Most who profess Christ today are not real saints, as you described, Christianity in a mess!
A Saint or an aint?
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow(obey) Me.
Either you are one or the other, no such things as a sinning saint! A saint is walking in the present tense with Christ, being obedient, pure in heart and deed, and listening to His voice, then they follow Him on the narrow road. Luke 9-23-24.
Luke 9:23 And He said to all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Luke 9:24 For whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever will lose his life for My sake, he shall save it.
A real saint as described in the Bible has crucified his flesh with Christ, Galatians 2-20,
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith(obedience) toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.
Once and for all, hence I have been crucified, and thus they now walk in newness of life, 2 Corinthians 5-17.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.
Cleansed and purified of all willful sin, through a real repentance and faith. 2 Corinthians 7-10-11.
2Co 7:10 For the grief according to God works repentance to salvation, not to be regretted, but the grief of the world works out death.
2Co 7:11 For behold this same thing (you being grieved according to God); how much it worked out earnestness in you; but also defense; but also indignation; but also fear; but also desire; but also zeal; but also vengeance! In everything you approved yourselves to be clear (pure) in the matter.
They must remain diligent and faithful to the truth, obey from the heart, and keep themselves undefiled from the world and its false ways! 1 John 2-15-17.
1Jn 2:15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,
1Jn 2:16 because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.
You are not a saint without actually doing the works of righteousness(doing what is right) Jesus didn’t obey for you, but made a way, through His bold example for us to follow, He said His sheep follow Him and His steps and ways, which leads to eternal life. But sadly most churches teaches Jesus did it all for them, He took their place, and a real Christian is actually a sinner, but called a saint because they believe in Jesus!
Rom 8:4 So that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
It’s simple, obedience matters, those who count the cost and endure to the end will inherit eternal life, as you walk in the spirit, and not the flesh, walking as Jesus walked, in sincerity, purity and love!
A real saint will not be perfect as some think perfection is( as perfect as God) BUT will be living the crucified life, that only comes through repentance and faith both proven by deeds! And these deeds include obeying Jesus from the heart, abstaining from all appearances of evil, departing from iniquity, counting the cost, and most of all, crucifying your flesh with Christ once and for all, not because He did it for you, but because He commands you to do it, and a real saint will never argue in favor of sin!
Gal 5:24 But those belonging to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Tommy
Many will say this way is too difficult, and will come up with many excuses why they can’t obey and follow Jesus on the narrow road, but Jesus made it perfectly clear when He said, strive to enter the narrow gate, where the professing church says, it’s done for you, you cannot obey God, and to fear Him isn't important, just believe all is done, you do nothing but trust it has been done for you! Does this sound like the narrow way Jesus preached in the word?
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
