In so far, they are separated from the world, set apart to become holy, consecrated to Christ. Not that their sanctification or saintship is complete. If that were the case, the apostles would not have written epistles to the saints. For perfect beings need no Bibles, no Churches, no means of Grace. The angels need none of these things. There is indeed not one sinless person mentioned in the Bible, except that divine One, "_who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth_." If there were one Scripture character who, if such a thing were possible, would have attained to sinless perfection, that one would certainly have been the greatest of all the apostles, Paul. He labored more than they all; he suffered more than they all; he went deeper into the mysteries of redemption than they all. He was not only permitted to look into heaven, as the beloved John, but he "_was caught up into the third heaven, and heard words that it was not lawful for him to utter_" on this sinful earth. Oh, what purifying through suffering! What visions and revelations! What experience of Grace! And yet this burnished vessel never professed sinless perfection. Indeed, he never ceased to mourn and lament the sinfulness and imperfection of his own heart, and called himself the chief of sinners. He does indeed speak of perfection. Hear what he says, Phil. iii. 12, 13, 14: "_Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forward unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus._" The saints on earth, then, are not sinless ones. The Bible does indeed speak of those born of God sinning not, not committing sin, etc. But this can only mean that they do not _wilfully_ sin. They do not intentionally live in habits of sin. Their sins are sins of weakness and not sins of malice. They repent of them, mourn over them, and strive against them. They constantly pray, "_Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us_." But their heart-purity and sanctification are only relative. Sanctification is gradual and progressive. We have seen that Paul thus expressed himself. He was constantly "_following after_," "_reaching forth_," "_pressing toward_" the mark. He exhorts the Corinthians, 2 Cor. vii. 1, to be "_perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord_," and again, 2 Cor. iii. 18, to be "_changed into the same image from glory to glory_." He tells them in chapter iv. 16 that "_the inward man is renewed day by day_." He exhorts the saints or believers, again and again, "_to grow_," "_to increase_," "_to abound yet more and more_."