Saints in Christ Jesus

                 

Dr. Livingstone was a missionary who plunged deep into the heart of Africa. His exploits were passionately followed by the world and his foray’s widely discussed. In the early 1870’s news from him went quite. The world held its breath in wonder at what had become of him. The New York Herald made a decision to send Henry Stanley to discover what had happened to the famed Livingston.

Dead or alive they desired the story and spared no expense in procuring it. Interestingly, Livingstone was a loving grace filled follower of Jesus and Stanley an adventure seeking journalist who viewed Christianity with considerable cynicism. Finally he located Livingstone near Lake Tanganyika. Stanley arrived just in time to aid the old missionary with medicine and supplies and news from home.

Yet, Livingstone gave Stanley far more. Curious as to what would motivate and inspire a man to leave all; Stanley desired to dig further still. Through Livingstone’s grace filled life, little by little observing his piety, his gentleness, his passionate zeal and love for the Lord, Stanley was converted by him. Livingstone’s grace filled life was not without effect.

Paul closes his letter to the Philippians with greetings. He says “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you” (Phil.3:21-22). The epistle is written to common people to show them how to live godly lives. Paul had written to the family of God in which he was a member. In verse 20 he talks about “our God and our father”.

At the moment you accept Christ, you join the body of Christ, made up of every person worldwide who believes in Him. Ephesians 4:4-6 tells us that “there is one body and one Spirit… one hope… one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all”. All the Christians will come together one day as “one flock under one shepherd” (John 10:16, Rev. 7:9).

Paul says, "Greet every saint in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:21). Instead of using the collective "all" he uses the individualistic word "every." He uses “all” in verse 22 “all the saints greet you”. In verse 21 Paul uses the singular, meaning greet each one individually. He does not want anyone excluded.  He wants everybody to feel acknowledged and affirmed because each person matters.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the human body to illustrate the importance of each member in a Church. He depicts the church as a body and each member as a unique and vital part that must function well for the church to be healthy and vibrant. He wrote, “Just as a body...has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. We form one body whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free (vv.12-13).

^“If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be... God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be...The head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”  On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable… its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it”(vv.22-27).

Notice it’s the Holy Spirit who distributes the gift. He has placed each member in the church to perform a vital function. Some have more visible gifts, such as Apostles and teachers. Others have less noticeable gifts, such as helping and guidance (1 Cor.12:28 NIV). Those members we may tend to despise are essential for the proper functioning of the body.

What that first century world saw was the phenomenon of people of all walks of life loving one another and caring for one another. Slaves and free men were in that community. Rich and poor were in the fellowship. The intelligent and the illiterate were members of that community. To the utter amazement of the world outside, they were bound together in an unexplainable love and unity.

It is clear from the Bible that Christianity is essentially relational. The two greatest commandments are about relationships. They call us to have a right relationship first with God and others (Matt.22:27,39). A unique element of the Christian faith is that we are to love one another. There is no stratification in the body of Christ. There are to be no favorites.

Paul says, "greet every saint in Christ Jesus"(v. 21), "All the saints greet you "(v.22). He had identified all of the people in the Philippians church as saints back in chapter 1 verse 1. As he comes to the end of his letter, he reminds them that they are saints. In all these references the term “saint” is very encompassing. When Paul speaks of saints his reference is to very ordinary Christians.

The word saint is a familiar word but due to the wrong teaching, we tend to think of saints as super-Christians. But the New Testament is clear that every believer in Jesus Christ is a saint. Paul even addressed the immature Corinthians as “saints by calling” (1 Cor.1:2). The word simply means "set apart ones” or “holy ones”. A saint is one who has been separated from sin unto God for a holy purpose.

Saints are set apart for God to grow in holiness and show it to others. A saint possesses the righteousness of Christ; he is one in whom the light of Christ exists and shines through.  Saints are in the world, but distinct from the world. They bear witness by godly behavior and words. Sin has no dominion over them in this life and someday they will be removed from its presence.

 Paul says “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus”. The phrase "in Christ Jesus" defines the Christian's identity.  Saints must be in Christ Jesus; one must be born again in order to become a saint.  The most religious people in the Bible days were the Pharisees. It’s significant that it’s to Nicodemus, one of their teachers, that Jesus said “unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3,10).

Saints are bonded to Christ. Paul’s very life was in Christ; he said “For to me, to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21), it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me (Gal.2:20). Saints are saved by Christ to become like Christ and to serve God the way Christ served.  Paul said “for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom 14:8).

Paul says, "all the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household." While he was a prisoner in Rome, he had some people who were coming to see him; Timothy (Phil 1:1, 2:19), possibly Luke and others (Phil. 1:14). He calls them the “brethren who are with me”. But among them, Paul acknowledges a special group; those of Caesar's household”

He knows what joy it will bring when he says, "those of Caesar's household." Everybody knows what Caesar thought about Christ and Christians. There was some special exhilaration in the heart of Paul when somebody in Caesar's household became a Christian. How thrilling that the household of Caesar, the enemy of Christ, had yielded up souls to the Christ.

Among those who had come to Christ in Caesar's household were likely the Roman soldiers who had been chained to him and listened as he shared the gospel with others. Paul must have ministered to the soldiers during their quiet times together (Phil. 1:13). Preaching was also going on outside the prison wall (Phil. 1:14). It’s likely some people in Caesar's household were converted through that preaching.

Paul ends with “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit" (v.23) Paul started the letter by wishing them grace from God and Jesus (Phil 1:2). He ends it by wishing them grace of the Lord. Paul starts every of his letter with “grace to you” and ends them with “grace be with you”. Paul is writing to people who are already saved and he is wishing them the grace of God.

Grace is the unmerited favor or the undeserved love of God. It was used especially to describe favours done without expectation of return. Grace is the grand resource for believers. It is the basis of our salvation; the basis of a life of practical godliness; and the basis of the imperishable hopes which animate us amid the trials and conflicts of this sin-stricken world.

Jesus provides abundant grace for his children. He gives grace to believe and obey the truth of Scripture. He gives grace to live righteously. He gives grace to do battle with sin. And when we fall short and break his commands, his grace forgives all our sins. God has all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all righteousness to clothe and all happiness to crown you.

Paul credited grace for his success. He said “by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me (1 Cor. 15:10). He says “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”(2 Cor. 9:8).

Praise the Lord for his abundant grace! And if you are a Christian, it is vital that you recognize just how dependent you are. You need the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” to go through life. As believers, we can live confidently because of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ which ever accompanies us. His grace to us will not be without effect.