Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:1
Did you notice the two terms Paul used to address the Christians in the city of Ephesus? Two good terms that refer to the same people and present them in two different roles as Christians.
I recall a Lord’s Day morning when my family was visiting a place a long way from home, and we entered a Gospel Hall to obey Him in participating in the Lord’s Supper. Two friendly gentlemen welcomed us as we entered, and one of them, a tall grey-haired man with a gentle smile reached out to take the letter of commendation that I offered him, and asked us, ‘And where are you saints from?’ He was recognizing us just as God recognizes us, just as Paul recognized the Christians in Ephesus. Saints. The Greek word translated saint is ἅγιος (hagios), and it means holy or set apart, and refers to someone or something set apart for a holy purpose. This refers to our standing of holiness conferred on us when we were saved. The blood of Christ enables us to be viewed by God in the holiness of His Son.
The other term – the faithful in Christ Jesus – refers not so much to our standing before God, but to our spiritual condition before Him. ‘Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.’ – 1 Corinthians 4:2. We are in a world that either despises our Lord or ignores Him altogether, so as Christians we will stand out if we remain faithful to Him and His Word. As we consider how faithful our Lord has been and continues to be to us. It should be our desire and delight to faithfully display His lordship in our lives.
We are saints. How much more precious to us will that mean if we remain faithful to what being saints of God means!
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/ZJ1f6dkP0fc