CALLED TO BE SAINTS TOGETHER...

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours…” (1 Corinthians 1:2)

Paul’s greeting to the church in Corinth gives us a great deal for which to be thankful.  He addresses the “church of God” in Corinth.  It is God’s church, not the church belonging to the Corinthians.  In over 40 years of church ministry I have met far too many people who speak and act as if the church is their church.  How much better would church life be if we all recognized that the church is God’s, not ours?  That what we do as a congregation of believers is all about God and not about us?  Thanks be to God that it is his church because if it was ours it would have died out centuries ago!

Paul addresses the members of God’s church as “those sanctified in Christ Jesus.”  This is truly humbling!  The apostle is about to mention a number of serious problems and sins in that church from divisions to sexual immorality, yet he reminds them that they are “sanctified” (past tense!).  We believers are set apart by God to be his own even though we continually sin.  In God’s eyes we are already holy in spite of our consistent failure.  Again, thanks be to God that our position in Christ is secured by his sanctifying work and not by our own efforts to be righteous!

Then Paul reminds his readers that they are called to unity with believers everywhere, “called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Another humbling description of God’s church!  There is no room for any sense of superiority over Christians from third world countries.  No place for denominational prejudices.  It is not acceptable for believers to fight and divide over perceived theological differences or worship practices.  If people call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ he is both their Lord and ours!

This is a call to unity!  Instead of focusing on our differences we need to work together to major in what Jesus did to make us one!  The church is not about us, it is us!  And all who call upon the Lord Jesus are part of us!  May God help us to see all true believers as our brothers and sisters!