Those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints

 

Those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints

 

1 Corinthians 1:2-3 "Grace and peace be with God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to the church of God in Corinth (te ekklesia tou Theou), to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints, and to all in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours (to onoma tou Kyriou hemon esus Christou)."

It speaks about the identity of the church. The Church of God (τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ) mentioned here first refers to the community of saints who have been sanctified in Christ. If one is not in Christ, one is not a saint. This does not mean that the believers in the Corinthian church are saints who have been sanctified, but rather that the Corinthian church is a saint who has been sanctified in Christ.

A saint is one who has been sanctified in Christ Jesus; this means that one is not sanctified through diligent effort, but is one who has entered into Christ and is in Jesus Christ. To enter into Jesus Christ, one must die with Jesus on the cross, and one who believes in His resurrection is one who is in Christ.

Those who have died with Jesus refer to those who have died to the world, to the law, and to sin. Those who have resurrected with Jesus refer to those who believe that they have received resurrection life, been born of the Holy Spirit, and seated in heavenly places, and who believe that they have been guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.

Today, within the church community, there are not many who accurately understand the death and resurrection of the cross, and there are also many cases where holiness is misunderstood. Most believers think of holiness as a life that resembles Jesus and is achieved through diligent religious practice. Believers believe that holiness is achieved through their own efforts. Therefore, they think it involves showing zeal by observing the Sabbath, faithfully participating in church life, serving diligently, studying the Bible hard, and so on.

However, all these thoughts are legalism. Legalism is being bound by a framework of thought created by humans. It is bound by the letter, bound by thought, and bound by action. Therefore, rigid thinking prevents one from approaching God.

The Bible speaks of holiness as something set apart, meaning that holiness is not something humans achieve, as church members often think, but a gift from God. In the flesh, we offer ourselves to God together with Christ, and God gives holiness to believers through Christ. Holiness is spiritual and does not pertain to the carnal self.

Because most believers view their identity as a mixture of spirit and flesh, they evaluate their current selves as beings incapable of becoming holy through their thoughts and actions. Therefore, they believe that they can receive praise from God simply by showing signs of striving hard. In this respect, it is no different from other religions.

Secondly, it is translated that the Church of God refers to all those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (To onoma tou Kyriou Hemon Jesus Christou). 『To onoma tou Kyriou Hemon Jesus Christou (τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ)』 Kyriou is translated as "Lord," giving it the meaning of "master." Kyriou is a Greek word and is a translation of the Hebrew Adonai. Adonai is Yahweh (Jehovah), indicating that the name of Jehovah is none other than Jesus.

To translate it again, it is not the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, but “the name of our Jehovah, Jesus Christ.” If we say “the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” we focus on the name of Jesus Christ, but in terms of content, we must focus on Jesus. We must become those who call upon Jesus, not those who call upon a name. You may ask what the difference is between the name of Jesus and Jesus, but even if we use the expression “the name of Jesus” when writing sentences, in spoken language, we must say “Jesus.”

When it is said, "I baptize in the name of Jesus," the noun "name" performs the baptism; however, when it is said, "I baptize with Jesus," it is Jesus who performs the baptism. The name is the name Jesus, and it becomes the name of Jehovah. Although the name of Jesus is Jesus, Jesus and the noun "name" end up becoming equivalent. Therefore, believers are obsessed with the name.

Those who call upon the name of Jehovah become saints. Those who call upon Jesus Christ, the name of Jehovah, become saints. Why do we call upon Jesus Christ? It is to call upon Him to enter into our hearts as the Logos. We must discover Christ within the Word and meet Him within our hearts. A new temple is built within the hearts of saints, and this is what happens to those who have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus Christ is present in this temple, we must earnestly call upon Jesus.

Jesus is knocking on the door of the saint. If the saint's door is closed, Jesus does not enter. Jesus enters only when the saint opens the door of their heart. The saint is a royal priesthood, and if they do not perform the priestly office, they cannot meet God in the sanctuary within their soul.

Romans 12:1-2: "Therefore, brothers and sisters, I urge you, by the mercy of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God—this is your spiritual worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the will of God—what is good, pleasing, and perfect."

The term "living sacrifice" refers to one who died on the cross in union with Jesus Christ, and the renewing of the mind means believing in resurrection through union with Jesus, thereby receiving the life of resurrection and realizing that one's identity has been transformed. Therefore, the will that pleases God is to lead sinners who do not know God to repentance, build a temple in their hearts, and restore the image of God. This is Heaven.

The work of establishing this Kingdom of Heaven is precisely the preaching of the Gospel, and it constitutes what we call evangelism. When we say, “Believe in Jesus, and you will go to Heaven,” we must also explain why one must believe in Jesus. We must also understand why Jesus becomes the channel through which the sins of sinners are forgiven. This will ultimately lead to the question of why humans become sinners from birth.

Most believers will say that because Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and everyone inherited original sin, they are sinners. However, the Garden of Eden symbolizes the Kingdom of God. In the Bible, Canaan, too, does not refer to the actual land of Israel to the saints, but symbolizes the Kingdom of God. The Garden of Eden and Canaan signify the Kingdom of God (Heaven) within the hearts of the saints.