Saints
Simon and Jude
The two Apostles went to
evangelize Armenia and Persia, and they were murdered in the city of Suanir in
47, Anno Domini.
Saint Simon was also called Simon
the Zealot, probably because he had been a member of the nationalist party of
Zealots who refused to recognize any foreign yoke over Palestine. Zealots were
those who had a especial zeal for the independence of the Palestine, that is,
they did not want the Holy Land to fall into the hands of any pagans
whatsoever. Since the Zealot cause had some good points – commendable in some
aspects – it is understandable the Lord recruited one of His Apostles from its
numbers.
The mother of Saint Jude was Mary
Cleophas, a sister-in-law of the Virgin Mary, stood with her by the Cross of Jesus on Calvary. His
father was Cleophas [Clopas or Alpheo in Aramaic], a brother of Saint Joseph. Therefore, he was the legal cousin of Jesus.
Jude was one of those his fellow countrymen called a “brother” of the Son of
the Carpenter, because it was a custom among the Jews at that time to call
cousins brothers. He wrote an epistle to combat the Gnostic heresy, which was
just beginning to appear.
Propers
The Propers for today are found
on Page 254-255, with the Collect first:
Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles.
[October 28.]
The Collect.
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ALMIGHTY God, who
hast built thy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the head corner-stone; Grant us so to be joined together
in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple
acceptable unto thee; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The
Collect for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity which is also read can be
found on page 218:
Twenty-First
Sunday after Trinity
The
Collect.
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RANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faith- ful people pardon
and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a
quiet
mind; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Dru
Arnold read the Epistle for today which comes from Paul’s letter to the
Ephesians, the Second Chapter beginning at the Nineteenth Verse:
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OW therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens
with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an
holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation
of God through the Spirit.
Hap
Arnold read the Holy Gospel for the day which comes from the the Gospel
according to Saint John, the Fifteenth Chapter beginning at the Seventeeth
Verse:
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HESE things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye
know that it hated me be- fore it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world
would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you
out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said
unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have perse- cuted
me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep
your’s also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake,
because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them,
they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth
me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none
other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both
me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled
that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the
Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit
of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also
shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Sermon
– Rev Deacon Jack Arnold – Time and Action
Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles.
[October 28.]
The Collect.
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ALMIGHTY God, who
hast built thy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the head corner-stone; Grant us so to be joined together
in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple
acceptable unto thee; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Twenty-First
Sunday after Trinity
The
Collect.
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RANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon
and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a
quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect says that we must
have the Lord’s pardon and peace, but we have to ask for it before we have it.
If we don’t ask for it, we don’t get. Like the old Cowboy saying “If You Don’t
Work, You Don’t Eat.”, which the basics of is covered in another letter of
Paul’s to Timothy. In this case it is “If you don’t ask, you won’t get.”, so we
ask Him that we might have the willingness to ask and receive His pardon and
peace.
In the Epistle, St. Paul exhorts
us to act, following Christ as the “Chief Cornerstone”, or the Head Bishop of
the Church, with us following under His Orders, as he is our Commanding
General. And he tells us that we
must not only think like Christians, but the key word is Act. If we do not act
upon our thoughts and words, then how are we any better than those who went
before the Christians, like the Jews of old, who said one thing and clearly did
another. And in his message, and understanding it, with the Gospel’s message
also that we, no matter how tough it may be to do it sometimes, we must follow
His will rather than ours, and we may not be loved or liked by the world for
it.
Which brings us to the point of the Gospel, in which Christ warns the Apostles that this won’t be an easy milk-run, rather that it will turn dangerous and that they have to face the choice between the World and life on Earth, or death and Life in Christ and God eternally. He tells them that they will face many persecutions for His sake, and that they will be rewarded in time, for their trials and tribulations that the suffer in His name.
Christ also explains had he not
come and talked to the evildoers, they would freely be able to deceive us, but
now that He has come and revealed them for who they truly are, they will not be
able to hide in their wickedness, as they persecute mercilessly His flock,
which he had warned them about earlier in His Gospel. His point is, though they may persecute you, their evilness
will shine through their falsified, nice demeanor that they show the world, and
yet, when they act with malice in their hearts, their evilness shall come out
through their actions and deeds. In our words and deeds, our goodness must
shine through our actions and deeds, to counter act our badness that also comes
out through words and deeds.
The Collect’s prayer the Collect,
Epistle and Gospel tie together, laying out, detailing and reinforcing the same
message, ultimately. We have to
ready and willing to accept the fact we will be persecuted, and we must use the
help that God provides, by asking for it, and that in the end that Good will
triumph over Evil, with the wickedoers deeds of malice showing through their
supposedly kind exterior. In these days of trials and tribulations, we must
follow this three step process that I have at the end of my sermon, Be of God,
Live of God and Act of God most especially.
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God
Bishop Ogles’
Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get
copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.
Today is one of those Sundays.
Today’s sermon starts off with the collect, and like always, it will
give you a lot to consider in your heart.
Sermon Notes
Saint Simon
and Saint Jude, Apostles
Twenty-First
Sunday after Trinity
28 October
2012, Anno Domini
Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles.
[October 28.]
The Collect.
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ALMIGHTY God, who
hast built thy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the head corner-stone; Grant us so to be joined together
in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple
acceptable unto thee; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Twenty-First
Sunday after Trinity
The
Collect.
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RANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faith- ful people pardon
and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a
quiet
mind; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
17 These things I command you, that
ye love one another. 18 If the
world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his
own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember
the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they
have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying,
they will keep yours also. 21 But all
these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not
him that sent me. 22 If I had not come
and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for
their sin. 24 If I had not done among
them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have
they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be
fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you
from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he
shall testify of me: 27 And ye also
shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
(John 15:16-27)
The world, if you listen to its claims, is
full of love. Men love sensual beauty, comfort, food, drink, a good time,
money, etc, but is this real love? What happens to the love professed for money
when there is no more time, or money? Even the love a wicked man has for his
child perishes with the fires of Hell. So what is the essence of real love?
Real love is directed outward, not inward. It
does not base itself on lust, on pride, or upon the temporary values. Real
love, as defined in Holy Writ, is eternal. Real love is bounteous for, the more
given, the greater the reservoir thereof. So Christ gives us a direct order, or
commandment - These things I command you,
that ye love one another. LOVE
ONE ANOTHER, as I have loved you, Jesus commands in another place. That
is more love than we are capable of either giving or comprehending, so how can
the Christian obey this Commandment? He obeys by, first loving God with all his
heart, with all his mind, and with all his strength. If he does so, the second
part will be easy. He will love his neighbor, as does Christ, as himself. The
love of God among Christian people should be very much like a bicycle wheel.
The Church is the outer rim. The spokes are the love we profess, and the center
(or axle) is Christ who is the center of all of our Love. Those spokes, too,
draw ever nearer to one another as they draw nearer to Christ.
An
example of Christian love is given by Dr. J. Hamilton: When a rose
bud is formed, if the soil is soft, and the sky is genial, it is not long
before it bursts; for the life within is so abundant, that it can no longer
contain it all, but in blossomed brightness and swimming fragrance it must
needs let forth its joy, and gladden all the air. And if, when thus ripe, it
refused to expand, it would quickly rot at heart, and die. And Christian love
is just piety with its petals fully spread, developing itself, and making it a
happier world. The religion which fancies that it loves God, when it never
evinces love to its brother, is not piety, but a poor mildewed theology, a
dogma with a worm in the heart.
18.If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it
hated you. 19 If ye were of the world,
the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Can
the whole world hate you? Believe it or not, the world can, and does, hate you.
It hates you because you are not one of its own. Christians, remember, are not
of this world. It is the same thing as hating all of the people of China simply
because their government is Communist except, in our case, we are hated because
our Sovereign is righteous. The world does not like to surrender its elusive
and doubtful treasures; but neither does it wish to come into a kingdom whose
judiciary is based on love. The world prefers to keep its power to crush the
weak, and elevate the wicked.
20.Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is
not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute
you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also If
our King is viewed as the greatest enemy of the world, why would the world love
His subjects. In the ancient annals of wars and government, when the King's
Palace was taken by the enemy, all who occupied the Palace were alike tormented
and slain. The vulgar and reprobate of the world literally hate righteousness
and justice. Because you belong to the Righteous Christ, they hate you and seek
your annihilation.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's
sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had
not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. Had these
of the world known God, they would have at least feared to do such evil; but
they do not know God, nor do they desire to know Him. Had God's Word not
clearly been proclaimed to the world through the Gospel of Christ, these wicked
ones would have at least the excuse of ignorance. But they are now devoid of
any covering for their sins since they have rejected the Redeemer and Savior.
The Prodigal's Robe have they not taken to cover their filthy sins.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
Remember that historic feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. The father of
both clans was hated by the other, they therefore sought to kill his children.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other
man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me
and my Father. Had Christ not proven with many wonderful words
and works His Person, the world would yet have excuse for their lack of faith.
But He did come and healed the lame and diseased. Restore sight to the blind.
Raised the dead again.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be
fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
This is the most hurtful realization of all concerning the world's hate. It is
groundless and without a cause. Christ came onlyu to comfort, save,
enlighten…yet, they hated Him for it. And they will hate you and me as well.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you
from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he
shall testify of me: The Comforter does not come toi turn the
world's hate for us into Love, but to give us comfort in spite of the world's
hate. He encourages, fortifies, inspires, and helps us to carry on despite the
many obstacles and pitfalls along the way. You will recall that the Angels
comforted Christ in the Garden before His Passion, yet, His great mission
remained as a Sacrifice, written in Red, upon the portals of Heaven itself.
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have
been with me from the beginning. From the beginning at which we
came to know Christ, we shall bear witness of Him – not out of compulsion, but
out of Love and Duty.
Today we honor and remember St Stephen, the first martyr, and St Simon. St
Stephen died proclaiming the Gospel of His Lord. At the moment of his death, he
asked forgiveness upon those ignorant men – one being Saul (later Saint Paul) –
who were stoning his life from him. Can you sacrifice only your pride and
self-dignity today for Christ? You are not asked, today, to submit to stoning,
but you can at least stand together with the people of God and boldly proclaim
righteousness to the four quarters of the world. They may not heed you, but at
least they will have no excuse in ignorance of the Truth.
Bishop
Dennis Campbell’s Sermon
Bishop Dennis is a brilliant
speaker. He is able to take
biblical precepts and make them perfectly understandable, even to me. Oft he provides the text of his sermons
and I take the utmost pleasure in passing them on:
God and a Quiet Mind
Psalm 76, Ephesians 6:10-20,
John 4:46-54
Twenty-first Sunday after
Trinity
October 28, 2012
People who worship with us immediately notice the
difference between our worship and the worship in other churches. If they
will make the effort, they may learn why we are different. We are not
trying to organize exciting worship events based on current trends in music and
theology. We are not trying to entertain people or make them feel good
about being here because that is not the purpose of worship. Our worship
is quiet, reflective, contemplative and meditative. We believe it is more
important to speak the truth than to get people excited. We believe it is
the Holy Spirit, rather than a rock and roll beat in the music or the intensity
in the speaker's voice, that moves souls, and we are more concerned about
moving souls than moving emotions.
We do not worship this way because it suits our
taste. We believe worship is far too important to be shaped by our
personal preferences. We worship this way because we believe it is the
way God wants to be worshiped, the way the Bible teaches us to worship.
Likewise, I do not say these things to belittle anyone else. I say them
because we need to be reminded of them often, lest we begin to desire the
sensuality and excitement of other worship styles, or attempt to pattern our
worship after them.
We believe there is a time and place for
exuberance. We also believe the Sunday worship of God should be
characterized by reverence, and a kind of holy quietness before God.
Therefore let us quiet our hearts and minds, and be still in God's presence as
we worship the Living God.
The very thought of quietness is counter to the
hectic activity and constant stimulation which characterize our media saturated
culture. So to pray, as we do in the Collect for the Twenty-first Sunday
after Trinity, that God would enable us to serve Him with a quiet mind, may
seem odd to people today. A quiet mind is a mind free of hectic
activities and distractions. A quiet mind is possessed by a sense of holy
stillness before God, a stillness that is encouraged in us by passages like
Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." Rather than
rushing from one hectic activity to another, or one amusement or stimulation to
another, the quiet mind can take time to be still and listen for the still
small voice of God.
But more than mere stillness, a quiet mind is a mind
at peace through trust in God. This is what we are trying to emphasize in
our Bible readings this morning. The quiet mind does not tremble in fear
before the battles of temptation, the opposition of the world, the natural and
figurative storms of life, or even the supernatural minions of evil.
True, we wrestle against the powers and rulers of darkness, and against
spiritual wickedness in high places, but our minds are at peace because we know
we are able to withstand in the evil day. We are dressed in the full
armour of God. We stand on the Gospel of peace. We wear the helmet
of salvation and the breastplate of the righteousness of Christ. We carry
the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. We stand watch in
prayer, so we are not taken by a surprise attack. Our minds are at peace
because we are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and nothing
can defeat Him or separate us from His everlasting love.
The nobleman in John 4 received a quiet mind.
He apparently traveled for at least two days to find Jesus, and his mind was
not quiet then. His mind was in anguish. His son was dying. A
part of his life was dying. A person he loved more than he loved himself
was dying, and his mind was frantic with fear and despair, so he went to
Jesus. When will we learn to go to Jesus with our troubles? When
will we learn to seek peace in Him rather than trinkets and distractions?
When will we learn to trust and believe that God works all things work together
for our good, if we love Him and are called, according to His purpose?
This man came to Jesus in despair, but left in peace, because He trusted the
word of the Lord.
Psalm 76 is about a collective quiet mind in the
people of God. He is known in Judah and Israel. His Tabernacle is in the
City of Peace, Jeru Shalom. We know Jerusalem has not always been a place
of peace. It has been, and continues to be a battleground. But at
the time of the writing of Psalm 76 it dwells in peace, why? Because God has
broken the arrow, the shield, the sword, and the battle. It dwells in
peace because God has defeated its enemies and established it in peace.
At His rebuke that the chariot and the horse, the dreaded war machines of
invading armies, are fallen. God protects the city, therefore His people
dwell in peace and serve Him with a quiet mind.
Psalm 76. Notus
in Judæa.
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N Judah is God known; * his Name is great in
Israel.
2 At Salem is his tabernacle, *
and his dwelling in Sion. 3 There brake he the arrows of the bow, * the shield,
the sword, and the battle.
4 Thou art glorious in might, *
when thou comest from the hills of the robbers.
5 The proud are robbed, they
have slept their sleep; * and all the men whose hands were mighty have found
nothing.
6 At thy rebuke, O God of
Jacob, * both the chariot and horse are fallen.
7 Thou, even thou art to be
feared; * and who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry?
8 Thou didst cause thy judgment
to be heard from heaven; * the earth trembled, and was still,
9 When God arose to judgment, *
and to help all the meek upon earth.
10 The fierceness of man shall
turn to thy praise; * and the fierceness of them shalt thou refrain.
11 Promise unto the Lord your
God, and keep it, all ye that are round about him; * bring presents unto him
that ought to be feared.
12 He shall refrain the spirit
of princes, * and is wonderful among the kings of the earth.
The focal point of the Psalm is verse 11. It is
the conclusion. The first ten verses recount the gracious actions of God,
but verse 11 shows the natural response of those who receive and recognize
God's grace: "Promise unto the Lord your God, and keep it."
When you became a Christian you made vows and promises to God, just as He made
vows and promises to you. He promised to forgive your sins, and fill you
with His Spirit, to guide you with His Holy Bible, to watch over you, love you,
and bring you at last to His home of everlasting peace. You promised to
turn from sin and begin a life-long process of living more and more according
to His law of love, and less and less for the things of sin and self. It
is not easy to keep your promise. Living for Christ is the, most
difficult, most trying, most exasperating, most humiliating thing you can
do. At the same time it is the most fulfilling, the happiest, most
exalting, most noble thing to which a human being can aspire. It only is
the way of life. Therefore, in spite of the challenges and opposition of
the world, the flesh, and the devil, there is a peace in our hearts that the
world cannot give nor take away. We can serve God with a quiet mind.
From the Jerusalem of about 900 BC, when this Psalm
may have been written, let us look ahead to the city in about the year 33 AD.
The city is in turmoil. A vast, angry mob is torturing a Man to death on
a cross. It is not a peaceful scene, yet it is the way our peace with God
is secured forever. On the cross the Lamb of God is taking away our sins
and making our peace with God. By His grace "The fierceness of
man" is turned to God's praise (vs.10). Everything His enemies do is
used by Him to His own glory and our salvation. Christianity did not die
on the cross; it was born there. It is because of what Jesus accomplished
for us on the cross that we can serve God with a quiet mind. We have no
need to fear life, or death, or even hell itself. He gave His life for our
souls. We can serve Him with a quiet mind.
Therefore, let your mind be at ease. Let you
mind be at rest. Let a holy quiet descend upon you and let it dwell in
you forever. God has overcome the world. He has given you the
armour of God that you may stand in Him in this life. He has given you
the promise of life in paradise with Him forever. He has accomplished the
forgiveness of your sins and your peace with God. Serve Him with a quiet mind.
+Dennis Campbell
Bishop, Anglican Orthodox Church
Diocese of Virginia
Rector, Holy Trinity Anglican
Orthodox Church
Powhatan, Virginia
www.HolyTrinityAnglicanOrthodoxChurch.org
www.lifeinthescriptures.blogspot.com
Rev Bryan Dabney
of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to
have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you
want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the
truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I
commend it to your careful reading.
The Sermon – The Saints of God
This Thursday will be the feast of All Saints wherein we honor the
memory of those whose works advanced the gospel message throughout the world.
Now some may ask,”Who can be rightly called a saint?” Our answer should be
clear and straightforward: “Anyone who loves the Godhead and is obedient to his
will is a saint.” In light of that response, it should be apparent that the
saints of God also come in a variety of packages— young and old, rich and poor—
and can be found in every corner of the world where the light of the gospel has
been proclaimed and accepted.
With that in mind, let us turn in our bibles to chapter 7 of Revelation
where the apostle John saw a multitude standing before the throne of God
dressed in white robes and bearing palm branches. While the apostle was informed
that such were those who had come out of the great tribulation, we know from
our reading of Scripture that all who are born-again by means of his most holy
Spirit will likewise be vested in the same before God (7:9-17). Ergo, all so
described are saints of the most high God (Daniel 7:18, 27).
Now one might assume that the simple bible way of explaining the
specifics of this issue would suffice. But such would be a mistake because
there are churches that have a longstanding set of rubrics governing the topic
of sainthood. In spite of human tradition, it would behoove us to examine the
basic biblical characteristics for being called a saint. For only by letting
God speak for himself can we properly discern the facts of the matter.
To begin with, fervent praying is a mark of a godly saint. Our Lord
Jesus Christ gave us some specific instructions about praying (see St. Matthew
6:5-15). The Rev. E. M. Bounds pointed out that faith and prayer are supremely
important to the believing Christian. He associated true faith with an active
prayer life. The author emphasized the need to pray daily for daily needs of
the present. “When we pray, give us this day our daily bread, we are...shutting
tomorrow out of our prayer. We do not live in tomorrow but in today. We do not
seek tomorrow’s grace or tomorrow’s bread. They thrive best, and get the most
out of life, who live in the living present...Victory today is the assurance of
victory tomorrow. Our prayers need to be focused on today.” Bounds identified
the two principal foes of our faith as being doubt and fear because they will
interrupt our prayer life and limit the power of God to work therein owing to
our lack of faith. According to Bounds, “A simple, confiding faith, living day
by day and casting its burden on the Lord each hour of the day will dissipate
fear, drive away misgiving and deliver from doubt... Faith grows by reading and
meditating upon the Word of God. Most, and best of all, faith thrives in an
atmosphere of prayer.”
Now consider what the Rev. Bounds urged Christians to do in God’s
service. They ought to: 1) trust in God for his provision; 2) earnestly desire
of him that he provide for a particular need or want which is within his will
for us; 3) show fervency or strength in praying; 4) be persistent in our
praying; 5) understand that our praying affects our conduct and character; 6)
be obedient to the will of God; 7) be vigilant in prayer; and 8) read the
Scriptures because in them we have a record of the prayer life and successes of
those notable mentioned personalities whom God called as his followers. As he
noted in his famous book on Prayer, “The Word of God is made effectual and
operative by the process and practice of prayer;” for, “When prayer is a
stranger [in God’s house], then it ceases to be God’s house at all.”
Secondly, it should apparent to all that a saint is a person who trusts
in the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ. A faithful and true Christian has
accepted without equivocation the sacrifice of our Lord on the cross, and has
confessed his or her sins to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. That
acceptance of his undeserved favor, or grace, sets such a person apart from
those who believe that they have to earn their salvation through works (see Ephesians 2:1-22).
Thirdly, a saint is one who is sealed of God. Consider the following
passages:
Now he which stablished us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is
God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our
hearts. II
Corinthians 1:21, 22
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world... In whom ye
also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy
Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:3, 4, 13
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the
day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
God has sealed all who are his via the workings of the Holy Spirit. As
a result, these believers have been set apart as his saints and are co-heirs
with Christ in his kingdom. In the future, the Antichrist will mark those who
come into his fold, but there will be a terrible penalty for those who accept
such. For to receive the mark of the Beast is to receive an everlasting
sentence of damnation which cannot be undone. Therefore a godly saint will
avoid all marks of the world, the flesh and the devil, keeping himself, or
herself, solely unto the Lord who bought him (see I Corinthians 6:19, 20; I Thessalonians
5:22).
Fourthly, a saint will minister to others as part of his or her
Christian witness (see
Hebrews 6:10) via his keeping of
God’s word (see
St. Jude 3) and seeking God’s
perfect will for himself (see Romans 12:2). He
must be prepared to judge righteously those around him within the body of
Christ: which requires godly discernment (see I Corinthians 6:1, 2). He will seek the whole counsel of God by
reading the Scriptures just as the Bereans did (Acts 17:11). In these and other ways, a godly saint will be able to effectively
minister to those around him.
Finally, a saint will trust in God’s provision as he has promised not
to forsake us in this life (see Psalm 37:28). In
providing for his own, God will gather us and keep us because he counts us as
precious to him (see
Psalm 50:5; I Samuel 2:9; Psalm 116:15). Our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to intercede for us (Romans 8:27-30) until that day when he comes to bring us to
our eternal home in the kingdom which he has prepared for all his saints (St. Matthew 25:34).
And so there can be little doubt that every person who has been so
called and so empowered by God may safely be called a saint. You do not need a
certificate from some earthly body to affirm your bona fides with the Lord for
such would be merely a confirmation of an already known fact. God inscribed the
names of his saints in his Book of Life the moment they were regenerated by the
power of the Holy Ghost. The Bible tells us that he knew us before the
foundations of the world were laid, and has endowed each of us with gifts and
duties on his behalf. And because God’s love for us has been manifested to us
in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, let us therefore live in obedience to his
will, and purpose in our hearts to daily keep our eyes fixed upon him, awaiting
his appearing when our citizenship in his kingdom will be made manifest. And
so, in answer to our initial question regarding who is a saint? we should
understand that every regenerated person in Christ Jesus today is just as much
a saint as any from antiquity, and you have God’s word written which confirms
it (Ephesians
1:3-14).
Let us pray,
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ather, we beseech thee to bless us, thy saints, in
this mortal life; that through our witness, those who are as yet unsaved might
come to a saving knowledge of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ; for this we ask in
his most precious name of him. Amen.
Have a blessed week, Bryan+
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