Every One in Christ a Saint

Philippians 4:21-23    
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household.  23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The letter to the church in Philippi closes with encouragement to greet all who are in Christ there, the saints.  This term means holy or set apart ones, which is what every regenerated believer in Christ is.  A saint is not one who is a superhero of Christ, not one elected or deemed worthy by any man or council, but one who has been called out of darkness and judgment into the light of forgiveness with justifying grace by God’s work alone in Christ on the cross.  This is the heart of God, the gospel which is the good news of God saving us where our effort to do good will ever fall infinitely short of man’s religiously skewed view of who and what a saint is.  When we greet the saints of Caesar’s house or others in church, it is because we are called by God and justified by Christ’s righteousness to be imputed His holiness.  This Lord Jesus Christ and His grace is with us all who are redeemed and reconciled in Christ, the saints of God.  Do not let man’s religion teach you contrary to God’s word in this.