Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault-we who stand before him covered with his love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to! – Ephesians 1:4-5 TLB
Before God’s sight, the believer has no condemnation and without a single fault. And this is not based on what you do, or what you don’t do. You can now understand why He calls you SAINT.
There is the aspect where your good deeds/works is profitable unto men(for them to see your light shining and give praise to God). But that’s different and we will come to that later. But before that, you have to understand this truth. Before God created the world, He had purposed in himself to make us HOLY – without a single fault. And He did this through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. When God looks at you right now, HE SEES YOU HOLY, SPOTLESS AND WITHOUT A SINGLE FAULT. You might be seeing plenty faults with yourself but God sees you a saint. Because He sees you through the lens of the finished work of Jesus Christ. It is by this that you are justified in His sight.
There is therefore NOW no condemnation for you who are in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!
Before you heard this gospel, you were an enemy of God – completely alienated from Him.
Colossians 1:21-22
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.
Jesus, the sinless ‘Son Of God’ became sin and bore the full weight and penalty of sin so that we might enjoy abundant life. Pay attention to these 3 things Jesus’ sacrifice made us:
HOLY – separated unto God and without sin
UNBLAMEABLE – without fault or filth
UNREPROVEABLE – without any charge or accusation
Who can lay any charge to God’s elect? Jesus and I switched sides. This is the gospel, THAT WITHOUT ANY SIN OR FAULT, JESUS WAS CONDEMNED AND SENTENCED TO DEATH SO THAT I WITH SO MANY SINS CAN BECOME HOLY, UNBLAMEABLE AND UNREPROVEABLE BEFORE GOD(without doing anything). Shout Glooooory! I am a saint forever. This is the good news we must tell the whole world.
You know the difficulty of some people? They love the condemnation message. As I am showing you this Grace in Christ, some cannot accept it. They say ‘No,no,no’. They say, ‘we are sinners. So long as we are humans, we are sinners. We are not saints’. I have had people tell me that strongly. And even though the Spirit of God is showing us the opposite from the Word, they cant accept it. Their hearts are hardened.
There are people like that, who love to frighten others into salvation.. But how can that be the gospel? One meaning of gospel is GOOD NEWS. What is the good news? 2Cor 5 tells us what message of reconciliation(good news) we should preach:
“THAT GOD WAS RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF IN CHRIST, NOT COUNTING MEN’S SINS AGAINST THEM. And he has committed to us the MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION.” – 2 Cor 5:19
That’s what we should tell the world. “That God is not angry with you. That God is not holding a rod ready to punish your sins.” In fact, when God looks at you, He doesn’t see sin. Your sins were already punished on Jesus, and wiped away. ALL OF IT, FOREVER. Believe this and you will be sanctified and SAINTified. Hallelujah!
Listen to this:
Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. – Romans 5:18-19
God now gives you the GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Its the free gift of God. You don’t have to do anything to deserve it. It’s a gift, my sister. Don’t you know what a gift is? It’s not because you are good or nice; Or you give huge offerings. Nooo. It’s the free gift of God. And he makes this available to all men. Legally, Jesus has procured this for ALL MEN. Can you imagine that?
Now, all that a man has to do is to BELIEVE AND ACCEPT the Person and Sacrifice of Jesus. Then immediately, all your sins are erased forever (past,present & future sins). God now declares you SINLESS, FAULTLESS, and BLAMELESS before Him. Then you vitally receive the free gift of righteousness. BY DOING NOTHING, YOU ARE NOW NO LONGER A SINNER BEFORE THE JUDGE – YOU ARE NOW THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST. YOU HAVE BEEN ACQUITTED OF ALL CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST YOU. YOU HAVE BECOME A SAINT. Do you have any ‘gooder’ news for me than this? Glooooory!
Because we don’t truly believe that we have been forgiven (past tense), it affects our expressions and songs. You will hear a believer singing, “We are sinners saved by Grace.” How can you be a sinner saved by Grace? You are either a SINNER, or a saved SAINT. You can’t be both. When you believed, Jesus washed you – not with omo and water, but with His Own Blood. Not only did he wash your sins away, but he also replaced the sin nature in you with the nature of God. You are now the Righteousness of God. You are a SAINT. YOU ARE NO LONGER A SINNER, SO STOP TALKING THAT WAY. AND STOP SINGING THOSE SONGS.
We find in 1 Cor 6:11, that we used to be sinners with all kinds of vices, but now
WE ARE WASHED, BUT NOW WE ARE SANCTIFIED, BUT NOW WE ARE JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. That should be your song and your speech. Praise God Forevermore! Shout for Joy ALL YE SAINTS.
