Requirements of a saint
Posted By admin on August 16, 2010
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (St. Mark 8:34).
The thought of following Christ in all things, that is to be a saint often brings unwarranted fear to many. We conclude wrongly that living for Christ is difficult, may result in living joyless, monotonous lives which are burdensome. Note that Jesus first called, then gave instruction. We cannot hear God’s instructions when we are far from Him. We have to yield to his calling first, and then do what he commands. Jesus’ invitation to sup at his table (Revelation 3:20) is full of promises of an abundant life: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (St. John 10:10). To live this life we have to be willing and obedient (Isaiah 1: 19). As there is something to gain, there is also something(s) to give up.
Jesus says “we must deny ourselves” as the first requirement. To follow Christ, saints must deny themselves. Our hearts and minds must first obey then the rest of our body will follow. Without the mind, there is nothing significant that the body can do. That is why we are called to have the mind of Christ, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2: 5). Often we equate denying ourselves with depriving ourselves. Denying oneself is refraining from satisfying one’s desires or needs. It is what I do to myself, whilst depriving is taking something from someone, that is what another is doing to me (dictionary.com). Denying involves self-discipline, whilst deprivation is more like punishment because it is someone who is denying the other. That is the reason Christ calls for denial and not depriving. God will not stop us from enjoying sin, but He will be pleased when we willingly give it up and exchange it for a new life in him.
The second requirement of a saint is to take or pick up the cross. It is a call to action. “Faith without works is dead” (James 2: 18; 20; 26). Our cross or burdens are our struggles with the flesh, that is sin. All of us, no matter our maturity in the Lord, have something to give up, hence the scriptures says, “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of the Lord” (Romans 3:23). Often we have the desire but our flesh hinder us. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (Galatians 5: 16-17). Denying ourselves involves a sacrifice on our part. We have to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12: 1). Lay aside those things which hinder a wholesome relationship with God.
The third requirement is to follow. This may seem easy and simple but because of the flesh, and the hardness of our hearts, we faulter from time to time, “so that ye cannot do the things that ye would”. To follow Christ to the letter, we have to lay aside our own maps, and ideas and do what he is doing, go where he is going with complete trust in him. Sometimes we want to show our maturity and independence and we do more or less of what we are instructed. However the scripture cautions us that “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (I Samuel 15: 22). To follow Christ we have to be childlike, have blind faith, question nothing yet believe that every word of God is true.
These three requirements: to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and following Christ are not independent of one another. To fully follow Jesus Christ requires full commitment to him and the commandments of God, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (I John 2:4). Jesus greatly lamented over us hearing him and calling him Lord but not doing what he says: “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (St. Luke 6: 46). To be a saint then, is not only bearing the name of Jesus Christ or only calling on His name, but is also doing the work of Christ “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). Jesus summed up these requirements to the young man saying, “if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments” (St. Matthew 19: 17).
To live as a saint, walk as a saint one has to receive the gift of life from Jesus Christ with thanksgiving and surrender one’s will to the obedience of Christ with joy (II Corinthians 10: 3-6).
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? (Deuteronomy 10: 12-13).
Glory be to God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
God bless thee