All Saints

 ~ The Bible Is the Most Important Resource About “All Saints” ~

Paul Greets All Saints  ~  “Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord.  Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord.  Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.  Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them.  Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.  Greet one another with a holy kiss.  The churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:12-16).  “Greet all of your leaders and all the saints.  Those from Italy greet you” (Hebrews 13:24 nasu).

Paul Declared Himself Least of All Saints  ~  “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.  Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory” (Ephesians 3:8-13).

The Saints Salutations  ~  “All the saints greet you.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:13-14).  “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.  The brethren who are with me greet you.  All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen” (Philippians 4:21-23).

All Saints in Christ Jesus  ~  “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1-2).

Able To Comprehend With All Saints  ~  “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Praying Always For All Saints  ~  “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:17-18).

Love To All Saints  ~  “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:15-16).  “I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.  For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother” (Philemon 4-7).

Christ Is Coming Back to Earth With All His Saints  ~  “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).

Definition  ~  The primary use of the term saint in the Bible is an individual who is separated from the world in order to be consecrated to God (a believer in Jesus Christ).  “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.  O my soul, you have said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You.’  As for the saints who are on the earth, ‘They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight’” (Psalm 16:1-3).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Saints

 ~ 5 Views of Living Saints on Earth ~

Saints Called By Grace  ~  “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:5-7).  

Saints Gathered To Christ  ~  “Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice” (Psalm 50:5).  

Saints In Assembly  ~  “For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord?  Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord?  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him” (Psalm 89:6-7).  

Saints Faithfully Ruled  ~  “Ephraim has encircled Me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints” (Hosea 11:12).  

Saints Glorified With Christ  ~  “When He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed’ (2 Thessalonians 1:10).  

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Holy – 3 of 3

~ Implications ~

What Is the Opposite of Holy?

As previously noted, the word "profane" (or common) is used in many translations of Scripture to denote that which is the opposite of holy. For example in Ezekiel we read, "Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common: they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them” (Ezekiel 22:26-26). Later we read, "They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common" (Ezekiel 44:23).

Earlier in Scripture the Israelites were clearly told not to treat that which was set apart to God as common. The twentieth to twenty-second chapters of Leviticus is a rich area of study with regard to holy and profane. For instance, in these chapters our LORD repeatedly warns about profaning (or making common) His holy name.

Implications

In the New Testament, the word "saint" is used as a name for all believers. Those who know Jesus Christ personally are called saints. The word saint simply means "holy one." Returning to our primary definition of holy, that of being "unique," or "set apart," or "distinctive," we see the radical implications of how we are to live our lives.

We are to be those who are in the process of sanctification. Those who are becoming more and more distinct (unique) as we become more and more like our master, Jesus Christ. "We ... are becoming transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Or as Paul exhorts us, "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2). From this passage it is clear that we have three choices; we can be transformed into a distinctive human being, we can remain conformed to the world, or we can be "double minded" (James 1:8 and 4:8) and end up being deformed. The choice is ours.

Jim Elliot, one of five young missionaries martyred for the cause of Christ by Auca Indians in Ecuador, once prayed, "Forgive me for being so ordinary while claiming to know so extraordinary a God."

COMMENT: There are many quotable phrases from Jim Elliot in the book “JIM ELLIOT: A Christian Martyr Speaks to You” edited by myself.