All Saints and All Souls

Serving in Germany in the 1950's we witnessed their observance of "All Saints" Day on Nov. 1 or 2 and "All Souls" Day on Nov. 2 or 3 each year. The former honors departed "saints" of the Roman Catholic Church who are prayed TO, while the latter emphasizes the need to pray FOR the souls in torment in "purgatory" or hell. As we write, there is a controversy in and out of the Church regarding the advisability of canonizing Pope Pius XII who signed an agreement with Hitler in 1933 which may explain why he never publicly denounced the Holocaust or made much greater efforts to protect the Jews in Europe. Israel, of course, is strongly opposed to him being declared an official "saint." We are, too, because Scripture makes it clear that it is GOD who is in the saint-making business and not a religious hierarchy (which is why we were preaching the Gospel in Germany anyway)! Biblically, a "saint" is a SINNER SAVED by grace! The New Testament word means "to be set apart FROM sin and set apart UNTO God" and he addressed Christians in Rome as "beloved of God, called to be saints" (Romans 1:7). He saluted believers in Corinth as "them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" (I Corinthians 1:2), etc. In our KJV Bible the italicized words indicate they have been added for meaning, and I would paraphrase it "called TO BE saints DOWN HERE and seeking to become SAINTLY DOWN HERE" by obeying God's Word "for the perfecting (spiritual maturation) of the SAINTS" (Ephesians 4:12)! Truly, simple faith in Christ makes all believers "meet to be partakers of the SAINTS in light" NOW and throughout eternity (Colossians 1:12-14). But prayer FOR "all souls" already in eternity is futile. NOW is the time to become a saint and as a saint to be more and more saintly ... set apart for Christ's use and glory!