When you think of someone, but cannot remember their name, it causes a small bit of angst in your mind. Why can you not remember their name? It is an odd phenomenon. Even if you can remember everything about the person, their name is something important, and your understanding of them is incomplete without it. This is because there is a lot to a name. A name helps to identify the person, and many people will look up the meaning of a name before settling on it for their child.
It is not as common today, but in the past many people would name their child according to the meaning. We see this a lot in the old testament, where each person’s name has a specific meaning. Since most of the names used today carry on from the past, we have come to think first of the name before the meaning. When we then look to the bible, and we look to the names that have been given to us as Christians, we can often overlook the importance of those names. If you want to understand someone’s role, what they have done, or what they will do, look at what they are called.
This is true of Christ, who has many names. He is called King of kings, Lord of lords, the lamb of God, the author and finisher of our faith, the door, the vine, the I AM, and many more. All of these names describe what Christ has accomplished. We can also look to the old testament figures and see that their names are just as important. Abram had his name changed to Abraham to indicate that he would be the father of many. This was before he had any children, and at a time in his life when he and his wife were past child-bearing ages. Yet, God changed his name according to what he would accomplish through Abraham.
God has also given to you many names and titles. You, as a Christian, are called a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, and you are a people and have received mercy, where previously you were not a people and had not received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10). These names describe much about you. A chosen race: you are one of God’s children, not by birth, but by adoption. This is what it means to be chosen, God has adopted you. You are a royal priesthood: Christ was the first to be in the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110, Hebrews 7). You, now being a co-heir with Christ, are also a royal priest. You are one of those lesser kings, or magistrates, sent out on behalf of the King of kings, in order to disciple the nations (Matthew 28:19-20). You are also a priest, offering up spiritual sacrifices to God. You are a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession: you are set apart for the purposes that God has because you belong to Him. You are not your own, but you belong to Christ for His purposes and for His glory.
The word holy used in verse 9 of 1 Peter 2 when it says “holy nation” is the Greek word hagion. It is the same root word that is elsewhere translated to saint. This is what you are called over and over again in the scriptures, a saint, someone who is holy, and set apart, for the purposes of God. Because of this, God will continually sanctify you and preserve you for the day of resurrection. Your role on this earth is to then accomplish the purposes that God has for you. There are good works for you, not for your salvation, but because you were saved, so that you would walk in those good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
This Greek word for saint is used 235 times in the new testament to describe things that are holy, sanctified, set apart, a saint. It describes the holiness of Christ. It describes the holiness of His people, which includes Christians. It is not something that we are waiting for in the future, but rather it is something that applies to Christians now. We are the saints, and once we understand the roles we have, the names and titles that have been given to us in Christ, we will better be able to understand our purpose here on this earth.
If you are following along, spend some time looking at the usages of the Greek word Hagios. You can find its usages here: https://biblehub.com/greek/strongs_40.htm
You can also read the meaning of the word hagios here: https://biblehub.com/greek/40.htm
Thank you Brian! Great insight about our own identity in God’s family.