Saints & Servants
January 5th, 2009 by Todd JohnsonI’m going to attempt to follow up Sundays with a Monday post that will serve to recap some of my thoughts from Sunday morning. Today I’m thinking about being a saint and a servant.
SAINTS
It is clear in Scripture that saints are not exceptional dead people but ordinary living Christians, EVERY living Christian whether in heaven or on earth. Saint (Gk. Hagios) means, depending on the context, “sacred, pure, holy; set apart”. We, by nature, are not sacred, pure or holy, but Jesus Christ is. This is why Paul writes in Philippians 1:1 “to the saints IN CHRIST JESUS”.
There is a direction I didn’t take on Sunday that, given the time, I would have loved to and that is the idea of “federal headship”. I.e. that Jesus Christ is the federal head of the believer even as Adam is the federal head of the unbeliever..
1 Cor 15:21-22ESV “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive”
It’s good to be in Christ, and therefore, a saint.
SERVANTS
Paul describes Timothy and himself as Servants of Christ Jesus. (Gk. doulos = bond slaves) those whose service is voluntary, willful & glad service. Freedom even.
John 8:34,36ESV Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin… if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Sadly, it seems many Christians love Jesus the Savior, but not Jesus the Lord. We love God the Father, but not God the Sovereign (over the universe; over the church; over my very body and life).
From Paul’s “arrest” on the road to Damascus until his imprisonment and execution in Rome, Paul never viewed his life as being his own.
1 Cor 6:19-20 ESV ..do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
So… my Monday prayer is that God would help me, us, Crossroads Church, to live as a bunch of saints and servants.
As one who was once desperately lost in the world, the concept of being a “saint” is both mind-boggling and incredibly cool. There is no way that I qualify for sainthood on my own merit – I failed that test a long time ago. So the only conclusion is that we are redeemed and reformed into saints by One far more powerful than we are. That realization increases my desire to be a true servant of the one who makes me a saint.
“That realization increases my desire to be a true servant of the one who makes me a saint.”
Well said Saint Jeffrey! I like that.
Thank you Todd – this post is an excellent idea. I am especially grateful as I can’t get to your live message and listen online. Definitely the spirit of a good servant.
The opportunity to review and ask questions is much appreciated.
opening my bible on Sun. I noticed that I had already had underlined the words, servants & saints. Great teaching Todd… oh, how much we have to be reminded of Gods stops and goes!!! Then today, reading John Piper’s devotional (oops said the word) He was sharing the same thing. “God sould be recognized and trusted as supreme by every person he has made. Trusting from shoe strings to shuttles.” I smiled at that last part.
Even at this time of my life, I am growing in trust, peace and grace, and the beauty of it all is, the Lord lets me know it. I love that.
Blessings…
I see servant/sainthood in my marriage. I know Mr. Crabby loves me and he shows it in very godly ways every day by serving me (ala Ephesians 5:25&26). However, it is taking me time and translation (via the Holy Spirit) to understand love – both Mr. Crabby’s and God’s. (And Mr. Crabby is a pretty good model.)
I have been considering the process by which a slave might volunteer to become a doulos. In my flesh I scream “No way! I want to be free”. Yet as I consider the slave who realizes that his master is meek, kind and gentle (while “freedom” is a continual taskmaster) a doulos realizes that submitting to his master is frees him from every concern. A doulos, a bondservant of Jesus is cared for in every way. Life, breath, provision, protection is at the hand of the Master. Matthew 11 “Take My yoke”. Matthew 16:25 Loose your life for My sake and you will find it. In Christ we are in beautiful hands.
I find my greatest role models for serving, besides Jesus, are the women who are or have been in my life…primarily my wife.
It amazes me that she will do things even when she doesn’t feel like it. She has taken care of sick children (including the big one she married), cooked, cleaned, helped friends out in a jam.
She will look to serve others and I haven’t a clue of what is going until after she does it. I have learned from her a lot of the social graces (which are simply ways to make others feel comfortable).
I constantly find myself in “servant” school.
was home sick on sunday, but david brought message home and listened to it yesterday…it was a perfect Word and very encouraging…yes we are personal testimonies to the (stops) of man are ordered by the Lord. great is Thy faithfulness!!!! and to be delighting in Him is it. we’re so thankful for your laboring for Him in giving us His message… you’re a blessing todd! be encouraged that He is using you greatly
I like your observations, Doug! I rarely remember what my master is like (that’s why I’m going to the WOW study on Tuesday nights) and when I hear the word “slave” all of the horrible images I’ve been fed fly up into my mind first.
Also, freedom is not having to worry about my needs being met. In a very crude analogy, it is like the convict who keeps returning to jail because he can’t survive on the “outside”.
Do not fret. Psalm 37
Doug – I get what you’re saying. I just feel like I’ve come to accept and even embrace the idea of being a slave. I guess I’ve come to the point (through painful experience) of realizing that I am always a slave to something. If I am not a voluntary slave to Christ, than I default into involuntary slavery to the flesh, the world, my bank account, or whatever else vies for my attention. I don’t see any other context where Matthew 16:25 makes sense.
Yes Jeff I think the bible agrees we are all slaves to something.
“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, [3] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” Rom 6:16 ESV
I have also found tremendous freedom in practicing serventhood to my wife. No offense to her but serving an undeserving sinner can be one of the most difficult tasks in existence. However the fruit that is wrought is quite amazing.
Praise God for the grace He gives daily to serve our families in the same way Jesus served us. Jesus loved us and served us by giving His life on a cross. Us?! Disgusting, self consumed, enemy’s of God. Thats what blows me away and gives me the strength to lay my life down for my spouse. The fact that Jesus did MUCH MUCH MUCH more for me. Amazing Grace!
Jeff, Doug, Mr. and Mrs. Crabbys, Leslie, Mike- You’re all right.
Todd- GREAT idea (Monday morning recaps). Checking back to this blog and its resulting ongoing commentary through the week allows for greater meditation on the portion of God’s Word that’s taught, continual application to our Monday through Saturday lives, and eliminates some of the “Where were we last week?” thoughts that too often run through my mind around 10:04am on Sundays. Keeps it fresh.