Ephesians 1:1 - Saints and Faithful
Ephesians 1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus. (WEB)
The "saints" and the "faithful" were the Apostle Paul's way of describing a church. But what does it mean to be a saint? And what does Paul mean by "the faithful?"
Paul uses the Greek word hagios (pronounced "HAG-ee-os"), meaning set apart, holy, or sacred. At it's core, the word signifies separation. There is one special kind of separation which makes a person a saint, and that is separation to God, for His uses, in obedience to His commandment, that He may employ the believer as He wills.
In God's church there is no aristocracy of sanctity. Nor is a saint a designation of rank. All of God's children are His saints. And down among all the troubles and difficulties and busyness of our daily work, we may live saintly lives. For the one condition of being holy is that we should know whose we are and whom we serve, and we can carry the consciousness of belonging to Him into every corner of the poorest, most crowded, and most distracted life, recognizing His presence and seeking to do His will.
In the Old Testament, those things which were holy, or set apart, were ceremonially placed on the altar and consumed there in the fire of a divine love. The odor of the consumption was a pleasing fragrance to God. God's pleasure came not from the physical smoke, but from the sacrifice fulfilling God's command to be set apart. So we are to be laid upon the divine altar. We have been accepted and have received the atonement for our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And we, too, are to be consecrated to His service and, touched by the fire which He sends down, we are to be changed into a sweet odor acceptable to Him.
Paul also uses the Greek word pistos (pronounced "pis-TOS"), meaning trustworthy, faithful, or believing. The only way by which we come to realize that we belong to God, and to yield ourselves in glad surrender to His uses, is by humble faith in Jesus Christ. Our sanctification follows on our faith. It is when we believe and trust in Jesus Christ that all the great motives begin to show in our life and heart, which deliver us from our selfishness, which bind us to God, which make it a joy to do anything for His service, which kindle in our hearts the flame of fruit-bearing and consecrating and transforming love. Our holiness and our sanctification are built upon the foundation of our faith, upon our trusting in Jesus Christ, for everything.
And so. We, as His church, are to be the faithful--trusting and believing--and the saints--holy and set apart to God. May we be so by His grace. Amen.
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The "saints" and the "faithful" were the Apostle Paul's way of describing a church. But what does it mean to be a saint? And what does Paul mean by "the faithful?"
Paul uses the Greek word hagios (pronounced "HAG-ee-os"), meaning set apart, holy, or sacred. At it's core, the word signifies separation. There is one special kind of separation which makes a person a saint, and that is separation to God, for His uses, in obedience to His commandment, that He may employ the believer as He wills.
In God's church there is no aristocracy of sanctity. Nor is a saint a designation of rank. All of God's children are His saints. And down among all the troubles and difficulties and busyness of our daily work, we may live saintly lives. For the one condition of being holy is that we should know whose we are and whom we serve, and we can carry the consciousness of belonging to Him into every corner of the poorest, most crowded, and most distracted life, recognizing His presence and seeking to do His will.
In the Old Testament, those things which were holy, or set apart, were ceremonially placed on the altar and consumed there in the fire of a divine love. The odor of the consumption was a pleasing fragrance to God. God's pleasure came not from the physical smoke, but from the sacrifice fulfilling God's command to be set apart. So we are to be laid upon the divine altar. We have been accepted and have received the atonement for our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And we, too, are to be consecrated to His service and, touched by the fire which He sends down, we are to be changed into a sweet odor acceptable to Him.
Paul also uses the Greek word pistos (pronounced "pis-TOS"), meaning trustworthy, faithful, or believing. The only way by which we come to realize that we belong to God, and to yield ourselves in glad surrender to His uses, is by humble faith in Jesus Christ. Our sanctification follows on our faith. It is when we believe and trust in Jesus Christ that all the great motives begin to show in our life and heart, which deliver us from our selfishness, which bind us to God, which make it a joy to do anything for His service, which kindle in our hearts the flame of fruit-bearing and consecrating and transforming love. Our holiness and our sanctification are built upon the foundation of our faith, upon our trusting in Jesus Christ, for everything.
And so. We, as His church, are to be the faithful--trusting and believing--and the saints--holy and set apart to God. May we be so by His grace. Amen.
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