The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
Psalm 145:8 - 9
Unless otherwise indicated, all bible quotations are from The English Standard Version © 2001, Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
About This Blog
Common:
ordinary, of ordinary qualities, of no special rank or position.
(of a quality) of a sort or level to be generally expected
From the New Oxford American Dictionary
Saint:
(hagios) is an adjective that means “holy,” but it is used at least 45 times as a substantive to designate “saints.” Esp. in Paul’s letters those who name Jesus as their lord are called hagioi (“saints”; lit., “holy ones”) From Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words pg.609
The Common Saint
What I am mean by “The Common Saint” is two-fold. The one meaning is that I, as a saint, am of no special rank or status in this world. I am no ruler, celebrity, or teacher that the world stands up and takes notice of when I open my mouth. The other meaning is that as a saint there are qualities that are common (or should be) to all saints as are clear from the Scriptures. For example, the common saint would be one who seeks to know, love, and follow the One who saved him from his sins. This saint is not perfect, but he’s running the race and striving for perfection. The uncommon saint, for instance, would be one who, for whatever reasons, has strayed from the truth and therefore from the Master. The goal for the uncommon saint, would be to become “common.” The goal of the “common” saint is joy in the Master which ultimately leads to the glory of God.
In our present time, most people view the “common saint” or Christian as being just like the world. They see no difference. Unfortunately, the statics on those who claim to be Christian verify their viewpoint. So, today, we have a generation of those who claim to be Christian yet live like the world and this is perceived to be common or normal. But this is not the common or normal Christian life. My point is that the those who claim to be Christian or “saints” and yet live according to their fleshly desires are either: 1. not truly Christian, or 2. are living an uncommon (of a quality or sort to be generally expected) Christian life according to Scriptures. I was once an uncommon saint but by God’s grace I am now a common one and by His grace strive to stay that way. My hope is that God will make many more “common saints.”
