Saints…and Faithful in Christ Jesus – Ephesians 1:1
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:” (ESV)
What is the minimum of what it means to be a Christian? This is the pressing question Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones asks as this sermon begins. Three striking descriptions are proclaimed from this text: saints, faithful and union with Christ. Lloyd-Jones centers his sermon around these descriptors and shows what the Apostle Paul meant by these terms. While many Christians have a tendency to emphasize one of these descriptions over against the other, Lloyd-Jones calls us to hold these together. The failure to do so is damaging to the church as Christianity is reduced to either some form of “easy believism” or an academic exercise. Correct doctrine, holiness and participation in Christ must be at the center of our definition of Christian. If we have a burden for the lost, says Lloyd-Jones, then Christians must know who we are and what we are called to be. Having a robust understanding of what it means to be a Christian has a direct effect on our witness to the world. MLJ Trust