“Paul
and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus
who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:1-2 NKJV
“I’m no saint!” Have you ever heard those words? Maybe you have even said them yourself? I think many might be surprised to know what
the Bible tells us that saints actually are as opposed to what the world believes
they might be. The term saint is most
often used today in referring to someone who lived an extraordinarily near
perfect life and has died. If that were
the case, however, why is the apostle Paul writing to dead people? The truth is, of course, that Paul is writing
to the members of the church in Philipi whom he calls saints, and we know he
did the same thing to members of the churches in Rome, Corinth, and
Colossae. So what exactly is a saint?
Saints are citizens
of two worlds.
“For
our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be
conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able
even to subdue all things to Himself.”
Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV
Paul’s
letter to the church is addressed in the first verse to the saints that are in
Philipi. Yet here in this passage from
the third chapter he tells us that they, and all believers in Christ Jesus, are
citizens of heaven, our real and eternal home. So although saints have an
earthly address for now, they also have an eternal, heavenly home that is
waiting for them. Saints are anyone who
has chosen to accept the gift of eternal life offered to us all by the sacrifice
of Jesus Christ.
Saints behave submissively.
“Let
this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the
form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of
no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of
men.” Philippians 2:5-7 NKJV
In
the very first verse of Philippians, as well as in this passage, Paul describes
saints as “bondservants”. A bondservant
is a person who voluntarily chooses to become a servant for life, serving one
master for his or hers entire life. That
would certainly seem to be an apt description of those in the body who have
made the decision to accept the salvation offered to us by Jesus Christ. Along with this choice, though, comes another
choice which is to adopt the mind of Christ as our own which is to become a
servant to all.
Saints believe the
Word of God.
“For
this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the
word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men,
but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who
believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV
A
true saint accepts the Bible as the Word of God, and uses it as a guide to
life, adjusting and conforming to the principles of behavior it reveals to
us. As servants, the Word of God is “welcomed”
rather than disdained. Saints look and search the scriptures for guidance in
how to live their lives according to His wishes, and allow the power of His truth
to not only change us, but effectively work in and through us to accomplish His
desires and not our own.
Saints benefit
spiritually.
“Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace
in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2
NKJV
Have
you ever noticed how often in his letters Paul uses the words “grace and peace”
together? Have you ever wondered
why? I have heard it said that grace is
the fountain, and peace is the river that flows from it. If you think about it, God’s grace towards us
should result in us a peace that nothing can shake. Our eternal security is paid for and
guaranteed, our home is waiting our arrival, and we have God’s promises to
carry us through whatever troubles this world can throw at us. God’s grace = our peace. That in my opinion, is something no amount of
money can buy.
The
word saint in the Greek is “hagios” which
is translated as “holy”. In truth, what the term describes is how
God sees us after we have made the decision to accept the gift of eternal life
He has made available to all who choose to believe. Once we make that choice, God sees us as
“holy” or as “saints” because we are now part of His kingdom, and our
citizenship is in Heaven with Him for all of eternity. The word saint does not
describe how we see others, but rather how God sees us.
If
you are reading this today and have never made the decision to allow Jesus
Christ to come into your heart, and accept the free gift of eternal life He has
offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by simply praying
this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the
death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.
You can become what Paul calls a saint, and enjoy the grace and peace
that God has made available to you if you only ask. Simply tell God you believe He sent His Son
to die for your sin, and you want to become a citizen of Heaven and spend
eternity with Him.
Dear Lord Jesus, I
know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from
my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my
personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.
Keep
watching.
