For Protestants: Who are your "saints?"

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What I mean is, we until recently had Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa as shining examples of Catholic holiness on Earth that we could look to for inspiration (not that there isn’t anyone now, I’m just giving examples). Do Protestants have any fellow Protestants they look up to like this?
 
As a former Southern Baptist Sunday School Teacher in RCIA class now, I would have to say living Billy Graham / Franklin Graham.

The concept of a dead saint praying for us is so foreign to most other Christian denominations that I would be surprised if anyone else addresses it. I would love to hear others though. Thank you
 
**We are the saints. **

Every believer who lives to love and serve the Lord. That’s the way we see it, because that is how it is defined in the Scriptures. We are the living Saints referred to in Revelation who are sending up prayers.

You are one, too, if you are a true follower of Christ, devoted to Him as your Savior and King!

SO I welcome you to Sainthood wynd! 🙂

In His Mighty Grip!
D.
 
Doreen, just because we are all “called” to be saints, doesn’t mean we are. If we are the saints whose prayers are going up to heaven, who is delivering them to God?
 
We are the stewards, each with his own talent(s).

When we are judged, we will still be “stewards”, some better rewarded than others .

I think the OP might have meant who are your protestant “judged” Saints?

Further… what would be the criteria… where would you get your confidence …

While we don’t really know who is in hell… we certainly have a better idea of who is in Heaven.

By the way… everyone in Heaven is Catholic!!
 
Ted CharlotteNC:
As a former Southern Baptist Sunday School Teacher in RCIA class now, I would have to say living Billy Graham / Franklin Graham.
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I think this is more along the lines of what the OP is looking for.
 
You are correct RCCDefender. I meant people who are looked up to that are currently alive, or were looked up to when they were alive.
 
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jesusluv:
Doreen, just because we are all “called” to be saints, doesn’t mean we are. If we are the saints whose prayers are going up to heaven, who is delivering them to God?
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The OP was asking for a Protestant perspective. I guess I am labeled a Protestant since I question Catholic doctrine, so I was giving what I understand to be the truth as it relates to the OP’s question.

I send my prayers, btw, directly to God’s inbox addressed to Jesus. So that should answer your other question.

According to Rev. 5 and 8 the angels deliver “the prayers of the saints on earth” at the time of judgement. There are saints who are holding the bowls, but it doesn’t specify that they are delivering them, though it does say, “Another angel…was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints…The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints went up before God from the angel’s hand.” Rev. 8:3-4

My understanding is that the saints are “asleep in Christ” and so I don’t believe they are busying themselves with my prayers at all.

When I travel with my kids, I tell them, “Take a little nap and we’ll be there in a snap.” This is the beautiful thing about our God. He always gives us some way to relate to His mighty ways. Notice when we sleep while traveling, it seems like we arrive in no time at all?

I believe that sleep is a picture of what we experience when we die (if we are in Christ). If I should die before the judgement day appears on the earth, it will seem to me like as soon as I pass away, the judgement came. The next awareness for me, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 is that I will rise up with Christ.

“And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them…and thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

What a beautiful promise!

Just as displayed by C.S. Lewis in his inspired Narnian Chronicles…a whole lot can be happening in one world, and yet when we jump to the other, it will be as if no time has passed.

Beautiful, beautiful.
In His Love,
D.
 
Why is it that someone asks a Protestant for their opinion, the protestant gives it and then they are roundly attcked?
 
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RCCDefender:
I think this is more along the lines of what the OP is looking for.
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What qualifications entitle one to sainthood. 'Cause if we’re talking about people who clearly have a calling toward leadership in the faith and are powerfully guided by the Spirit, then I could list at least 100 right now off the top of my head.

Would you like a list? I can try to put one together for you.
 
From Christianity Today…

“A chief reason the church makes saints, in other words, is to inspire everyone else to live like them.”

Steven Gertz is editorial coordinator of Christian History.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Which makes me think…the more we have saints in our midst, the better! No?
 
the writers of the NT referred to all living Christians as saints.

by the way everyone in heaven is a Baptist

allischalmers (chug chug)
 
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to pick up on the comment… Everyone in heaven is Catholic…just over 2 hours

The thoughts behind it are thus:

At the end of our time here on earth, we die and we will see the face of God… all truth will be set before us… the Lord’s desire that there be One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism will be our reality. The one Faith will be the fullness of Faith - the gift of Jesus Himself to mankind.

The fullness of the Faith can only be found in the Church (not the sinners in it, mind you) which Jesus Himself founded. Only the Catholic Church can lay claim to that fact - and no apostasy has ever happened to destroy the Church (God did promise that…I believe Him)

Therefore, all who enter heaven are now Catholic, regardless of their affiliation on earth.

The Catholic “declaration of Sainthood” - canonization - is the Church’s acknowledgment of particular individuals who have entered heaven. They are the brothers and sisters we should imitate.

However…

Everyone in hell is also Catholic. Those too, after death, now see the Face of God… now are presented with the fullness of the Truth… and have the reality of One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. But, for whatever reason they knowingly rejected the Church ( and thus the Lord), and mortally sinned, they will spend eternity without the beatific vision.

Billy Graham will one day be Catholic.
 
Doreen said:
**We are the saints. **

Every believer who lives to love and serve the Lord. That’s the way we see it, because that is how it is defined in the Scriptures.
D.
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And actually Doreen, that’s not too far off from the Catholic view.

We, the Saints on earth are the Church Militant

The Saints in heaven, whose journey to sanctification is complete, are the Church Triumphant.

That’s the Communion of Saints. We’re one body. The Mystical Body of Christ.
 
Religion and sainthood is not synonymous. To be guaranteed sainthood, we must live in God’s way, and live in line with His Word and teachings, and be martyred by it. Our religion does not make us better than another person. Whether it be Catholic, Anglican, or otherwise Protestants, being a saint is simply being Christian…a follower of Christ, living your life in a Christ-like way. This way of life impacts on those around you, showing them the way to God.
 
I can think of a number of people who have passed away that I think of as saints: My grandmother & great-grandmother were the most amazing influences for godly, faith filled living.They were such prayer warriors…Other family, others whom I knew.

It is harder to think of folks who are living as saints…There are people who I have great faith in their deep spiritual lives, but saints? I am uncomfortable saying that…

For sure, regardless of what some have said here, I could :nope: never, ever say “we are the saints”!! ( Who, me??? Anything but!! I am, for sure, too much of this earth to ever see myself as such!! )

(I do know one wonderful Free Methodist pastor’s wife, of whom I have:) sometimes remarked that I :yup: want to be her “when I grow up”!! )
 
Just this week I saw the movie End of the spear.
The story of four missionary who were martyred in the jungles of Equador. They would certainly thought of very noble men.
 
Dr. Luther, Martin Chemnitz, John Bugenhagen, CFW Walther, Francis Pieper, Adolph Hoenecke, Phillip Melancthon are among the most admired men in my circles. But there are a great many others who have done so much for the church and done so mostly anonymously. We thank God for them.
 
LutheranStudent said:
Dr. Luther, Martin Chemnitz, John Bugenhagen, CFW Walther, Francis Pieper, Adolph Hoenecke, Phillip Melancthon are among the most admired men in my circles. But there are a great many others who have done so much for the church and done so mostly anonymously. We thank God for them.
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Is that the same Martin Luther who was an Augustinian Monk, took vows, then reneged on them all as he rejected the only Christian Authority in the world up to that time… the Catholic Church.

Much of what he professed was rejected by his immediate “followers”, and much is still rejected today by the Church as heresy.

If so, what is it that you admire about him to the level of “sainthood” in this thread?
 
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