I AM A SAINT

EPHESIANS 1:1-2

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesusby the will of God, to God’s holypeople in Ephesus, the faithful inChrist Jesus: 2 Grace and peace toyou from God our Father and theLord Jesus Christ.

SINNERS AND

GOD’S WRATH

GENESIS 6:5-65 The LORD saw how great thewickedness of the human race hadbecome on the earth, and thatevery inclination of the thoughtsof the human heart was only evilall the time.

GENESIS 6:5-6

6 The LORD regretted that He hadmade human beings on the earth,and His heart was deeply troubled.

LEVITICUS 26:27-28

27 “If in spite of this you still donot listen to Me but continue to behostile toward Me, 28 then in Myanger I will be hostile toward you,and I myself will punish you foryour sins seven times over.”

JEREMIAH 17:9

9 The heart is deceitful above allthings and beyond cure. Who canunderstand it?

PSALM 11:4-54 The LORD is in His holy temple;the LORD is on His heavenly throne.He observes everyone on earth; Hiseyes examine them. 5

The LORD examines the righteous,but the wicked, those who loveviolence, He hates with a passion.

ROMANS 2:55 But because of your stubbornnessand your unrepentant heart, youare storing up wrath againstyourself for the day of God’swrath, when His righteousjudgment will be revealed.

EPHESIANS 2:33 All of us also lived among themat one time, gratifying the cravingsof our flesh and following itsdesires and thoughts. Like the rest,we were by nature deserving ofwrath.

COLOSSIANS 3:6

6 Because of these, the wrath ofGod is coming.

REVELATION 14:10-11

10 They, too, will drink the wine ofGod’s fury, which has been pouredfull strength into the cup of Hiswrath. They will be tormented withburning sulfur in the presence ofthe holy angels and of the Lamb.

REVELATION 14:10-11

11 And the smoke of their tormentwill rise for ever and ever. Therewill be no rest day or night forthose who worship the beast andits image, or for anyone whoreceives the mark of its name.

SINNERS AND

GOD’S MERCY

EPHESIANS 1:7

In him we have redemptionthrough his blood, the forgivenessof sins, in accordance with theriches of God's grace.

For those of you who are non-

Christians You are sinners by nature

and choice.

For those of you who are Christians,

for those of you who are in Christ,

you are saints.

PAUL WRITES TO THE

CHURCH IN EPHESUS

EPHESIANS 1:1-2

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesusby the will of God, to God’s holypeople in Ephesus, the faithful inChrist Jesus: 2 Grace and peace toyou from God our Father and theLord Jesus Christ.

IS YOUR IDENTITY A SINNER OR

A SAINT?

EPHESIANS 1:1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesusby the will of God, to God’s holypeople in Ephesus, the faithful inChrist Jesus:

CATHOLIC SAINTHOOD

Father James Martin: lays out a ten-step process to become

a Catholic saint

1. Be a Catholic.

2. Die.(Well, you can’t really enjoy

your sainthood then.)

3. A local devotion grows up around your memory.

(So, you die, and then people make a memorial, and they talk about you, and think about you, and honor you, and may start to venerate you.)

4. Your life is investigated.

5. It goes to the local bishop.(The local bishop investigates the case for

sainthood. And then it goes all the way to

the Vatican. It’s got to go to Rome.)

6. Then people start praying for a postmortem miracle, that you would heal somebody or do something

miraculous from heaven, & you would show up on earth through answering of a prayer

(Somebody gets healed in your name or some miracle happens in your honor.)

7. Then the Vatican investigates the miracle

8. Then they declare you blessed(A committee comes together in the

Catholic process and declares you blessed.)

9: Then people start praying for

another miracle.

(You’ve got to do a lot of miracles

after you die.)

10. Then you can be venerated. Then schools can be named after you, and

churches can be named after you.You might even get a festival day, like a

Saint Vetty’s Day.

BIBLICAL

SAINTHOOD

EPHESIANS 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus bythe will of God, To the saints inEphesus, the faithful in ChristJesus

ROMANS 1:7

To all in Rome who are loved byGod and called to be saints: Graceand peace to you from God ourFather and from the Lord JesusChrist.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:2

To the church of God in Corinth, tothose sanctified in Christ Jesus andcalled to be holy, together with allthose everywhere who call on thename of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours

PHILIPPIANS 1:1

Paul and Timothy, servants ofChrist Jesus, To all the saints inChrist Jesus at Philippi, togetherwith the overseers and deacons

COLOSSIANS 1:2

To the holy and faithful brothers inChrist at Colosse: Grace and peaceto you from God our Father.

WE DID NOT EARN IT TO BE A SAINTBUT WE ARE CALLED TO BE SAINTS

Now, Paul makes it really simple.

To be a saint, what is required of us?You must be in Christ Jesus.

Are you now in Christ Jesus? If so, you’re a saint. YOU ARE A SAINT.

Those who are not in Christ they are SINNERS.

Those who are IN CHRIST the are SAINTS.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

17 Therefore, if anyone is inChrist, the new creation hascome: the old has gone, the newis here!

Here’s the good news: if you are in Christ, you’re not just a guilty, wicked, vile sinner who’s forgiven. You’re a new creation in Christ with a new identity, and a new

biography, and a new eternity. All things have become new.

Sin is some of what you do, but not the totality of who you are in Christ.

The moment you receive Christ, that is the moment that you become genuinely new and you’re on the path to becoming

totally new forever.

HEBREWS 4:1515 For we do not have a highpriest who is unable to empathizewith our weaknesses, but we haveOne who has been tempted inevery way, just as we are—yet Hedid not sin.

LUKE 4:3

3 The devil said to Him, “If you arethe Son of God, tell this stone tobecome bread.”

LUKE 4:5-85 The devil led Him up to a high placeand showed Him in an instant all thekingdoms of the world. 6 And he saidto Him, “I will give you all theirauthority and splendor; it has beengiven to me, and I can give it toanyone I want to.

LUKE 4:5-8

7 If you worship me, it will all beYours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It iswritten: ‘Worship the Lord your Godand serve Him only.’”

LUKE 4:9-129 The devil led Him to Jerusalem andhad Him stand on the highest pointof the temple. “If you are the Son ofGod,” he said, “throw Yourself downfrom here.10 For it is written: “‘Hewill command His angels concerningYou to guard You carefully;

LUKE 4:9-12

11 they will lift You up in theirhands, so that You will not strikeYour foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesusanswered, “It is said: ‘Do not putthe Lord your God to the test.’”

A SAINT IS REMORSEFUL OVER SIN.

Means emotional feeling of being sorry but will not remain remorseful but he is moved to repent.

HEBREWS 12:16-17

16 See that no one is sexuallyimmoral, or is godless like Esau,who for a single meal sold hisinheritance rights as the oldestson.

HEBREWS 12:16-17

17 Afterward, as you know, when hewanted to inherit this blessing, hewas rejected. He could bring aboutno change of mind, though hesought the blessing with tears.

GENESIS 26:34-35

34 When Esau was forty years old,he married Judith daughter ofBeeri the Hittite, and alsoBasemath daughter of Elon theHittite. 35 They were a source ofgrief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Is not only a feeling of sorry but move to change.

CONVICTION

vs.

CONDEMNATION

CONVICTION CONDEMNATION

-From God-Leads to life-Ends in joy-Makes us want to change

-From Satan-Leads to despair-Ends in sorrow-Makes us believe we can’t change

CONVICTION CONDEMNATION

-Leads to a new identity in Christ-Brings a specific awareness of sin-Looks to Jesus-A blessing

-Leads to an old identity in sin-Brings vague uncertainty about sin-Looks to self-A burden

CONVICTION IS DIFFERENT THAN

CONDEMNATION.

ROMANS 8:1

1 Therefore, there is now nocondemnation for those who are inChrist Jesus.

A SAINT IS POWERFUL OVER SIN.

EPHESIANS 1:22-23

22 And God placed all things underhis feet and appointed him to behead over everything for thechurch, 23 which is his body, thefullness of him who fills everythingin every way.

EPHESIANS 3:9-10

9 and to make plain to everyone theadministration of this mystery,which for ages past was kepthidden in God, who created allthings.

EPHESIANS 3:9-10

10 His intent was that now, throughthe church, the manifold wisdom ofGod should be made known to therulers and authorities in theheavenly realms

Do you know how you could be

faithful?

By the grace of God

Christians tend to think of the saving grace of God.

There’s also theempowering grace of God.

The SAVING GRACE of God forgives all the sins that we have committed.

The EMPOWERING GRACE of God helps us to stop committing those sins.

HOW’S YOUR

FAITHFULNESS?

Christ has given to us, so we give. Christ has loved us, so we love.

Christ has served us, so we serve. Christ has gotten to know us,

so we get to know others.