"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus
who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:"
The letter of the Apostle Paul to the Philippian church is one that is consumed with Paul’s joy and delight in them but it also a supreme concern. The concern is that they preserve the gospel in the life of their church and their relationships. There have been rifts within the body that have seemed to threaten to the very unity achieved at the cross of Christ. This letter addresses this reality for the Philippians as well as the entire church today.
What is to be noticed is how Paul begins this letter in verse 1. He begins with a greeting that he has used in other contexts but with purpose and intentionality. Paul begins the letter by reminding them of who they are because of their faith in Jesus Christ. They are “saints." Note, they are not addressed as sinner, but as saints and this is of great importance. That they are different now because of the work of Christ in their hearts and, therefore, the way the address and deal with one another must reflect this new nature of being saints.
To be a saint is to be one set apart for the purpose and use of the Lord. When we come to be known by Jesus Christ the entirety of our lives are changed and the relationships that we have in the body of Christ must be radically different than those who are connected in the world. The church is to model what healthy relationships look like and, even though tensions may arise within the church, we should demonstrate how reconciliation looks in such tensions.
The Philippian church is battling and Paul will teach them practically how to resolve these conflicts but before He tells them “what to do” he reminds them of “whose and who they are.” It is not by chance that Paul did it this way. It is because Paul is gospel driven and gospel centered that he peaks in this order. They are saints “in Christ” who are “at Philippi. Thus, their position in Christ dictates their practice in life and not the other way around. We do not become saints because of our lifestyles but our lifestyles are to be reflections of our being in Jesus.
Paul begins this way because he wants the Philippian church, and us today, to realize that because we are saints in Christ we are different and, therefore, we must act differently with one another and in the world. Christians will have tensions and church will face threats of division, but all can be overcome and dealt with effectively only when we all realize who we are – saints – and act like we actually belong to Jesus and live by a different ethic.
Today, if you are battling or facing tensions in your personal relationships or within the church Paul’s challenge is to fight to remember who you are in Christ. We can’t speak or act for anyone else, but we are responsible for behaving like a saints - men or women filled with the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Sherard
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