Saint of Addiction, for help to overcome their addiction to drugs, alcohal, pornography or work. St. Francis of Assisi is the Patron Saint of animals & the Patron Saint of Italy. St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of Carpentry, and is sometimes shown as the symbol of a Construction Trade Union. But there’s no mention of Patron Saints in the pages of your Bible.

So what is a Saint according to Scripture? Is it the Church’s responsibility to determine whether a person is truly worthy to be called or cannonized a Saint? Can a person only be declared to be a Saint after their death?

The cannonization of a Saint in Catholicism is a 7-step process: 1) Be dead at least 5 years; 2) Be nominated by a diocese or congregation; 3) Be investigated for sufficient holiness & virtue; 4) Be scrutinized by the ‘Dicastery for the causes of Saints’ Committee; 5) Have a miracle attributed to you by someone who invokes your name in prayer; 6) Be reviewed & approved by the Papacy; 7) Be cannonized a Saint through a 2nd miracle attributed to your name. But none of these steps are found in the pages of your Bible - and none were practiced by the original Christians.

A 20th Century Satirist named Ambrose Bierce once said: “A Saint is a dead sinner, revised, edited and deified.” He of course meant to say by this - that Saints are only such because their sins have been swept under the rug, and only their good deeds acknowledged & trumpeted. And there is some truth to this as God Himself declares: “As far as east is from the west, so far has HE removed our transgressions from us.” (PSALM 103:12)

Saints are not a special class of Christians cannonized to be venerated by some Church Council. The Apostle Paul wrote: “To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be Saints.” (Romans 1:7) This is a common salutation from the pen of Paul who looked at all Christians as Saints: “You are no longer strangers & foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints & members of the Houshold of God.” (EPH.2:19)

So what is the Biblical criteria for becoming a Saint? We don’t have to guess - God tells us through many texts of Scripture: “Gather MY saints together to ME, those who have made a covenant with ME by sacrifice.” (PSALM 50:5) As the Apostle Paul wrote: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? …Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (ROMANS 6:3,6) In baptism Saints make a covenant with God by sacrifice. As Paul said, “I die daily.'“ (I CORINTHIANS 15:31)

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus: “But fornication & all uncleaness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for the Saints.” So chastity is part of Sainthood.

The Apostle John was inspired to write: “Here is the patience of the Saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God & ‘the Faith’ of Jesus.” (REVELATION 14:12) So Saints are commandment keepers and believers in the original Faith that Jesus passed onto us through His disciples.

Furthermore, John writes: “To Her (the Church) it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean & bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the Saints.” (REVELATION 19:8) So yes - Service to others is also part of Sainthood.

Your Bible says: “God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints - and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.” (PSALM 89:7) When we revere God & His word above all else, “then He will guard the feet of His Saints.” (I SAMUEL 2:9) Also “The Saints of THE MOST HIGH shall receive the Kingdom and possess the kingdom forever.” (DANIEL 7:18)

“Sing praise to THE LORD, you Saints of HIS - and give thanks at the remembrance of HIS holy name.” (PSALM 30:4)