To be a SAINT

The Catholic Church goes through a rigorous examination of those who have died that have made an impact in their life here on earth to decide if they are a candidate for sainthood. It can take many years to decide whether or not they can be made into a saint. they examine what kind of good deeds or miracles did they do?

What makes someone a saint? The Bible is very clear on this issue.When someone believes and follows God they are considered a Saint.

The word Saint in the O.T Hebrew-chaciyd- faithful, kind, godly, holy one, saint, pious.

Ps. 16:3 "As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."

Ps. 52:9  "I will praise You forever, because You have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good."

Ps. 116:15  "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints."

Ps. 149:1 "Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints"

Deut. 33:2   "And he said: "The LORD came from Sinai, and dawned on them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints; from His right hand came a fiery law for them." The whole assembly of Israel was called saints or holy ones.

SAINTS. Positionally, every New Testament believer; experientially, a person eminent for piety and virtue: a consecrated person. Applied to the pious Israelites Ps. 16:3, 34:9, Heb. qadosh, elsewhere "godly ones," "holy ones." Also applied to members of the Body of Christ. All the saved of the NT era are saints (hagioi) by virtue of their position "in Christ" (1 Cor. 1:2; cf. Rom. 6:3-4; 8:1; Eph. 1:3; etc.). The NT refutes the idea of a special class of "saints." Although it is true that in experience some believers are more "holy" than others, yet in their position before God all believers are "sanctified," i.e., saints by virtue of what they are "in Christ." The Christian's perfect position Rom. 6:1-10 ( New Unger's Bible Dictionary)

We all ahve the same standing before a holy God sinners saved by grace made into saints.

Saint-(hagios) here is used for the professing Christians as in 1 Corinthians 1:2 which see as well as Romans 1:7 for the origin of the word. The word "all" (paôsi) means that all individual believers are included. Paul employs this word frequently in Philippians. (A.T. Robertsons Word pictures of the NT)

Saints-it designates all such and is not applied merely to persons of exceptional holiness, or to those who, having died, were characterized by exceptional acts of "saintliness."  (Vine's Expository Dictionary)

We find the word saint used for those who died as beleivers. Matt. 27:52 "and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised"
 This term "Saint" was first applied as a term to living believers in the New Testament when Annaias said Paul did many things evil things to the Saints in Jerusalem Acts 9:13(as when he put the saints in prison and put many to death. Acts 26:10 "This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison."

Paul said the saints were alive; you don't have to die to be a saint. Rom. 15:25 " But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints."

2 Cor 13:12-13 "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you."Paul did not mean dead people 
 
While the Roman Catholic church waits decades and even centuries to bestow sainthood on a certain individual, Peter and Paul did not. they addressed their letters to the saints who were alive

Rom 1:7 "To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
 
Acts 9:32  (Peter) "that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda."
2 Cor. 13:13  "All the saints greet you."
Eph. 1:1  " To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ."
2 Cor 1:1 "To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia"         Phil. 1:1 "To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi"
Col. 1:2 "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse" 

Eph. 4:12 " for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." do only certain people called saints do the work of ministry, this flawed concept becomes obvious when we know there are many who do ministry  work in the catholic church that are not called saints.

Saints are on earth first before they are in heaven.no one had to judge whether they were worthuy of being called  a saint by the amount of miracles and good works they did. The Bible calls those who are saved by Christ's death, SAINTS.

If your not a SAINT when your alive, then your certainly AIN'T when your dead.

So it is clear from the Bible from which the term saint was first given that they are very much alive. They do not need the approval of a Church to canonize them, when they already have the approval from God. If a Church wants to honor a someone for the work and influence they did on earth that's fine. But the catholic church can't make them a saint, that is something only God can do. It takes salvation to be a saint.