One of my closest friends Russ married my sister. Strangely, this was never weird. Here’s what WAS weird: when my mentor Ronnie told me at the waffle house, “Kevin, the Lord told me Russ is going to marry your sister….and you can’t say anything about it.” Sure enough, six months later they started dating and I got permission to share Ronnie’s word from God at their rehearsal dinner. Russ and I get along really well, we lived together in college, we’re about the same age, and we’re both pastors. Like any friends we occasionally argue and debate. But our debate is always about theology.

On vacation last week we got in this heated little convo about, are we saints or are we sinners? Russ said we’re sinners, that we’re not righteous and that our hearts are wicked. I said, we’re saints, we’re the holy ones. I’ll fast forward through the sweat and spit of our conversation and get to our conclusion. We smiled when we were done because it’s both. We’re both sinners and saints. We are sinners who are called saints.

Some who belong to Jesus are self-righteous and carry a religious spirit and need to know that they are a sinner saved by grace.

Some who belong to Jesus still see themselves as sin-stained and worthless and they need to know that by grace God sees them as saint (his holy ones).

Let’s look at Romans 1:1-7

1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

The word holy means “set apart.” Which carries this idea of designated, special, for a significant purpose. Notice in verse 1 Paul (the chief of all sinners) says that he’s been “set apart” for the gospel of God, in verse 2 he says that the Scriptures are “set apart.” God is in the business of setting apart people. There’s something about knowing that you’re “set apart.”

I’ve told this story before, but Camden my 4 year old and I have this little ritual where I tell her, “if I could line up all the little girls in the world that are your age, and I could pick just one. You know who I’d pick?” She says, “you’d pick me.” I say, “no, I’d pick that little girl down the street.” Just kidding. I’ve never said that. I say, “I’d pick you.” Then I whisper in her ear, “you are my special one.”

Look at verse 7, notice who Paul is writing this letter to:

7To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

When Paul writes the word saints, he’s not writing to a bunch of catholic dead men and women. He’s writing to the church. Saints is a word that means set apart people of God. God loves you and calls you his “holy ones” His “sepecial ones.”

Maybe you’re reading this and feeling worthless you need to know that God has set you apart. You are called to be a saint, set apart in the way you live, you aren’t ordinary, you belong to Jesus, and that he would say your name and whisper in your ear, “you are my special one.”

Maybe you are reading this and you’re thinking you’re doing a good job at righteousness and you’ve pulled together a pretty good track record of holiness, you need to know….it’s only by the grace of God that he would think of you as special.

Everyone you see today wants to know that they are special, everyone.

If you convince them with your words and serving that they are special to you, maybe then and only then will they begin to believe that the God of the universe could see them as special too. You are set apart for that calling.

A sinner and a saint,

Kev