Saints

Good morning, welcome to NHCC, open Bibles to Ephesians 1.

Began a journey through the book of Ephesians.

Last week- Paul seen as the author.

Qualifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Saved by Jesus, Sent by Jesus, Sent for Jesus.

According to the will of God- His apostleship not his own decision.

Turn our attention to the audience. To whom is Paul writing this letter?

Read Ephesians 1:1- Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus…

Pray.

An audience is intended. We need to know to whom the letter is written. Three distinguishing marks given.

1. Saints.

At its most basic level, Paul is writing to Christians at Ephesus.

qadash- to consecrate to the Lord, to set apart as holy.

Place.

Exodus 3:4-5- When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Temple.

Psalm 5:7- But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

Sacrifices.

Leviticus 23:20- And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.

Sabbath.

Exodus 31:14- You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

The people of Israel.

Exodus 22:31- You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

A people group in which there was nothing truly special. And yet God set them apart, made them holy, consecrated them.

Deuteronomy 7:6-8- For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

God Himself.

Hosea 11:9- I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.

Holiness throughout the OT has to do with something or someone’s relationship to God. Has God set them apart for His uses, or has He left them as they were?

Word used in the Septuagint- Greek translation of the OT- hagios- a most holy thing, a saint.

This is the word being used to describe Paul’s audience, the recipients of his letter.

This is how the Christians at Ephesus were meant to see themselves. That which was normal, taken and made holy, set apart, consecrated for God’s use and God’s purposes.

This is a saint. Not someone special within themselves, according to their own power, strength, wisdom or spirituality.

Instead, someone who God has made His.

John Calvin- “So no one is a believer who is not holy; and no one is holy who is not a believer.”

What do we pray for those around us? What do we pray for ourselves? Our children? That they would be saints, holy, set apart for service to God. Use them God. Accomplish your purposes in my son and in my daughters. Consecrate them for the expanding of your Kingdom.

John Piper- “Most of you in this room will have children, and you should be raising them to go. Parents should think of themselves as senders. What can I do? What kind of child will they be? How big will their God be? Talk mainly about God and missions becomes obvious.”

2. Faithful.

Exercising faith or Preserving faith.

Exercising faith- simply put- the one who is faithful, or has right faith in Christ.

Galatians 2:16- ...yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

John 5:24- Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Preserving faith- to preserve something, to keep it- enduring faith, faith that remains when everything works against it.

Faithful to one’s spouse.

1 Samuel 12:24- Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.

1 Samuel 12:20-22- And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.

God is faithful to us, can be trusted, will not break His promises.

Shown most clearly in the cross.

Likewise, we are to be faithful to God, not abandoning God in hardship.

Consider Ephesus.

3rd or 4th largest city in the world at the time.

Mission work in a city that doesn’t know Jesus.

Roman emperor worship.

Believed the Roman emperor to be god-like if not a god.

Still in Ephesus today, remains of a statue of Roman emperor Trajan with foot atop the globe.

Even beyond emperor worship and worship of the pagan goddess Artemis, immorality was important to Ephesus.

Bryan Chapell- “Even today as you walk the street from the ancient docks into the city, there remains a sign carved in stone that guides will say was used to direct sailors to a brothel. The economy and culture of the entire region were mired in materialism, sensuality, and idolatrous diversions as any modern city.”

The saints were called the faithful ones, faithful in Christ, like what Samuel called the Israelites to, remaining on the path.

3. In Christ.

Dual citizenship- simultaneously in Ephesus and in Christ.

Simultaneously communicates both their physical locale and their spiritual status.

Remember, in the various places you find yourself, in the various roles you play, you are primarily in Christ.

Even more- in Christ defines faith.

To place faith in Jesus means that you are in Christ, your life is given completely to Jesus.

Further, in Christ specifies where our true life comes from..

Colossians 3:3-4- For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

John 15:5-6- I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

A truth that even kids can understand.

In need of a constant reminder of where we must find life. We are always tempted to look elsewhere.

In what is your life immersed?

J. Wilbur Chapman- Our Great Savior (1910)- Jesus! I do now receive Him, More than all in Him I find, He has granted me forgiveness, I am His, and He is mine. Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.