Messiah Baptist Church of Baesa, Inc.

Wednesday Bible Study

www.messiahbc.com

May 14, 2025

BIBLE STUDY: “The Body of Christ, called out assembly” Part 3

MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST CALLED “SAINTS”

 What is the word on which church members are called in I Corinthians 14:33; II Corinthians 13:13? ___________

I Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

II Corinthians 13:13 “All the saints salute you.”

     Church members are not only called a called-out people (I Peter 2:9 “call you out of darkness into his marvellous light”) but they are also a set apart people (I Corinthians 1:2 “them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,”). 

     What is mean by word “saint”? The term “saints” refers to all those who have been set apart and consecrated for God’s services or for God’s use. In the New Testament, the concept of saints is not limited to a select group of individuals but encompasses all those who have been sanctified by their faith in Christ. This is an idea of the saints as a community of Christians. 

     Sanctified literally means to separate something from other things. The true church consisted of true believers, set apart (and rescued) from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the God’s kingdom of light in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:12-14; Acts 26:18). They were set apart “in Christ” the sphere in which this act of consecration takes place. But it does not stop there beloved. 

     We are called out for a purpose, both generally and specifically:

I Peter 2:9 “that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” 

     Notice "But ye are a chosen generation." God chooses and calls people to be his own. This theme is found throughout the Bible, from the Old Testament where God chose the nation of Israel, to the New Testament where Jesus chose and called his disciples. As chosen people they should forth the praise of God.

     The idea of a "royal priesthood" signifies that believers are not only called to serve God, but also to represent him as his royal ambassadors in the world. This royal priesthood points to the identity of believers, reflecting the biblical teaching that they are co-heirs with Christ and will reign with him in the future kingdom. This identity should shew forth the praise of God.

     This describes believers as "an holy nation." This phrase harkens back to the concept of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, who were called to be a holy and distinct people for God's own possession. Believers are called to live a life of holiness, separate from the ways of the world and dedicated to God's will to shew forth the praise of God.

     This verse calls believers to live out their calling as God's chosen people, serving as his royal priesthood, living a life of holiness, and cherishing their unique relationship with him.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” In other words, God has a specific works for each of the saints to accomplish during our temporary and short stay on in this world. 

     In this passage, Paul is addressing the Gentile believers and reminding them of their former sinful state and the great mercy and grace of God in saving them through faith in Jesus Christ.

     Paul reminding believers that they are God's workmanship. This emphasizes the idea that we are God's creation and that God has formed us for a purpose. 

     This emphasizes the idea that we are God's creation and that He has formed us for a purpose. The Greek word used for "workmanship" is "poiema," which can also be translated as "poetry" or "masterpiece." This suggests that God has carefully crafted and designed each of us with a specific purpose in mind.

     This also emphasizes that as believers, our salvation is not based on our own good works, but rather on the work of Christ. However, once we have been saved, we are called to live out the good works that God has prepared for us.

     It shows that God has a plan and purpose for each of us, and He has prepared good works for us to do.

     Back to our lesson. As we have said, the term “saints” refers to all those who have been set apart and consecrated for God’s services or for God’s use. Many churches are dying because the average person in their pews have no idea what it means to be “set apart” from the defilements of this world. The church in many areas is so worldly minded, it is difficult to see any real separation from the world. We dress as the world, we enjoy entertainment as the world, we preoccupied with the secular things as the world.

ILLUSTRATION: We will put on our Sunday worship clothes not for school, not to play in the yard, not to play football or baseball, not work on the farm. Those Sunday worship clothes were separated from the rest of your clothes. They were set apart for certain occasions. By doing that we set apart those Sunday clothes from all the other clothes. The same is true, when God saves a person, God sets him apart from all the other people. God has put you in a very special place and God has made you different than all the other people. In the Scripture, when we are separated from sin (from things that are immoral or ungodly) and we are set apart for fulfilling God’s will and His purposes, we would be described with this word “sanctified” or “saint.”

     The moment a person got saved, God sets that person apart and makes that person sit in a very special place. Find out where the believer made to sit? ______ (Ephesians 2:6)

Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

     This is written by the apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus. In this particular chapter, Paul is talking about the reconciling work of Jesus Christ, who has united both Jews and Gentiles into one body through His death and resurrection.

     The verse is a representation of the believer's spiritual union with Christ. By raising us up together with Christ and seating us in heavenly places. The concept of being seated in heavenly places also points to God’s given position to the believer's authority and victory over the powers of darkness. In the spiritual realm, believers are positioned with Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion (Ephesians 1:20-21). This indicates that believers have been given authority to overcome the spiritual forces of evil and to live a victorious Christian life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

     It says the church or saints has been put in a very special place in heaven, “in Christ Jesus”, and that is why God has made the believer different than all the unsaved people. 

     In summary: Saints are people who were sanctified in Christ Jesus (I Corinthians 1:2): God set them apart for God himself, and God put them in Christ and made them different. 

     If a person is truly a saint (sanctified) there should be difference: in the way of their living, used language, their acts in school and in work, dress they wear, treating their parents, kind of friends.

     What kind of people you enjoy, and agree, and always be with? ____________ 

Psalm 119:63 “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.”

     This verse is a powerful declaration of loyalty and devotion to God and a reflection of the importance of surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals.

     The psalmist's emphasizes the significance of surrounding oneself with godly companions. The psalmist prioritizes his relationships with those who share his faith and commitment to following God's ways. This aligns with the biblical principle that believers should seek the fellowship and accountability of like-minded individuals who will encourage and support them in their spiritual journey.

     Without difference between someone who professed as Christian and the unsaved, that is questionable whether that person who claim as Christian is not a real saint, or not genuine member of the body of Christ, the church. 

     Genuine Christian or real saint should be different from Claiming Christian but not saved or sanctified.

Leviticus 20:24-26 “But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people. ²⁵ Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. ²⁶ And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.”

     The important theme in this verse is separation. God declares, "I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people." This separation was not of superiority or exclusivity, but rather as a call to holiness and devotion to God. The Israelites were chosen by God to be a distinct and set-apart people, dedicated to fulfilling His purposes and living according to God’s commandments. The promise of inheritance was a part of this larger covenantal relationship between God and His chosen people.

     The idea of separation carries a symbolic meaning of consecration and sanctification. The Israelites were called to be a holy nation, set apart for God's purposes. This theme of separation recurs throughout the Bible, emphasizing the importance of living in the world but not being of the world, and maintaining a distinct identity as God's chosen people.

Deuteronomy 7:6 “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”

     The phrase "holy people" underscores the sanctity and separateness of the Israelites, as they are called to be set apart from the surrounding nations. This concept is deeply rooted in the Israelite's identity and is a fundamental aspect of their relationship with God. The idea of being "set apart" implies a distinct standard of behavior and adherence to God's moral and ethical laws.

     The Israelites are portrayed as a "special people" unto God, signifying their unique role in God's divine plan for redemption and salvation. There is a sense of privilege and responsibility, as the Israelites are called to reflect God's character and to be a light to the nations. Being chosen "above all people" speaks of the exceptional nature of the Israelite's relationship with God and their privileged status as His chosen people.

Ezekiel 22:26 “Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”

     At the time of Ezekiel, the nation of Israel was in a state of moral and spiritual decline. The people had turned away from God and were engaging in idolatry, corruption, and injustice.

     God is expressing his dismay and disappointment with the priests of Israel for their failure to uphold his law and maintain the sanctity of the holy things. The priests were charged with the responsibility of leading the people in worship and ensuring that proper reverence and respect were given to God and his commandments. However, it is clear from this passage that the priests have fallen short in their duties and have instead defiled the sacred. 

     In this verse we see the concept of holiness and the distinction between the sacred and the profane.

Ezekiel 44:23 “And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.”

     This speaks regarding the regulation of the Levitical priesthood. Here we see that God is giving specific instructions to the sons of Zadok, who were of the priestly lineage of Levi, on how they are to serve in the temple and minister unto God. The verse underscores the importance of the role of the priests in teaching and guiding the people in matters of holiness and purity.

     The priests are called to teach the people the difference between what is holy and what is profane, what is unclean and what is clean. This responsibility of the priests reflects the larger theme of the Israelites' relationship with God and the need for purity and sanctity in their worship and daily lives. The distinction between the holy and the profane is essential to maintaining the covenant relationship between God and His people.

     Be different. Live like a saint. 

Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

 Daniel live with a purpose to be different. 

     This is in the context of the Babylonian exile, a time when the Israelites were taken captive and forcibly resettled in Babylon. Daniel and his friends were among the young men chosen to serve in the king's court, and as part of their training, they were expected to eat the king's food and drink his wine. However, Daniel resolved not to defile himself with these things, as they likely did not adhere to the dietary laws prescribed in the Mosaic law for the Israelites.

     Christian should make a different on some ways of their lives: Christian should be different in using their language and free time, different in their attitude towards those in authority and those who hate, mistreat them, different on TV show they watch or not, different on music they listen, different as they praying before eating and different in spending daily bible reading. 

     Did you notice that you are only praying before eating and before going to bed?

     Did you see some changes and difference in your life when Christ becomes your Savior? _______ (II Corinthians 5:17)

     There is a profound change that takes place in a person's life when they become a follower of Christ. The verse speaks to the idea of spiritual rebirth and the renewal of one's identity and purpose through faith in Jesus.

     When a person becomes a Christian, they are fundamentally changed at the core of their being. The old self, with its sinful nature and selfish desires, is replaced by a new self that is aligned with Christ and His teachings. This newness encompasses every aspect of a person's life – their thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and relationships. It is a radical and comprehensive change that redefines who they are and how they live.

     Is it possible for a saved person or called saints to live like an unbeliever? _______ (I Corinthians 3:1-4)

I Corinthians 3:1-4 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ² I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

³ For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

⁴ For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?”

     We see the comparison between spiritual and carnal (or worldly) maturity. Paul uses the image of infants to illustrate the Corinthians' lack of spiritual growth, highlighting their need for foundational teaching and their inability to handle deeper spiritual truths. The contrast between spiritual and carnal mindsets serves as a reminder of the dangers of being influenced by worldly wisdom and desires, as opposed to being led by the Spirit of God. The Carnal Christian lived like the unbelieving world.

     Paul addresses the problem of factions within the church, with members aligning themselves with different leaders and causing discord. In this verse, Paul is addressing the root cause of these divisions, which is the spiritual immaturity of the Corinthians. The Carnal or immature Corinthians brethren lived like the unsaved. 

     Why the brethren live like unsaved? _________      What we should we do with these saints who live like unsaved people? __________

Go back to Sunday school index