“Share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…” (2 Timothy 1:8-9)
Believers are called to be holy people, not because they are holy people already. They were called by God “because of His own purpose and grace” while they were still sinners (Romans 5:8). That is important to understand. God does not declare people holy because of anything they did, but calls them to be saints despite everything they did.
The apostle Paul writes extensively about this topic. He stresses that we are made right with God by grace. And even after our sins have been forgiven, we often fail to live according to His standards. Thinking about this, Paul says: “I do not understand my own actions… For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing”. But he continues, “It is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (Romans 7:15-20).
Paul calls himself a “miserable person” because of his failure to live as a saint. But all this does not separate him from the Lord. It does not alter his position as a beloved child of God. He remains a saint, because he belongs to Jesus.
Do you recognize Paul’s struggle in your own life?