To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi…
Summary: God’s people are special because they are family.
If you had to pick one person to act as the key spokesman for introducing Christianity to the Gentile world, it is hard to imagine someone better suited to the job than Paul.
Paul’s expertise as a Pharisee gives him extensive knowledge, not only of the history of Jewish traditions and laws, but the theology, or academic underpinnings, behind those laws. Paul understands the heart of Judaism.
When Paul eventually focuses his ministry on the Gentiles (Acts 18:6), he is perfectly positioned to explain faith in Jesus to people who have never heard of Jesus.
Take today’s passage, for example.
Paul addresses his letter to God’s “holy” people “in Christ Jesus.”
What does that mean? Why are they considered “holy?” What does it mean to be “in” Christ Jesus?
Let’s begin with Jesus. What does it mean to be “in” Christ Jesus?
The Bible records that Jesus was without sin (1 John 3:5, 1 Peter 2:22). In general terms, that means that Jesus loved God, the Father, above all else and loved his neighbors as himself (Matthew 22:37-40). When it came to loving God and caring for God’s people, he never faltered.
When he allowed himself to be sacrificed on the cross, his perfect love became the perfect sacrifice. His sacrifice purifies the believer who has confessed their sin (1 John 1:9). Once we are made pure, we can be joined to God as he originally intended (Genesis 2).
Paul was “in” Christ just as a branch is “in” a grapevine (John 15:4-5). A branch connected to the vine is “in” the vine because it is where the branch receives its life. Everything needed for life flows through the vine and is shared with the branch. Without the branch, the vine cannot bear fruit. The same thing is true for all believers.
The Greek word for “holy,” “hagios,” is also translated as “saints.” To be a “saint” is to be consecrated to God. God’s people are his family (Hebrews 2:11). To be consecrated is to be set apart. We are both in the world and, at the same time, apart from the world.
The people in Philippi, as are all believers today, are those people who are in Christ Jesus as the branch is in the vine. Because Jesus is sinless, we who are in Christ are called holy, part of God’s family, and set apart for God’s work.
Application: Accept the forgiveness God offers through Jesus and cling to the vine.
Food for Thought: How is being “holy” different than being “perfect?”
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