DRAWING NEAR
February 6
The Joy of Sainthood
"To all the saints in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:1).
Every Christian is a saint.
Many people think of saints as men and women who are especially holy
or who have been canonized by an official church body. Usually only
those who have been long dead and have extraordinary religious
accomplishments to their credit qualify.
God, however, has a different perspective on sainthood. Paul called
the Corinthian believers saints (1 Cor. 1:2) then went on for many
chapters correcting their sinful practices. He called the Roman,
Ephesian, and Colossian believers saints but they weren't perfect
either.
What then qualifies someone as a saint? The answer is in Philippians
1:1: "To the saints in Christ Jesus". That's the criterion. Sainthood
is not reserved for the spiritually elite. It belongs to every
believer because every believer is in Christ Jesus.
If you love Christ you also are a saint. That might come as a
surprise to those who know you best, but it's true nonetheless!
The hallmark of sainthood is holiness. In fact, the Greek word
translated "saints" in Philippians 1:1 (hagios) literally means "holy
ones." It is used throughout the New Testament to speak of anyone or
anything that represents God's holiness: Christ as the Holy One of
God, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Father, holy Scriptures, holy angels,
holy brethren, and so on.
To God, you are holy and beloved in Christ (Col. 3:12). You have
received a saintly calling (1 Cor. 1:2) and a saintly inheritance
(Col. 1:12). You have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col.
1:14), and every other spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).
With that privilege comes the responsibility of living a holy life.
That's why Scripture admonishes you to present your body as a living
and holy sacrifice (Rom. 12:1) and to live in a manner worthy of your
saintly status (Eph. 5:3).
The power for godly living is the Holy Spirit, who indwells you. As
you yield to Him through prayer and obedience to God's Word, the
characteristics of a true saint become increasingly evident in your
life. Make that your commitment today.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for choosing you as one of His holy ones. Pray that your
life will be a consistent testimony to the reality of true sainthood.
For Further Study:
What are the privileges and responsibilities of saints as outlined in
Psalm 34?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
1 Corinthians 1:2 (NASB)
to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been
sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every
place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and
ours
Colossians 3:12
And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put
on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
Colossians 1:12-14
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the
inheritance of the saints in light.
13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred
us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ
Romans 12:1-2
1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is,
that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Ephesians 5:3
But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named
among you, as is proper among saints
....
Psalm 34
1 (A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who
drove him away and he departed.) I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear it
and rejoice.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all
my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces shall never
be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of
all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And
rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who
takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him, there
is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the
LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of
the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves length of days that he
may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, And His ears are
open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers, To cut off the memory
of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of
all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are
crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But the LORD delivers
him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked; And those who hate the righteous will
be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants; And none of those who
take refuge in Him will be condemned.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
http://www.gty.org/Gospel/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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