To The Saints And Faithful

Q: What does the Bible say about being a saint?

The Bible describes saints as those who are sanctified by God, set apart for holy use, not merely as morally superior individuals. In Scripture, saints are referred to as those who have been sanctified, or set apart by God for a holy purpose. This does not imply moral superiority, but rather that God has called and designated them as His own. Romans 1:7 emphasizes that believers are called to be saints, highlighting that this identity is a gift from God rather than an achievement of human effort. Sanctification is primarily an act of God, who chooses individuals before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5) and sets His love upon them. The biblical understanding of sanctification is rooted in God's initiative and election, showcasing His grace in transforming lives for His glory.

Q: Why is being faithful important for Christians?

Faithfulness is vital for Christians as it reflects their trust in Christ, who is the ultimate example of faithfulness. Being faithful encompasses more than just dutiful actions; it signifies a heart and mind fully reliant on Christ. In Scripture, faith is characterized as an object, specifically our trust in Jesus, rather than our own efforts or accomplishments. Faithfulness presents itself through a reliance on God's grace, acknowledging that our worth and righteousness stem solely from Christ's redemptive work. In the New Testament, Jesus notes the faith of the Syrophoenician woman and the Roman centurion as examples of great faith based on their understanding of Christ’s authority and their own unworthiness. Therefore, Christians are called to exhibit this type of faithfulness as a reflection of their relationship with God and their understanding of His grace.

Q: How do we know God's election is true?

God's election is affirmed in Scripture, where He explicitly states that He chooses individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world. The doctrine of election is deeply rooted in biblical teaching, primarily illustrated in Ephesians 1:4-5, which states that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. This notion of election indicates that God acts sovereignly in whom He sets His love upon, independent of human merit. Similarly, Romans 9 provides the example of God’s choice between Jacob and Esau, illustrating that election is not based on anything inherently good in the individuals themselves, but solely on God’s divine purpose. This theological understanding assures believers of their security in Christ, as it rests on God's initiative rather than human actions, highlighting His grace and sovereignty in salvation.

Q: What does sanctification mean in the Christian life?

Sanctification means being set apart by God for holy use, which involves both God's choosing and the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. Sanctification in the Christian life refers to the process by which believers are set apart for God's purposes, transforming them into the image of Christ. This act is initiated by God, who elects His people and calls them to be saints (Ephesians 1:4). It involves both positional sanctification, where believers are declared holy through Christ's sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10), and progressive sanctification, which is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in conforming believers to Christ's likeness. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 illustrates how the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in this process, leading believers into truth and enabling them to live out their faith. Thus, sanctification is a crucial aspect of the Christian journey, highlighting the believer’s reliance on God’s grace for transformation.

I trust not on God, He reigneth
in glory, nor on us will He, when the cross is over me. All right. Thank you. Here. Now turn back to Colossians 1. Just going to look at, really,
at one verse in Colossians. I don't normally do this, but
just a couple of words really caught
my attention reading this. Let's read verses 1 and 2 again.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. and by the will of God, and Timotheus,
our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ,
which are at Colossae, or at wherever. Grace be unto you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Brother Scott Richardson. made this statement one time.
He said, you can't claim the promise unless you fit the character
described in the promise. Now he's talking about God's
Word. You can't claim what is promised unless you fit the one
that he's making the promise to. Got that? You can't claim
the promise unless you fit the character described in the promise. Old Brother Scott has a way of
putting things very concisely, and in the course of a message,
he'll say that about twelve times, so you don't forget. I'll never
forget when he said that. Well, the Scriptures promised
things like rest. Now, whose rest promised it?
Laboring. All right. Scriptures promises
salvation or the death of Christ to this is a faithful saying
worthy of all acceptation. Christ Jesus came in the world
to save sinners. Scriptures promises strength
to the weak. His strength is made perfect
and weak. Scriptures promises help. to
the poor and needy. You see? Now, here in this verse,
it says, Grace and peace to who? Who are the characters described?
Grace and peace to the saints and the faithful. Saints and
the faithful. All right? Someone may be saying,
Well, I'm no saint. Or you have no grace and peacefulness.
I say, I don't feel faithful. You better be. Or there's no
grace and peace. See, you can't claim promise
unless you pick the character, all right? What's a saint? What
is a saint? What is a saint? Now, a saint
is someone superior than everyone else. People think the saint is someone
who prays 24 hours a day, and wears a halo around their head,
and holier than everyone else, and far removed from anything
worldly, and is totally different in dress, wears a, whatever,
a long robe, and then throw out practically every person mentioned
in Scripture. Throw out Abraham. Throw out
lots. Nobody thought he was the same. Throw out David. Throw out Solomon. Throw out Peter. Throw out Mary
Magdalene. Throw them all out. And you're
probably saying, throw me out too. If a saint is someone far
above and superior, holier than thou, sinless perfection. This
is a common word used in Scripture. God's word uses this Numerous
times. It's used four times in this
first chapter. Saints. Not used very often anymore.
But commonly used in Scripture. And this is a blessed name which
God gives His people. God calls His people. Romans
1, verse 7 says, called to be saints. Or rather, called saints. God who called you saints. All
right, what does it mean to be a saint? Are you a saint? Don't check your head, no, until
you find out what it is. You have no grace and peace from
God. All right? Saints. And I hope you'll go
out of here tonight believing you're a saint, not thinking
you're something special, but rather thanking God. These make
you a son. All right, say come from the
word sanctified. Sanctified and sanctified turn
to Hebrews 2 Hebrews chapter 2. I say we're going to look
at one verse. I mean, one verse in Colossians. Hebrews chapter 2 sanctified
very simply means set apart as holy. Set apart by God for holy use. Set apart, considered holy by
God, consecrated by God. Set apart, sanctified. Alright, how are we sanctified?
Do we sanctify ourselves? No. Listen to Hebrews 2. Let's read Hebrews 2. Now here's
what the language of Scripture. Hebrews 2 verse 11, look at it.
It says, both he that sanctifies. So somebody else does the setting
apart, right? Who's he? God, Christ. He that sanctify, and they who
are sanctified. You see, Father? It's someone
who does this, and to someone. Someone does it, and someone's
the recipient of it. Saint is one who's been sanctified. Are you a saint? All right, what
does it mean to be sanctified? All right, turn with me to Ephesians
1, Ephesians chapter 1. All right, sanctification is
being set apart by God. Now, when we talk about God,
we're talking about Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Look at Ephesians
1. God the Father sanctifies His
people by choosing them or electing them. Look at verse 4, Ephesians
1. According as He, God, hath chosen
us in Christ But for the foundation of the world, that is, He made
a difference. He set us apart. He set His love
on us as opposed to all the rest of the sons of Adam. He set us
apart. He made a difference. Right?
That's what election does, doesn't it? Sets His people apart. In Exodus 11, verse 7, it says,
The Lord doesn't make a difference between you and me, Jimmy. Who
makes thee to differ? Who sets you apart? What is it
that sets God's people apart? What made the children of Israel
different from the Egyptians? God's choice. God's election. Are you a saint? Here we've got Jacob and Esau.
Two brothers born of the same mother, both born in sin. What made the difference between
Jacob and Esau? Who? God said, God set his love
on Jacob. Jacob have I loved. From everlasting, before the
world began, he set his love on, he made a difference between
Jacob and Esau. Right? Jacob have I loved, Esau
have I hated. Jacob didn't deserve any love.
There was nothing lovely in him. There's nothing in us to cause
God to set us apart from the world, to set his love on us.
Nothing. It was all found in the good pleasure and the will
and the purpose of God Almighty. Got that? God sets apart his
people by electing them. Sanctification by the Father,
all right, is setting them apart. Jacob, when the Lord came and
wrestled with Jacob. You remember? Remember the story?
The Lord wrestled with Jacob. That was the Lord Jesus Christ.
Every single Old Testament appearance of the Lord was the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he laid hold on, he apprehended old Jacob. You
see, he had already set his love on him, and now he's going to
apprehend him, and he's going to reveal himself to Jacob, and
he's going to change Jacob's name. All right? And when he laid hold
on old Jacob, you remember what he asked him? What's your name? First Jacob asked, what's your
name? He said, it's none of my business of yours. What's your
name? You see, sinners don't make demands
of the Lord. He makes the demand. And the
Lord said, what's your name? And he said, Jacob. That means
scoundrel. The Lord said, no, Israel. Now
what's your name? Jacob. No, Israel. What's your name? Sinner. No.
Saint. You see? And we've thought about
this before. I'm just sure that Jacob never
got used to calling himself Israel. Man, I'm just sure that when
somebody says, what's your name? How are you? My name's Bill.
What's your name? Jacob. Jacob. Huh? No. Israel. God called him Israel. Was he completely changed and
different from the day that the Lord laid hold on him? Well,
there was a difference. He wasn't complete. God had begun
the work, and he finished it when he took old Jacob home.
But no, he was still a sinner. The day he died, he was a sinner.
Right? He was a Jacob, a dog. He's an Israelite. Are you a
saint? Don't you call unclean what God
has cleaned. Peter. Simon. Simon, what's your
name? Peter. You see? And we don't go around,
though, calling ourselves saints and Christians, like that fellow
that I worked with on the railroad that time. He got so indignant
with me, you know, when I asked him if he understood what he
was reading in the Bible. Do you remember that? He said,
I'm a born again tongue talking spirit filled Christian. Well,
and believers don't go around saying that. Oh, I'm a saint.
I'm a Christian. And putting it on their bumper
sticker and putting it on their t-shirts and wearing it. So everybody
brought their phylacteries and all that. No. I'm a sinner. But God calls them saints. Sanctified
by God the Father. All right. Sanctified by Christ. Sanctified by Christ. Hebrews
10. You're in Hebrew? No, you're in Ephesians. Hebrews
10. Turn over there. I'm going to
try to make this short. I'll be brief. Hebrews 10. All right. Turn with me. Hebrews 10. We're sanctified
by God the Father when he chose us, set us apart before the world
began. And He gave us to Christ in a covenant, an agreement,
wherein Christ agreed to come to this earth and live a life
to make us different, to make us holy, righteous before God,
to impute that perfection to us, that makes us different,
robe us in a robe, the best robe, Joseph's robe of many colors.
and to come and pay the penalty that our sins deserve, death. Christ did that for us. Hebrews
10, look at verse 10. It says, By which will we are
sanctified? By what will? Free will. No. Which will? Man's will, God's
will. Which will? Verse 1 says, Verse
9 says, He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second
by the witch will. By His will, God's will, Christ's
will. We are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all. You see
that? Set apart as holy by the offering
of Christ. Were the children of Israel better
than the Egyptians? Were they better people? They seemed worse in many respects,
didn't they? When they were in Egypt and they were fighting
Moses, Moses was trying to lead them out. And they didn't want
to leave. But God sent His love upon them. God said in Isaiah 43, You are
My chosen. You are My people whom I have
chosen. whom I set apart. You're going to know me. You're
going to worship me. And from you, the Christ will
come. What was it that made the difference? When God passed through
Egypt, that death, the wrath, the judgment of God passed through
Egypt. What made the difference between
the Egyptians and the Israelites? One thing. One thing set apart. When the Lord came through, he
was looking for one thing. What was it? Blood. He wasn't looking for faith.
No, he wasn't. He was looking for
blood. Wherever the blood was, there
was faith. On whatever house there was,
the blood, there was faith inside that house. Oh, weak faith. They were trembling. He looked
for the blood, and that's what made the difference. And the
reason God passes over us in judgment is because the blood
of Christ has been shed for us. That's it. That sets us apart.
That's the difference. And then we're sanctified by
the Holy Spirit. 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. We're set apart by the Holy Spirit
of God, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, sanctification of the Spirit. What's that? That's what Scripture
talks about, being led of the Spirit. Many are led by the Spirit
of God. They're the sons of God, filled
with the Spirit, Ephesians 5 says, filled with the Spirit. Now,
what does it mean to be a Spirit filled? Well, that's popular
today. Oh, he's Spirit filled. Even,
Ed, even in the secular world, it's popular to talk about someone
being spiritual. Oh, he's a spiritual person.
Isn't it? Isn't that a popular phrase?
Oh, he's real spiritual. He doesn't give a flip for God
or the Bible or the Scriptures, but he's real spiritual. Oh,
he's spirit-filled. He's anointed and all that. What
does it mean to be spirit-filled? What does it mean to be led by
the Spirit of God? What does it mean to be set apart
by the Holy Spirit? How do you know? All right? What is it that the
Spirit does to us to set us apart from the world? Is it outward? Is it dress? Is it outward appearance? When our Lord and the Son of
God Himself walked this planet, He dressed like a common man. He looked like an average person.
Scripture says there is no beauty, there is nothing about Him that
we should desire. He ate, He drank, He slept, He walked, He
worked, He talked, He mingled with the world. Right? go apart in a cave or wear special
clothing to distinguish himself as a holy man? Uh-uh. What was it? That tabernacle
in the wilderness. You know, that tent in the wilderness,
that old badger-skin tent, that old brown tent of hair. There were many brown tents in
the wilderness. What separated? How do you know that that's where
God is, as opposed to another old brown tent over here? But
what's the difference? It's on the inside. Right? Circumcision. It's not outward. It's inward. It's inward. Well,
look at 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. He says, We're bound to give
thanks always to God for you. Why? Because He's the one that
separated you. He's the one that chose you. Beloved of the Lord,
He loved you. Because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirits.
What kind of sanctification is the spirit that believes in the
truth? This is what the Holy Spirit
does. This is what sets apart God's people from the world.
This is what the Holy Spirit, who's called the Spirit of Truth,
does. Leads and guides into all truth. Look at John 17. Very quickly,
John 17. Our Lord said this, the truth
The truth, our Lord said, when the Spirit comes, he will convince.
He will convince of sin, righteousness and judgment. Concerning me,
isn't it? Concerning me. Unbelief in me. Righteousness of which I give.
Judgment of which I have accomplished. Me, me, me. When the Holy Spirit
comes, he'll take the things of mine and show them unto you.
Not the things of yours. Not the things of the Spirit. When He comes, He'll lead you
and guide you into all truth. What's all truth? Christ said,
I am the truth. Christ is all the truth. Look at John 17. Our Lord said
this very plainly in a prayer to His Father, a secret prayer
to His Father revealed unto us and our children. John 17, verse
8, He says, I've given unto them That is, those you gave me, the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them. And
they have known surely that I came out from thee, and have believed
that thou didst send me. Read verses 14 through 19 with
me. I have given them thy word, and
the world hath hated them. This is the difference. The world
hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as
I am not of the world. I pray not that you should take
them out of the world, separate them from the world. You see
that? But you keep them from the evil in the world. They are
not of the world. They are different. How's that?
Even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. See that one,
Ada? Thy word is truth. As you sent
Me into the world, even so I have sent them, and for their sakes
I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through
the truth." Is that clear to you? What is it that sets apart God's
people from the world? It's who they trust. It's the
God they trust. It's the God they believe. It's
the Word they believe. God's people believe God. I didn't
say believe Him, God. Every time Dick and Harry's claim
to believe in God, God's people believe God. They agree with
God. Everything God says. Right? God's people trust Christ. And
I mean, teeth totally trust Christ. The watchword of the Reformation.
That which distinguished true believers from the rest of those
professors in the world was this. Scriptures alone. Grace alone.
Christ alone. It's still true, isn't it? Scripture alone is our root of
faith. Christ's grace alone is how we're
saved. Christ alone is the author and
finisher of salvation. Are you a saint? Have you been taught these things? Do you believe this truth? The
truth? Christ the truth? Well, now, look back at our text
in Colossians 1. All right? Colossians 1. Now, no doubt, some of you are
probably thinking, well, is there not an actual difference between
God's people and the world? Galatians 5.22, the Spirit, through
the Spirit, the sanctifying influence of the Spirit, is real. It really
is. God's people are loving people. I mean, not just an outward facade. They do, they love one another. That's how you know them. They're
joyful people, but it's not this silly, fake facade of love. They rejoice in Christ. They
have joy in God their Savior. And peaceful, they're peacemakers,
and long-suffering, and gentle, and meek, and so forth. The fruit
of the Spirit dwells in God's people. Yes, it does. Yes, it
does. They're Christ-like people. They're
the salt of the earth. They're the only ones that make this
world inhabitable. They really are. But now, I know,
and maybe you know, a lot of people out there, not a lot,
but some people in the world who are very moral, very kind,
very sweet, very upstanding people. But so these outward things are
not what makes us different, you see. This is what gave a
man and his wife some trouble with the gospel, is he said,
I know so many good people and sincere people. Well, I do too,
Mary. I do too. I know, like Paul said, I bear
them record. They have a zeal for God. I know
some people that seem truly zealous in their religion. Sweet, kind,
gentle, moral people. But that's not what makes us
a child of God. It's who we trust. And that faith is not of our
self. Look at the next word. It says in Colossians 1, saints
and faithful. Alright, are you a saint? Is
there a St. Stanley anywhere? I'm sure that
doesn't sound right. I believe there's one in heaven.
I believe there's a name up there in glory on the palms of our
Savior, named Stanley, who's just as much a saint as Peter.
No, it does not sound right to Stanley. Our Lord has known that
name at the same time He knew Peter. Now, is there a Saint Barbara
in glory? Huh? Well, that doesn't sound
right. Saint Mary, maybe, you know,
Saint Paul, maybe, Saint John, maybe, but Saint Teresa? There's no Mother Teresa in heaven,
I can tell you that. But there's a Saint on the breastplate
of our Lord and in the palms of His hand. I don't get sound
right to me. What's your name, Jacob? Israel. Well, look at this next word,
faithful. The saints and faithful brethren, they said, oh, no,
that's not me. Let's break this word down very quickly. Faithful. Full faith. What is faith? What is faith? Faith's an object. Faith is not doing anything. Faith's not doing anything. Faith
is who you trust. Faith is who you're looking to.
Faith is who you believe. Huh? To be full of faith is to
have no confidence in yourself and all confidence in Christ. Huh? Faithful. You say, you're
thinking that's not right. Yes, it is too. Who's faithful? Who abideth faithful in the true
sense of the word? Who is, whose faithful is great? Great is thy faithful. Whose
faithful is that talking about? The Lord Jesus Christ. And we
were talking about being faithful to God, faithful to the Brethren,
faithful to God's Word. Christ alone qualifies for that. But now God's people, I'm full
of faith in Christ. They're faithful in that sense.
Huh? Faithful. Faithful. Let me remind
you that there's only two persons in all of the New Testament,
our Lord, where our Lord said somebody had great faith. Do
you remember who they were? Our Lord only said of two persons
that they had great faith. It wasn't Paul. It wasn't Peter. It wasn't Bartholomew. It wasn't
Matthew. It wasn't Thomas. It wasn't Judah. It wasn't Luke. It wasn't Timothy. You know who it was? Two persons.
That Syropoenician woman whom the Lord called a dog. And she
said, that's right, and you're my master. Just want some crumbs. Great as I've had. You're full
of faith. She didn't do anything. She just
acknowledged Him. Great faith. This woman has great
faith. Well, what's she ever done? Great faith. Another man was
a Roman. Both of them were Gentiles, by
the way. A Roman centurion whose servant was sick, and he sent
word to Christ, hoping that Christ would come to his house and heal
the servant. And the closer Christ got to his house, the more the
man thought about it. And he sent word against it, no, please
don't tell him not to come to my house. I'm a Roman soldier. What all goes on at my house,
my family's lost, things that are in my house. I'm ashamed
for you to walk in my door. Please don't come here. I am
not worthy for you to step foot in my house. Please don't come
here. But you just say the word and it'll happen. And our Lord,
it says he marveled. He said, I've not found so great
a thing, not in all of Israel. What did he do, Barbara? Nothing! He just said, you're the Lord
of the universe. You just have to speak. I'm a nothing and a
nobody. I'm a God! You're my master. I'm a nobody. You're the Lord.
Full of faith. How'd he do that? Huh? By his
grace. Huh? Let me ask you. Do you believe
in your heart that you're nothing? I mean, a big zero? What gives
you worth? One. Do you believe you know
nothing? You really know nothing? After
all these years, John, studying here in the garden. Henry, what
do you know? Where is your righteousness?
All of it? All of it, Jeanette? Not nine
out of ten, but all of it? Full of faith, Jeanette. His blood is your only difference?
His prayer is your only intercession? Huh? Grace. You old, most noble saint and
faithful one. From God the Father and our Lord
Jesus Christ. There's a bunch of saints in
here. And faithful brethren. And I believe God's people are
faithful in the sense that, well I know they are. You wouldn't
sit and listen to me if you didn't have, if you didn't believe I
was going to be faithful to God's Word. Would you? I would not have had Bob Coffey
up here to preach if I didn't believe he was faithful to the
truth. So God's people, you could. You
could trust them with all your earthly good. But the sense of this is they
have faith. They're full of faith in Christ. And they're saints
by the work of God. And so all grace and peace comes
from God to the people. Saint. Saint John. All right,
let's stand. Our Lord, we thank you for your
word of peace, that Christ is the gift of God, the grace of
God, and by his blood has made peace for the saints and the
faithful. This faith is your gift, and this work is your work.
We thank you. While we don't think of ourselves
as such, yet you've called us your saints, called to be saints,
made me to be for the inheritance of the saints in life, now we
thank you. And we give all glory and honor to you, your Son, and
your Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you very much.

To The Saints And Faithful

What does the Bible say about being a saint?

Why is being faithful important for Christians?

How do we know God's election is true?

What does sanctification mean in the Christian life?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

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To The Saints And Faithful

What does the Bible say about being a saint?

Why is being faithful important for Christians?

How do we know God's election is true?

What does sanctification mean in the Christian life?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

Comments

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