Also in Romans 1:7 we are “called saints.” One of the large church sys tems is known for their various saints. Recently some of them have been demoted. The word “saint” comes from the Latin sanetus, which means to make holy, to set apart, to separate for a certain purpose. This is exactly what God has done. He has chosen people by His grace and set them apart that they might com mend Him to others (Eph. 1:4). God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. His desire is that we should be holy and with out blame. Very simply then, to be a saint means to be in His grace. God in His marvelous love took a dis graceful people and made of them, if I may create a pun, a HlS-grace- ful people. A saint is one whose heart has been changed by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus. We have been re generated by the Spirit of God who enables us to live a life pleasing to Him. Have you ever been called the be loved of God? It’s a marvelous thing when a husband, perhaps with a lapse of memory, comes up to his wife and declares, “Darling, I love you.” But oh, it’s a greater thing to hear God say to us, through His Word, “I love you; you are My be loved.” This is possible by faith in Christ. Have you taken such a step? MESSENGERS OF THE GOSPEL T he W ord of G od gives us some very clear information as to our lives when we come to know the Lord Jesus. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us to pray. By this means we have an opportunity to talk to God. Romans 1:8-9 shows us that prayer is a priority. It’s a time for thanksgiving. Paul never forgot the goodness of God. Paul faithfully prayed for his loved ones in Christ. When Paul said he would pray for someone, invariably he did 9
BELOVED OF GOD I t ’ s interesting to see how much people come to mean to us when we get to know them well. This is one of the wonderful things about our Christian experience. In Romans 1:7 we find the beautiful words, “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” How won derful to be referred to as the “be loved of God.” Many times, in my excitement, I’ll refer to Mrs. Keiper as “Beloved.” You see, she’s the ob ject of my love. God, in His marvel ous grace, has given me a terrific wife; it’s no difficulty to love her at all. This is the expression of our hearts of how we feel toward one another. We could translate the term “dear ones.” God doesn’t hate us; He loves us. In this way we come to know His mercy (I John 4:10). When I was a pastor in Jersey City, on occasion I’d take my choir and go over to some of the missions in New York. On one occasion we were listening to the men’s testimo nies. One of the old mission bums who had late in life come to know the Lord got up. He declared, “You know, I’m amazed at the love of God. The Lord loves us, not because He can get anything out of us whatso ever.” In his earlier years he had been to one of the large universities on the East Coast from which he graduated with honors. With a great career in view he started drinking and wound up a bum. He lost every thing. Christ received him through love, without any possible return or benefit. How wonderful to know that we’re loved by the Father. His love has absolutely no angles. The love of God takes men in all their ugli ness, transforming them into the beauty of our blessed Lord.
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter