Why Become A Saint? Series

I. Introduction

A. Review Paul’s introduction

-Last week we looked at the first part of Paul’s introduction to the church at Corinth.

-Even though the letter contains several areas of chastisement, or correction, Paul begins by encouraging the church at Corinth.

-He reminds them of their standing before God.

-They are sanctified, seen as holy.

-Through their faith in the resurrected Christ.

-Paul calls them saints, as he does all Christians nearly 60 times throughout his letters.

-Paul’s intent during this introduction is to remind the believers in Corinth of who they are in Christ, but also the expectation due to that position.

-Today we will look at the blessings that come as a result of being a Christian, or saints, as Paul calls them.

-Please turn to 1 Corinthians, chapter 1

PRAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Last week I wanted you to be overwhelmed by the fact that God sees you as a saint.

-Even though you may not always act as a saint does, Almighty God sees you as one if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

-Today I want you to allow yourself to be blown away by the concept of God’s grace

-Grace = God’s unmerited favor

-There is nothing you or I have done to earn God’s grace in our lives.

-He did not look down from heaven and see what a special person you are that he decided that you deserve His grace

-Did not decide that you would be such a wonderful testimony if you just got saved that He forced it on you

-God saved your lost soul in spite of you and not because of you.

-That’s why it is called grace

-The other day in Geometry class we got into a lengthy discussion about eternal security.

-They wanted to know if I thought a person could lose their salvation

-Students come from various church backgrounds

-I guided their discussion allowing them to make their various arguments

-Eventually I took them through scripture to see how one gets saved

-Finally, I asked them what they did to earn salvation

-They said nothing

-I told them they were correct and since there was nothing they did to earn salvation there is nothing they can do to keep salvation.

-Good works don’t get you saved and good works don’t keep you saved.

-Some of these teens have been taught that Baptists, and others with like theology, believe you can’t lose your salvation so they can do want they want and still be saved.

-We just claim 1 John 1:9 and move on.

Michael Horton, Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary, relates the following in his book, The Agony of Deceit:

The radical gospel of grace as it is found throughout Scripture, has always had its critics. Jimmy Swaggart told me a few years ago that by trusting in God's justifying and preserving grace, I would end up living a life of sin before long -- and thus, lose my salvation and be consigned to hell. Paul anticipated that reaction from the religious community of his own day after he said, "Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" (Romans 5:20, NKJV). So he asked the question he expected us to ask: "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" (6:1) Should we sin so that we can receive more grace? In other words, "If people believed what you just said in Romans 5, Paul, wouldn't they take advantage of the situation and live like the dickens, knowing they were 'safe and secure from all alarm'?" That's a fair question. But it reveals a basic misunderstanding of the nature of God's saving grace. Paul's response is unmistakable: "Certainly not? How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:2, NKJV).

Someone confronted Martin Luther, upon the Reformer's rediscovery of the biblical doctrine of justification, with the remark, "If this is true, a person could simply live as he pleased!" "Indeed!" answered Luther. "Now, what pleases you?" Augustine was the great preacher of grace during the fourth and fifth centuries. Although his understanding of the doctrine of justification did not have the fine-tuned precision of the Reformers, Augustine's response on this point was similar to Luther's. He said that the doctrine of justification led to the maxim, "Love God and do as you please." Because we have misunderstood one of the gospel's most basic themes, Augustine's statement looks to many like a license to indulge one's sinful nature, but in reality it touches upon the motivation the Christian has for his actions. The person who has been justified by God's grace has a new, higher, and nobler motivation for holiness than the shallow, hypocritical self-righteousness or fear that seems to motivate so may religious people today.