because He is risen
we are
SAINTS ALIVE !
by W. Arnold McNeill
T he Toronto Telegram on June 8, 1963 in an article entitled John May Be Saint stated, “ A campaign is already under way for the canonization of Pope John XXIII. “ Canonization is the process by which the Roman Catholic Church officially proclaims a person to be a saint in heaven. “ It is preceded by a lengthy inves tigation which must establish, among other things, that at least four mira cles have been worked by God in response to prayers which invoked the intercession of the person believed to be a saint. Richard Cardinal Cush ing, Archbishop of Boston, has in vited American Catholics to offer prayers in the name of John XXIII and to submit to Cushing ‘all infor mation concerning favors granted through his (Pope John’s) interces sion’ so that the canonization process may ‘begin immediately.’ ” On Sept. 30th this same newspaper reported that in Pope Paul V i’s speech opening the second session of the Ecumenical Council he addressed part of his speech directly to the late Pope. “ * O dear and venerated Pope John,’ began Paul. He continued for several hundred words, prais ing the late Pontiff directly, just as if he had already been made a saint, or had been beatified.
“ ‘By using this form of address, the Holy Father may have indi cated he would like to see the ca nonization of Pope John as soon as possible,’ one theologian said. “ Another commented: ‘. . . It will take 20 years before beatification or canonization can even be con sidered.’ ” The Roman Church may be work ing on Pope John’s sainthood but the Scriptures make it crystal-clear that every born-again child of God is a saint at the moment he exercises sav ing faith in Christ. The Apostle Paul in his letters to believers at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, and Thessalonica referred to all Christians as saints. And on the basis of this glorious truth every believer is exhorted to live “ as becometh saints” (Eph. 5:3). The Christian does not become a saint because he lives a so-called “ saintly life,” but he is exhorted to live a life to God’s honor and glory because he is a saint! A believer does not spend his life doing good works in order that a hierarchy on earth may confer upon him posthumously what is already his because of God’s effectual call. But he should live a life in accord ance with his high and holy calling in order that he might receive the approbation and blessing which comes in this life when he pleases Him who
has called him. The saved sinner is called a saint (I Cor. 1:2; Rom. 1:7). This is his high position in grace. But the des perate need of the hour is for every believer to “ walk worthy” of the vocation wherewith he has been called in order to bring his experience up to his high position in Christ. Humanly speaking, the task is im possible. But through yieldedness to the indwelling Spirit of God the Christian can make his life count for God. Paul lived a saintly life because he was a saint. This does not mean he was perfect, for he said, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12-14). No, Paul was not perfect but there was a goal before him, there was a prize to be won, and looking unto Jesus he pur sued “ down upon the goal” (Robert son). His all-consuming passion was, “ For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Peter said, “ so be ye holy in all
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