Scripture References: Philippians 1:1-11
Our Great Position in Christ – Continued
We Are Saints in Christ Jesus
Paul addressed the quarreling Philippians as “saints in Christ Jesus,” in verse 1.
Every believer is a saint but all are not saintly! As we grow in grace, however, we move toward becoming “saintly saints.” It is both positional and progressive.
The word means “holy ones.” It is used in the New Testament to describe both things and people that have been set apart by God for Himself and for His service. The word is translated “saints” approximately sixty-three times in the New Testament. Everyone who has been saved is a saint. This is the word used most often in the New Testament to describe one who is trusting in Jesus.
In his booklet Live Sermon Outlines, Ian MacPherson wrote about a grocer in Edinburgh, Scotland, who was named James Saint.
A man who knew James Saint wrote a letter to him on one occasion but mistakenly addressed it to “James Saint, Aberdeen, Scotland.”
When the letter reached Aberdeen, the postal people searched diligently, but could not find anyone in their town named James Saint. So they returned the letter to the sender with a notation on the envelope: “There are no Saints in Aberdeen. Try Edinburgh.” MacPherson says this might be called “the case of the missing saint.”
Look in your telephone directory. Are there any “Saints” in your town? According to the telephone people, you may not have a single saint in your town!
But that’s according to the telephone company. According to the Lord Jesus, all who believe in Him are “saints in Christ Jesus.”
We are servants. But more than that, we are saints!
Our Great Privileges in Christ
There’s the story of a woman who one day was looking down from the Empire State Building in New York City. Seeing the ant-like people crawling along on the street far below, she exclaimed: “I guess that’s the way people must appear to God.”
Oh no! Not even remotely! That isn’t how God sees us nor even thinks of us. He sees us as infinitely important and precious and desires for us only “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” according to Paul in verse 2. Infinitely loved by Him, and having grace and peace are only two of the believer’s great privileges in Christ.
We are so precious to God that He has given us the greatest privileges in heaven or on earth available to mortals: that of being His sons and daughters, enjoying His grace and peace, and having fellowship intimately with Him.
When the magnificent truth that we sons and daughters of men have the inestimable privilege of being sons and daughters of God breaks upon us in all its glory and joy, we will determine not to spend our days majoring on minors!
Look at the three great privileges noted in these verses that belong to every believer.
We Are the Recipients of Divine Grace
“Grace . . . to you,” Paul exclaims in his writing quite emphatically.
It is in the form of a prayer. Paul is praying for the Philippian believers, reminding them that they have received God’s grace and praying that it shall continue to abound.
The word grace appears approximately 125 times in the New Testament. It is a choice word used more by Paul than by any other New Testament writer. No word in the New Testament is richer in meaning.
Before the word came into the Holy Scriptures, it was used by the Greeks to speak of a favor one friend did for another friend out of generosity, with no thought of being rewarded.
But when it came into the Scriptures, its meaning was lifted and ennobled.
God’s grace that we have received, and do receive in Christ, points back to the cross where God “so loved the world [us] that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). There God did a favor for us that far surpasses all that anyone ever did for a friend. But God did it not for those who were friendly toward Him but for those in rebellion against Him. Paul states this very clearly in his letter to the Romans: “When we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10).
Those who really see, understand, and experience what God did for them at Calvary simply cannot spend their life majoring on minors!
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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