Called to Be Saints

January 17, 1993 PM

1 Corinthians 1:2 "...to the church of God which is at Corinth to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours..."

Introduction

In reading Paul's LETTERS WE OFTEN we go right into the "text, proper" and we skip the introduction. But this introduction is a "zinger!"

"To the sanctified!" to those "called to be HOLY!" or "called to be SAINTS!" or, in this NIV— "saints BY CALLING!"

"Sanctified?" "Holy?" "Saint?" ... Well, that introduction leaves me out!

What's that you say?

I say 'That introduction certainly leaves me off the hook!'

What do you mean?

Well— first it says it is written to the church at Corinth, wherever that was ... and that is not my church; and, too, it says, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, and I never professed to be sanctified in any way shape or form, whatever it means "to be sanctified;" and finally It says "called to be saints!" And that is the last thing in the world I will ever be— or ever want to be!

Are you a Christian?

Sure— I love Jesus. But this "saint" stuff and this "sanctify" business is NOT, definitely NOT for me!

[Maybe that is the way a lot of people feel about this... but wait a minute! Is this how Christians should think and talk?]

I. WE CAN TRUST GOD'S LANGUAGE!

  1. "Holy" is NOT a "bad four-letter-word!" "Holy" is at best silly and at worst repulsive to the secular mind. It brings to mind an end to natural, happy, free life and living; an end to aesthetic enjoyment, et al.
  2. "Holy" is NOT for super-Christians— it is THE NT norm! The Spirit is for the entire church. The Spirit is THE life within. What we don't always realize is that every Christian knows/has the Spirit in measure; we are "sanctified in Christ" but we are CALLED TO BE SAINTS.
  3. The secular mind does not shrink from saying "We're Number 1!" Or "we're the greatest!" Or, "Just do it!" But it becomes strangely humble when it comes to holy things and says, "Holy? Who ME!?? Never!!"

II. WE CAN TRUST GOD'S CALLING!

  1. It is in this "call to be holy" that every one of us will find our only hope of real JOY! God has made us for Himself; that is what we exist for!

    To be holy is (1) to belong to God! It is (2) to dare to believe God loves us— believe it so much that we dare to say "Not MY will, but YOUR will is best for ME— for EVER!"

  2. The SPIRIT of Christ is the Sanctifier. He is described as COMPANION and FRIEND and THE SPIRIT OF JESUS (a Presence!) He desires to fill and cleanse and purify and empower every Christian. He wants to make us COMPLETE.

    [When we are SAVED we are thinking "survival" or "forgiveness." But this "calling to be holy" brings us to think LOVE and TRUST!]

III. HOW CAN WE IN ANY WAY BE CALLED "HOLY?"

  1. We need to be radically HONEST with God! Holy is NOT for "super-Christians!" Not for people who have it all together." It is for people who NEED it!
  2. We need to recognize our RADICAL DEPENDENCY ON GOD (AND EACH OTHER!) If we are going to answer this "call to be saints" we can't "do it ourselves!"

    But if we are seeking to depend on God He will come through for us!

  3. We need to DELIBERATELY LIVE IN THE SPIRIT! There is such a thing as a "crisis of sanctification" when we can say an "everlasting YES!" That is the norm, at least. But every "saint by calling" has to consciously walk in the Spirit!

    Galatians 5:25 says "If we live in the Spirit LET US ALSO WALK IN THE SPIRIT!"

    And Luke 11:13 says "If we being evil know how to give goof gifts to our children HOW MUCH MORE will the Father give the Holy Spirit to them, that ask Him!"

Conclusion:

Don't shrink back from this call of God! Don't be afraid to step up and answer God's call to be saints!

THE SUPREME ACT OF LOVE TOWARD GOD THAT YOU CAN MAKE IS TO TELL GOD THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO HAVE HIM CONTROL YOU FROM THIS TIME FORWARD, EVERY PART AND PARCEL OF YOUR LIVING!

Dwight L. Moody said once, "The world has yet to see what God can do with just one person who is entirely His, and I intend to be that person!"

Have YOU done this? Will YOU invite the Lord into every part of YOUR life? Being "holy" is NOT being weird. Being HOLY is trying to be LIKE Jesus!

Prayer

#40 I Want to Be Like Jesus