Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus…   I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers… (Ephesians 1:1, 15-16 NRSV) Saints.  Our usual NIV translation is somewhat squeamish about using this word, and so I had to flip over to the NRSV translation to find it.  In the NIV, verse one of this chapter says "God's holy people" which is a correct translation of what's there in Greek: "his holy ones."  But in verse fifteen, the NIV reads just "God's people," completely dropping the word "holy" out.  But in the original Greek, the word "holy" is there.   And the proper word for a human person who is holy, is "Saint." We have the same squeamishness as our translators do.  We have a tendency to avoid the "holy."  Particularly when that label might be applied to us or to other church members.  We know for a fact that we aren't holy.  We know what we've done.  We know the thoughts that cross our minds.  And we certainly know the foibles and failings of others.  Saint is the last thing we ought to be called. In our mind, saint has come to mean someone exceptional: someone who has done great deeds, lived a blameless life, worked great miracles, or prayed great transformations and revivals into existence.   That's not us.  And so saint is the last thing we ought to be called.    And yet, that is precisely what the scriptures call us.  Holy.  Saints.   Paul begins his letter writing to "the Saints," and he picks that thread up again in verse fifteen by declaring that he has heard of the love of these "saints" toward all the other "saints."  It is for these saints that Paul unceasingly gives thanks in prayer.  He's not talking about the elite members of the church.  He really does mean to include all of them: from the worst of the unrepentant sinners to the elders up at the front.    The reason they and we are all saints?  God.  If the last twelve verses have not yet convinced you of God's total effective work of lavishly choosing, predestining, and redeeming a people for himself through Jesus Christ, then Paul comes back to it again.  "You are saints!" he says, "holy people!"  This is who we are because it is who God has chosen and redeemed us to be.  We do not achieve this holiness and God himself knows that we do not ever fully live it.  But by the grace of the Triune God that redeems us—we are saints all the same.  It's good news.  Gospel. Holiness is God's gift before it is his calling.  We are made holy.  Look in the mirror today and practice saying it: "I am a saint."  Practice saying it to another Christian too: "You are a saint."  Remember who you are and believe—you are saints.  Thanks be to God.    

Ver todos los episodios