How does one become a saint? Who is sacred? What actions are necessary to become holy?
God is holy
The Bible uses the word “holy” in a number of different contexts. It is alluding to God in the most peculiar sense. Angels proclaiming, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory,” is one way in which this is stated. (Isaiah 6:3) “I am the Lord your God,” declares God to the Israelites. Thus, dedicate yourselves, and be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44).
Jesus is holy
A man with an impure spirit said to Jesus, “I know who You are – the Holy One of God,” acknowledging Him as holy because He was God during His earthly ministry (Mark 1:24). Therefore, when we talk of the ultimate Holy One, we are talking about either God the Father or Jesus Christ.
Prophets and apostles are called holy
The connotation of the word “holy” is likewise more expansive. It is used to identify those who were providing unique service to God. For instance, the Bible mentions holy apostles and prophets (Ephesians 3:5) as well as holy prophets (Acts 3:21). The relationship between serving God and being holy is also evident in scriptures that refer to angels as holy (e.g., Mark 8:38, Revelation 14:10).
All believers as the saints
When all believers are referred to as saints or holy ones, the circle is more circumscribed. This is also mentioned in the Old Testament: “Oh, you saints of the Lord, fear Him, for He is the source of all abundance.” “Let the heavens praise Your wonders, O Lord, Your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!” is another passage from Psalm 34:9. (Psalm 89:5).
We come across this even more regularly in the New Testament. “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints,” is the message Paul writes in Romans 1:7. He addresses his audience as “the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus” at the opening of his epistolary letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:1). Thus, all believers are regarded as saints.
Being holy
We conclude that because of their exceptional relationship with the Holy One, the Bible names a particular class of God’s servants—the prophets and apostles—as “holy.” They are deserving of our particular respect because they are unlike most people in our current environment.
Conversely, every believer is a saint. Believers in the Lord God and his Son Jesus Christ are set apart for the [duty in his kingdom], are absolved of sin, adopted as [God’s child], and are called out of this world by God. “Being holy” is what that means.
