The Holy Ones: A Sunday Morning Reflection

Hagios - adjective, holy; when used alone, holy one(s)

By my count hagios is used 43 times in the New Testament to refer to Christ-followers. Not particularly sainted followers - your everyday run-of-the mill followers. The Corinthians are hagios; the Ephesians are hagios; the Colossians are hagios, and the list goes on. Fundamentally our identity is not sinners. Not that we haven't sinned or that we don't continue to sin. Not that it hurts us to think sometimes like Paul does, I am the chief of sinners or to consider James when he quotes and applies scripture to the saints, Wash your hands you sinners (Isa 1: 16). But the designation of sinners for the saints is so extremely rare as a way to write or to think about those who are now Christ-followers. In fact, these two passages that I have referred to are it - the sum total of the sinner designation for Christ-followers. Meanwhile, over and over again - 43 times, in fact - it is hagios. 

So you think that the majority must have been saintly in behavior and had their doctrine down to a t? Think again. Better yet,  read the Corinthian letter: what was their moral situation? What was their doctrinal situation? They, like us, are hagios not because we never sin or we have all of our beliefs in exact conformity with reality. We are hagios because we have been called that by God, made that by Christ and continually cleansed and guided into that by the Spirit. We are being called into our future - holy ones who will reign with God.

Every Sunday we meet to reaffirm this as we eat the Lord's Supper together. We are his hagios, and we eat this meal of him and with him, looking forward to the time when he returns.