II. THE SAINT’S LIFE:

Just as it can be easily misunderstood as to what the bible means by the word “slave” perhaps the “saint” word is even more difficult to grasp. Maybe you’ve heard the story of the two brothers – both crooked businessmen – who ran a small town. One of the brothers’s died; the surviving one – concerned about their image in the eyes of the town – offered a check for $25,000 to the local preacher if we would say of the deceased brother: “He was a saint.” The pastor gladly took him up on the offer. During the ceremony the remaining brother scowled on the front row as the preacher described the deceased as a crooked man who took advantage of widows and the poor, he was a no good, evil, swindler…but compared to his brother who sits here on the front row… He was a saint!”

The Greek word [saints] literally means: SEPARATE and HOLY.

• The best way to understand what a saint really looks like is to go back to the Old Testament and see the way the Hebrew equivalent of hagios – which is kadosh – was used.

• The priests are described as kadosh, hagios, and holy: Priests…must be holy to their God. – Leviticus 21:5, 6

• The priests were to be different from others; you’ve been called to be a royal priest!

• The tithe or tenth is described as holy: – The tithe of everything…belongs to the Lord; it is holy unto the Lord. – Leviticus 27:30

• The tenth is different from the rest of our income. It is to be set aside for a holy God. I find that it doesn’t spend very well ☺

• Now, you’ve been called to be 0holy: – Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:15, 16.

• You might say… “How can I possibly be holy? I’m no priest…I’m not holy! I’m no saint!” Relax, because it is God’s job to make you holy. In the book of Leviticus, they must have had the same concern and God tells them over and over again: – I am the Lord, who makes you holy. – -Leviticus 20:8, 21:8, 15, 23; 22:9, 16, 32

• God has called you out to be and will make you a saint: separate, sanctified, different from this world, holy. Paul gives us a description of the saint in Philippians 1:9-11:

1. Sanctified LOVE (Philippians 1:9b): …that your love may abound… – Philippians 1:9b

Coming out of church a wife said to her husband: “Did you see what that young Johnson girl is doing with her hair?” The husband responded: “uh – no, I didn’t see.” “Well did you notice what that Jones woman was wearing – is that any way for a mother of two to dress?” He responded, “No, I didn’t see the Jones woman.” Frustrated, the wife insisted, “Well, surely you saw the ear-rings on that Smith woman – positively heathen!!” The husband stammered, “Well, actually, I didn’t see them.” “The wife accuses her husband, “Well…a lot of good it does you to go to church!!!”

Friends, it is all about love. Love is the reason to go to church. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and your neighbor as yourself. Christ-like love is the acid test of the sanctified life.

John Wesley: – If you look for anything but more love, you are looking wide of the mark, you are getting out of the royal way… You can go no higher than this, till you are carried into Abraham’s bosom.

2. Abounding in KNOWLEDGE and depth of INSIGHT (Philippians 1:9c): – …abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. – Philippians 1:9c

Our love for the Lord draws us to his Word that gives us knowledge and Christian world view in a secular society. As Slaves and Saints we are not to be of soft minds and hard hearts but rather be of sound mind and soft hearts!

3. Invested in the BEST (Philippians 1:10a): – …so that you may be able to discern what is best…- Philippians 1:10a

The good is enemy of the best

4. Notably PURE and BLAMELESS (Philippians 1:10b): …and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ…- Philippians 1:10b

• There is no question about it…there are good people who do not know Jesus Christ – who are not slaves and saints in Jesus. The saint’s life is to be so notably pure and blameless that there is no explanation for it apart from their relationship with Jesus Christ.

• “Pure” in the Greek is derived from the two Greek words translated: SUN and JUDGED. To be pure means that all of our lives can be judged under the intense light of the sun…nothing to hide…all is pure and blameless.

5. Totally filled with the fruit of RIGHTEOUSNESS (Philippians 1:11a): – …filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ… – Philippians 1:11a

The fruit of righteousness is detailed for us in Galatians 5:22 and 23 which describes the fruit of the Spirit-filled righteous life as: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. – Galatians 5:22, 23

Sanctified love
Abounding in knowledge and depth of insight
Invested in the best
Notably pure and blameless
Totally filled with the fruit of righteousness

APPLICATION:

• What is the result of the slave/saint life? – to the glory and praise of God.- Philippians 1:11b

• You can experience the glory and praise of God…you can become a slave/saint.

MONDAY MORNING MESSAGE / FRED G. CHILTON

An ad appeared in a newspaper that read: “Farmer wants to marry woman, 35, with tractor. Send picture of tractor.” The first verse of Philippians gives us a picture of a Christian…

READ PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11

Can you believe how many award shows they have now? It seems like there is a show for everything – Even Commercials! The Clio Awards is a whole show of commercials, sponsored by commercials…That could be the quickest show you’ll ever watch: you could tape it and then fast-forwarded the whole thing. Don’t fast-forward through the first verse of Philippians. Here, in two words, Paul describes the Christian’s life…

I. A SLAVE’S LIFE:

The Greek word Paul uses to describe him and his friend Timothy literally means: SLAVES.

There is no sense toning it down by translating the Greek with the word “servants.” “Servants” sounds so much more palatable than slaves but that is not the literal meaning of the Greek.

Paul uses this term to describe himself on several occasions (Romans 1:1; Philemon 1:1; Titus 1:1); so does Peter (2 Peter 1:1), and Jude (Jude 1:1) and also James (James 1:1). Paul makes it clear that this is to be the true identity of all Christians:

He who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s SLAVE. You were bought with a price. – 1 Corinthians 7:22-23

What does it mean to live a slave’s life?

1. SUBMISSION (1 Corinthians 6:19,20):

a) To CHRIST: You are not your own; you were bought at a price. – 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20

When William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, made his last visit to the U.S., the great evangelist, Wilbur J. Chapman was able to interview him. At the conclusion of the interview he summarized his greatness: I learned from William Booth that the greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender. It is not a question of who you are or of what you are, but of whether God controls you. – Wilbur J. Chapman

b) To OTHERS (Ephesians 5:21) – Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ – Ephesians 5:21

2. LABOR (Colossians 1:28-29):

You’ve heard the expression: “slave labor”…this is what the follower of Jesus Christ does, accept that it is a labor that is not done according to our own strength…Since we belong to Christ, he provides the energy to labor for His Kingdom: …I labor, struggling with all HIS energy, which so powerfully works in me. – Colossians 1:28-29

3. AID (Matthew 6:30b-32).

The beauty of being a slave is that your needs are taken care of.

…O you of little faith…the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. – Matthew 6:30b-32

4. VICTORY (Romans 6:18).

There is victory in Jesus. There is no sin you’ve gotten into that Jesus can’t get you out! This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world?

Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. – 1 John 5:4-5

Our ways lead to a hopeless end…but Jesus’ way leads to endless hope!

a) Victory over SIN: You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. – Romans 6:18

• Friend, through the power of Jesus’ indwelling Spirit you can have victory over Satan.

• Never give the devil a ride – he always ends up driving.

• You give Satan an inch – and he will end up the ruler.

b) Victory over SELF: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. – Galatians 2:20

• “I can’t stop doing this, I can’t break the habit”…There is victory in Jesus Christ!

5. Elite EMPOWERMENT

• You are in the line of the elite and powerful prophets who were given this same title:

• This is the title given to Moses (Numbers 12:7), to Joshua (Judges 2:8), to King David (Psalm 78:70) and to all the line of the prophets (Jeremiah 25:4; Ezekiel 38:17).

• The Christian’s slavery to Jesus Christ is no cringing subjection. As the Latin tag has it: to be his slave is to be a king. – William Barclay.

• I no longer call you servants [slaves]…instead, I have called you friends. – John 15:15

• The slavery transitions into the elite position of friendship with God. The next verse tells us that friendship with God translates into empowerment…Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. – John 15:16

Submission
Labor
Aid
Victory
Elite empowerment