Saint or Sinner Pt. 1
Notes
Transcript
2 May 21
Eph. 1 - Saint or Sinner Pt. 1
Turn to Ephesians 1 and Daniel 7. Just a couple of verses that will read this morning.
Q - When you hear the word saint, what image comes to mind? Maybe you think of a stained-glass figure - or one who is exceedingly holy - or maybe you think of a football player.
Would you consider yourself a saint? Your brothers and sisters in Christ?
What is a saint? How does one become a saint? Do you get voted in? Pass a test?
How would you describe a saint? Would you know a saint if you met one?
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul addressed his letter to a group of people he called saints. It's not a word that we use much anymore. It seems rather archaic - but it might be a word worth reviving. The word saint is used 82 times in the Bible - about 2/3 in the New Testament (9x in Ephesians / 13x in Revelation). That number increases exponentially when we include all the variations of the word saint. When a word is used that many times in Scripture, it's a word worthy of our time and attention.
If you remember our roadmap from a couple weeks ago, I mentioned that one of the issues we’ll be confronted with in Ephesians is the issue of our Identity in Christ. So, we need to get a grasp on this word because it has everything to do with our identity in Christ.
What or who is a saint? Two different words in the OT - one in the NT and all are connected to the holy.
What does holy mean?
Holy means to be separated from the common or profane and set apart for a specific purpose or function and/or relationship.
For instance, when Israel worshipped in the tabernacle and in the temple, they had items that were used for worship - lampstand, altar, table, utensils etc. These items were set apart from the common and consecrated specifically for worship and worship only - and that of Yahweh only. To use these items outside of the temple or for any other purpose than what they were intended would then desecrate them or make these items impure and unclean. So these items were holy or separated onto the Lord.
When items or people are set apart as holy, it reflects God’s holiness. See, God Himself is holy - meaning that He is entirely separate and completely unique from any other being in the universe. So when the divine beings around His throne cry, “holy, holy, holy,” - they’re saying, “Yahweh God, you are unlike any other god.” So, when we sing there is no one like our God, in essence we are saying God is holy - unique ….
So, back to the word saint. A saint (FYI - always plural) is one who has been separated from the world (kingdom of darkness and death to the Kingdom of light and life) and set apart for God - in a covenant relationship with Yahweh. In Scripture, the saints are also called holy ones, or faithful ones, or God’s holy people, or a holy nation. So, saints are the people who are no longer aligned with or dedicated to the world and are now in a covenant relationship with Yahweh - dedicated to Him.
Let me put it in more NT lingo -
A saint is a person who has been made holy or set apart in Christ, through Christ and for Christ.
To be “in Christ” means to be in a covenant relationship with Christ. For example, if you're married, you're in a covenant relationship. You are now separated from all other men or women and set apart exclusively for your spouse. You are to be faithful to one person above all others because of that covenant relationship.
Likewise,
Saints are separated from all other gods and earthly systems and set apart exclusively for Yahweh.
Saints are to be faithful to one God above all others. So, never isolate holiness or “sainthood” from a relationship with God the Father. Consider
For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
Could be a double meaning there. Who also are the holy ones? Psalm 89:5 - Divine beings - God’s spiritual family. We’ll see this more clearly when that Christ’s mission is to unite all things in heaven and earth - unite His family - like it was in Eden. So, you see, being a saint is synonymous or connected with being adopted - being a son or daughter in the family of God.
What is adoption? Adoption is an agreement - it’s a covenant - a covenant that means I have brought you into my family, you are no longer fatherless, no longer homeless … I am yours and you are mine - we’re in this together - we’re now a family and that settles it.
Are you seeing the importance of this word - and how it might change how we view ourselves, our brothers and sisters and how we ought to live?
At this point we need to clarify something - we’re not yet talking about holiness or saintliness in the sense of moral purity or Christian behavior.
Understand there are two sides to holiness or being a saint. One commentary put it this way -
“People are not ‘saints’ in this sense by personal merit; they are set apart by God, and in consequence they are called to live in holiness. Thus the word [saint] expresses at once the privilege and the responsibility of the calling of every Christian ….”
The privilege side of “sainthood” is purely by the work of Christ.
It is through the cross, through His blood, His sacrifice, and our faith in Him that we are made saints (Eph. 2:8).
The responsibility side of “sainthood” is the personal responsibility of the saint to pursue holiness and moral purity.
Martin-Lloyd Jones said it like this -
“I do not make myself a saint, I am made a saint. I have been separated. Because I realize that I am a saint, I must live as a saint.” Martin-Lloyd Jones.
There are two sides to this, and we’ll get more into the privilege and responsibility as we go (chapters 1-3 privileges and 4-6 responsibilities).
So, you don’t become a saint by what you do or don’t do - with one exception. This is the only thing that depends upon us to become a saint - and that is to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Are you a saint?
Have you believed in and confessed that Jesus Christ exclusively is Lord?
If not ….
Why does this matter? Why does it matter if I’m a saint or not?
First, a person who has confessed Christ as Lord has moved from sinner to saint. Secondly, remember that song, “When the saints go marching in - and how I want to be in the number?” Only the saints enter the final and coming Kingdom of God, which we call Heaven or eternity.
Turn to Daniel 7. Daniel had this vision of four beasts or four kingdoms. And some people think that this is already done and gone. Others believe that the fourth kingdom, though gone will be revived in a sense in the last days. But our focus is not on those kingdoms. Our focus is on the saints, and you’ll see why.
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
So what we have here is the “already but not yet” scenario. Jesus has already received authority and dominion, but it has yet to be fully realized - the final establishment of His Kingdom is on the way. Now, Daniel is troubled - can’t figure all this out, so he asks for clarification. Daniel is told that there are four kingdoms who will wreak havoc on the earth. But …
But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
In verses 19-20, Daniel wants more info about this fourth kingdom. He’s told it is unlike any other kingdom and it is terrifying.
As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them,
until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.
Verses 23-25 - this fourth kingdom will rise up against the Most High, attempt to destroy the whole earth …
But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’
So, are you a saint?
COMMUNION
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,
for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.