It certainly was true that all who made up the first-century Christian congregation were saints. (1 Cor. 14:33, 34; 2 Cor. 1:1; 13:13, RS, KJ) They are described as ones that received “forgiveness of sins” and were “sanctified” by God. (Acts 26:18; 1 Cor. 1:2, RS, KJ) Nevertheless, they did not claim to be free from all sin. They were born as descendants of the sinner Adam. This inheritance often made it a struggle for them to do what was right, as the apostle Paul humbly acknowledged. (Rom. 7:21-25) And the apostle John pointedly said: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8, RS) So, being a saint in the sense that the term is used regarding Christ’s true followers does not mean that in the flesh they are free from all sin.
