July 13th, 2022
Did you know that those who first believed in Jesus as the Messiah, God’s son were called Saints. Saints means to be set apart. They were set apart from the world and the ways of the sinful world.
As believers began to be persecuted, they would scatter and that is one way Christianity was spread. Acts 11 records that some believers wound up in a town called Antioch and began preaching the Good News of Christ to the gentiles and many believed.
Paul hears about them and sends his co-worker, Barnabas, to see what is happening and to encourage them. It is in Antioch that people began to refer those believers as Christians. [Acts 11: 26] [Christian means Christ follower or a follower of Christ]
So if you profess to believe in Jesus, you are a Saint [set apart from the world] and you are a Christian [ follower of Christ]. My question for us to consider is whether those that know us and those that don’t see in us an example of what it looks like to follow Christ.
We are living in a time where there is division, brokenness, and chaos. If we are a follower of Christ we have to be bold in our faith so that where there is division we encourage unity and where there is brokeness we tell people that God is the healer of broken lives. He is close to the broken hearted. Where there is chaos, we are to be instruments of peace.
Peter said in 1 Peter 4:16, “Praise God for the privilege of being called by His Name.” [Christian] Just before that in verse verse 13 he said “we are partners with Christ.”
Today we thank God that we have been set apart to follow Jesus.
God Bless and “ Keep Spurring.”
Louis
