It seems to me that Epiphany is a reminder to us for the need to continue to search. The three "wise men", who were probably astronomers rather than royalty, searched outside of their own countries, societies and spiritual traditions to find an infant, born into poverty, who the results of their own searching pointed to as a "king". These men were not afraid to go where their searching lead. They were not afraid to venture out beyond their comfort zones to discover truth.
We need to be spiritually and intellectually honest with ourselves, no matter where this takes us.
Happy Epiphany.
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SAINTHOOD QUALIFICATIONS
Who are the saints of God? God's saints are those who are under His covenant. A covenant is an agreement between God and mankind.
ALL MEN WHO ARE OR WERE UNDER GOD'S COVENANT ARE SAINTS.
Psalm 50:5 "Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." (NKJV)
ALL OF GOD'S PEOPLE ARE SAINTS.
Deuteronomy 33:1-3 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2. And he said: "The Lord came from Sinai, And dawn on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousand saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them. 3 Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hands; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words.(NKJV)
Yes, those under under the old covenant were saints of God. The people under the old covenant were saints and they did not have to be placed in a canon of saints and then enacted by the ecclesiastical rule of church authority and approved by Moses.
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. (NKJV)
All men in God's churches are saints. The body of Christ are God's saints; one and all.
Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was give, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. (NKJV)
The apostle Paul did not consider himself a candidate for beatification. Why not, because there is no such title of "Super Saint" found in Scripture. Paul said he was the least of saints.
If there was a class of God like "Super Saints" that men could worship, by petition them through prayer, the apostle Paul certainly would have qualified. GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD, HE DOES WANT MEN TO WORSHIP ANY SAINT, DEAD OR ALIVE, BY PRAYING TO THEM.
Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints---(NKJV)
These Christians were not praying for dead saints. These were live saints praying for other live saints. Saints are all members of the body of Christ; nothing more and nothing less.
There are no Scriptures that mention a beatification of saints, through a canonical process; thereby turning a selected few into "SUPER SAINTS."
THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR SAINTHOOD!
The qualification for sainthood under the new covenant are:
A. FAITH: John 3:16
B. CONFESSION: Romans 10:9-10
C. REPENTANCE: Acts 3:19, Acts 2:38
D. WATER BAPTISM Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:20-21
When you come up out of the watery grave of baptism you are saved, you are a child of God, you are a member of the Lord's church, your are part of the body of Christ, you have been clothed with Christ, you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, your sins have been forgiven, you are a member of the church of Christ, you have been raised to walk in a new life, you have been washed by the blood of Jesus, you are in the kingdom of God here on earth. YOU ARE A SAINT!
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Hi, Steve. Thanks for stopping by. The Catholic Church does have a cannon of saints (those officially recognized by the Church as being in Heaven) but that "list" is by no means definitive. We are ALL called to be saints, and the goal of all Christians is heaven.
Steve, Catholics don't worship Saints. That is where a lot of other beliefs get confused and put their own "facts" on what you perceive we do. We only worship God. We do not worship Mary, or any of the other Saints. This is one of the biggest misconceptions amongst other beliefs. Its a false belief you have that we worship Saints.
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