Are you a Sinner or Are you a Saint?
We are the saints of God.
He has changed us inside and out.
We have the grace and peace of God, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing, we are chosen through Jesus, and stand blameless.
We are redeemed, washed, new, fresh, forgiven, and renewed – all of this according to the love of God, which was planned from the beginning of time itself.
God lavishes us with his love.
We are God’s Children and we are loved.
Eph 1:1-12
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment— to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
Are you a Sinner or Are you a Saint?
When we think of Sinners we usually think of the big stuff.
Like a Hells Angel on a Harley, wearing leathers, and using a bicycle chain to beat up on little old ladies.
When we think of saints people like Mother Teresa and Billy Graham come to mind.
Most of quickly conclude that they are not a really bad sinner and we know we’re not saints.
The truth is that we who follow Jesus are both – sinner and saint.
I am a sinner.
Ephesians 1:4-7
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
He chose us In him
Jesus Christ is the agent by which the choosing is performed.
Before the creation of the world
This is no afterthought.
It is premeditated and carefully considered by the Father God.
To be holy and blameless
The word “holy” speaks of purity and sanctification. Set aside for a purpose. Special!
To be “Blameless” speaks of perfection. No cracks. No flaws. No bad spots. No damage. Nothing cheap or disposable involved.
Most of you have dishes that are for use only on special events. Kept in a sideboard, buffet or china hutch.
Here’s the problem.
I am not Holy and I am not Blameless.
I have taken what was made for noble and good purposes and used it for without care or concern.
It’s like taking the wedding china and using it to feed the dogs in the backyard.
Or taking the real sterling silverware and using it to pry open a soup can.
That’s what sin is.
We think of sin as doing something wrong.
Sin is really the misappropriation of life.
We were made for fellowship and to enjoy community with God and like a rebellious, cantankerous, self-centered, attitude to the eyeballs teenager (sorry young people) we have taken what we possess and strutted off into our own devices.
In so doing… we become useless and discardable.
I can be a saint
2 Timothy 2:20-21
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble.
21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Not because of what I am.
Because of who I am.
I am God’ chosen child.
Favored.
Selected.
That God would select and favor me is simply beyond understanding. It is amazing…
Amazing Grace
Several years ago I baptized a man in Lake Superior.
It was late October and about 9:00 PM.
I was talking with Myron and his wife about accepting the Lord as their personal savior and sealing that decision with baptism into Jesus.
Myron was hesitant for a long time and then finally said, “Yes, I want to accept Jesus – and I want to be baptized tonight – right now in Lake Superior.
In case you don’t know Lake Superior is cold.
The average temperature (year round) is about 38 degrees.
This was late October and the gales of November (remember the Edmund Fitzgerald) had come early.
The waves were running 3 feet high.
Did I mention the water was cold?
We were going to walk out to our waists but only went about knee deep.
I laid him down and the wave washed over him as I baptized him in the name of Jesus.
When we went back to his home for some hot cocoa and hot water for the feet I asked him why it was so important that he do this that night in Lake Superior.
His answer: “I was in the army, an officer in the infantry during Viet Nam.
I saw and did things that no man should see or do.
I want my sins buried in the deepest and coldest place…”
God planned for me to be his favored child.
What is offered as a gift can be rejected.
Predestined
God dwells in eternity – we live on a linear progression of time.
Chosen in Christ
What is predestined is the plan – not the outcome.
The outcome is up to you…
To accept God’s favor
Ephesians begins with an emphasis about knowing.
Two key words in the book of Ephesians are the words "know" and "walk."
"That I may know him in the power of his resurrection..." and "Walk worthy" (4:1), "Walk different"(4:17), walk in love (5:2), walk as children of the light (5:8), walk circumspectly (5:15).
The first section may be summarized as "Teaching announced." And the second as "Teaching applied."
Read Ephesians each week for the next month.
Monday: Chapter 1
Tuesday: Chapter 2
Wednesday: Chapter 3
Thursday: Chapter 4
Friday: Chapter 5
Saturday: Chapter 6
Knowledge can…
Change nothing.
Or it can change everything.
