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Introduction:
What is a saint?
Some may think of saints only as those declared saints according to the Roman Catholic church.
Church for some outstanding accomplishment or virtuous lifestyle.
They have been dead for centuries and are recognized on church calendars or other memorabilia.
Others may think of saints as pious but not very nice people.
Still others use the word saint as a loose term of respect applied to a particularly good person.
When you read the book of Philippians, you know that Paul had still another meaning for this word.
Saint is the translation of the word that means “holy” to be separate from sin and set apart to God.
So saints are not people who are dead as much as they are people who are different.
The first Century Christians were different because they were committed to Christ.
The Philippian letter was written to people Paul called saints.
They were the Christians in the church.
Let’s read our text:
Pray that the Word of the Lord would be given the authority and power it deserves and the words from my mouth would be anointed by the Holy Sprit and responded to according to the leading of the spirit in the church.
As Saints, Christians are called to be something
We have purpose as Christians.
This morning our text is calling us to remember our calling by our Holy God.
There is a distinction between being and doing.
Many of us are very willing to be doing - doing good deeds, doing programs and activities, doing ministry.
But we are soon made aware that before we can do for Christ, we must be.
To Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler who visited Jesus at night, the Savior said “Ye must be born again” (John3:7).
Even he would have to do something before he would become a citizen of Heaven.
Repentence is a necessity!
We must repent in order to know God in all of His fullness.
He calls us to Him.
Jesus bids us come.
This morning I want to point out to you that Christianity is more than an ethic to follow, or a philosophy by which to live or a theology to believe.
It is a person to follow.
We are to follow Jesus Christ and give our lives to Him in faith.
By following Jesus we can understand what kind of person we ought to be.
He is always our guide and example.
The perfect example at that.
Great Christians have always taken Jesus as a pattern.
The selfless Francis of Assisi prayed that he might be as selfless as Christ.
Brother Lawerence performing the lowliest tasks in the monastery kitchen prayed that he might be as humble as Christ.
David Livingston in the perils of darkest Africa, prayed that he might be as adventurous as Christ.
I remember growing up pastors would often refer to people in the congregation as saints.
I guess I never really gave much thought about why that was until studying Philippians.
How does it make you feel to be called a saint?
Have you ever been uncomfortable to be referred to as a "saint"?
This word isn't referring to your perfection -- as in, "I'm no saint!"
-- but referring to who owns you.
"Saints" is the Greek adjective hagios.
As an adjective it pertains to "being dedicated or consecrated to the service of God."
Here it refers to believers as "the holy ones, saints," as consecrated to God.[13]
When we are "saved," when Christ's Spirit comes into our lives, we become holy.
No, not perfect or perfected, but dedicated, set apart to the service of God.
We are now his sacred property and off limits to profane use.
Paul reminds the Corinthians:
You can't make yourself holy by doing good deeds.
You are made holy by being purchased by God at the cost of Christ's blood
It is because you are now holy, separated to God, dedicated, "sainted," that you now want to clean up your act.
(; ; ).
It is because you are now holy, separated to God, dedicated, "sainted," that you now want to clean up your act.
Salvation and sanctification are both God's work in us.
So settle it in your heart, you are a "saint," no matter how rough-hewn your spiritual life seems to be right now.
You belong to God.
Period.
Salvation and sanctification are both God's work in us.
So settle it in your heart, you are a "saint," no matter how roughly put together your spiritual life seems to be right now.
You belong to God.
Period.
When you think about it, being a "slave of Christ Jesus" and being a "saint" of God are pretty much the same thing, just looking at different aspects of belonging "lock, stock, and barrel" to God!
As saints, Christians are called to be something different
Many differences exist between Christians and non-Christians.
One obvious distinction is the commitment of their lives.
Christians have made a commitment in faith to Jesus Christ.
Their lives are centered in Him.
Therefore when looking at the life of a Christian one should see distinctions in how they live that reflect they live for Christ.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed his followers, those who were the people of the kingdom what kind of character they should have if they follow him.
The lives of saints are marked by grace, peace, strength of character, purpose and love.
Remember the words saint comes from the root word for “holy” which means separate.
Christians are to be distinct from the world.
Pay attention to the word partnership here.
Phil.
1:
The Greek noun koinōnia, "close association involving mutual interests and sharing, association, communion, fellowship."[17]
"Partnership in the gospel" means that through their gifts of aid to Paul, they participated with him in his ministry of preaching the gospel.
And because of that participation, they also would share in the eternal reward of that ministry.
We'll see in chapter 4 that this was a two-way partnership:
The Greek noun koinōnia, "close association involving mutual interests and sharing, association, communion, fellowship."[17]
"Partnership in the gospel" means that through their gifts of aid to Paul, they participated with him in his ministry of preaching the gospel.
And because of that participation, they also would share in the eternal reward of that ministry.
We'll see in chapter 4 that this was a two-way partnership:
"In the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only."
(4:15)
It was a true partnership, a mutual sharing, a two-way street, of giving and receiving.
In the case of the Philippians, it was giving money, love, and personnel (Epaphroditus) to support Paul's ministry.
And it was receiving in return spiritual and material blessings.
We are called to partner with Christ to reach others therefore it is so important to reflect Christ.
We are called to be different from the world not to blend in.
As saints, Christians are called to be something different for a purpose
Saints of God are not different just for the sake of being different or making someone else feel inferior.
Different does not have to mean odd or negative.
Christians are to ememplify the life of Christ and point others to Him.
William Barclay told of a little girl who went with her mother to church one day.
She asked her mother about the figures in the stained glass windows.
Her mother replied that they were saints.
Then later in the week she visited an older woman with her mother.
As they left the house, the mother said “You have seen a saint today”.
Trying to put the two together she finally said “Oh I know what a saint is.
A saint is someone who lets the light shine through”.
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