Who Are The Real Saints?

[0:00] The 7th of June. Who are the real saints? Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi.

[0:14] Philippians chapter 1 and verse 1. Saints. What do you think of when you are asked who or what a saint is? Usually we have a picture in our mind of an ancient figure in flowing robes, a halo about the head and often in a stained glass window.

[0:35] But that's not quite what the Bible has in view. Indeed, that's not at all like what the Bible has in view. For the Bible knows nothing about individuals being called saints or about halos or about elevating some Christians to a special idea of sainthood.

[0:49] In five of Paul's letters in the New Testament, he writes to the saints who lived and were members of the congregations to which he was writing. The saints were quite simply the Christians in these congregations.

[1:06] If Paul were to be writing to your congregation today, he would start his letter in the same way, to the saints. Why then are Christians called saints?

[1:16] It is because they have answered God's call to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and become faithful followers of the Saviour. They become separated from worldliness and love holiness.

[1:32] They also enjoy the fellowship of other believers in Jesus. And so that is why Paul always speaks of saints in the plural. They are family. So the saints is a collective noun for the real people of God.

[1:50] And a prayer. Dear Lord, help me to be a true saint in your family. Amen. Amen.