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Christmas Dishes

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Romans 1:5-7 It is through Him that we have received grace (God’s unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name’s sake among all the nations,6 And this includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited [as you are] to belong to Him.7 To [you then] all God’s beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life: Grace and spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jackie Hill Perry, from Outreach Magazine writes: There’s a sermon by Pastor Tony Evans in which he uses an illustration involving dishes to make sense of the term “holy” or “sanctified”. In his home, there are two types of dishes. There are the regular dishes. Those dishes that contain the average meal, on normal days, for your ordinary and unimpressive breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some of them are chipped, maybe even cracked. Then there is another type of dish. These dishes don’t even see the light of day until a tall green tree with multicolored lights flicker. Something significant has to be happening under the roof to make their use a necessity. When all is normal again, the multi-colored lights are unplugged, the wrapping paper collected, and the guests have finally gotten up from the table – these “Christmas” dishes, after being cleaned, aren’t placed in the cabinets with the normal, average, unimpressive dishes. No, absolutely not. They’re placed in an entirely different cabinet, that may be in an entirely different room, separated from everything unlike them because there is nothing in the house like them. They are set apart, unique, different, other, distinct, cut off from what’s considered common. To put it metaphorically, these dishes are “holy.”

Called to be saints? The word saint comes from a root word from which we obtain our word “sanctify”. To be sanctified is to be set apart, and holy. What does it mean to be holy? To be above average, uniquely different from all that is normal, average, and expected. We refer to God as being Holy, and obviously He is above average, and uniquely different from all that is normal, average and expected. But guess what? Because of Jesus’ Blood, and anyone who trust’s in what it accomplishes, God sees them as holy, sanctified, saints. In fact I can confidently say, Saint Robert is writing these words to Saint (whomever is reading this – that is trusting in Jesus’ Blood). It’s not our confidence, or trust in our performance that distinguishes us as such. No, absolutely not. It’s our ongoing confidence, and trust in what Jesus did on the cross that qualifies, verifies, and validates us. Notice I say, ongoing. It’s not simply a past tense event. It’s an ongoing process till you see Jesus face to face. You weren’t simply saved from your past. You are in the process of being saved. The same can be said of sanctification.

Sanctified, set apart to Who or what? Well obviously to the Godhead: the Father, the Son – Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (He is not an IT). But there is more: Romans 1:17 For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith. You, and I, like Christmas dishes, are set apart to grow in faith, through faith, leading to more faith. If you believe in Jesus’ Blood you believe in what that Blood is doing for you, and in you. When you believe that – trust that – you seek to be sanctified, and you grow in faith, through faith, leading to more faith. One compliments the other. Like His Christmas dishes you are set aside to display the Bread and Water of Life – Jesus. During the Christmas season the atmosphere shifts and changes. People change reflecting the reminder of the reason for the season. Now the question becomes, What do you believe about Jesus, His Blood, and His cross? The deeper that work goes the greater the faith grows. Is your faith growing? Are you growing – spiritually? Is your way of thinking aligning more and more with the Word of God? Is your life becoming centered progressively around Jesus? Progressively centered around His Word? Then you can look at yourself in the mirror and say, Hello saint of Jesus. Merry Christmas!

The Proof

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2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 We ought and indeed are obligated [as those in debt] to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is growing exceedingly and the love of every one of you each toward the others is increasing and abounds.4 And this is a cause of our mentioning you with pride among the churches (assemblies) of God for your steadfastness (your unflinching endurance and patience) and your firm faith in the midst of all the persecutions and crushing distresses and afflictions under which you are holding up. 5 This is positive proof of the just and right judgment of God to the end that you may be deemed deserving of His kingdom [a plain token of His fair verdict which designs that you should be made and counted worthy of the kingdom of God], for the sake of which you are also suffering.

Two things really stand out in this passage: growing faith and suffering. Growing faith will cause you to overflow with thanksgiving especially when you consider those who have suffered along with you. Growing faith will even cause you to overflow with thanks for those who have caused you to suffer. The Christian worldview in the West thinks it a strange thing to suffer for Jesus. Often the idea is dismissed when comparing themselves with other saints who live under oppressive regimes. Regimes and governments that are anti-Christ, and antagonistic to Jesus and all who follow Him. We fail to realize that Jesus and any, and all who chose to follow Jesus were under probably the most religious system the world has ever known. They believed in similar things. They participated in worship, prayer, fasting, tithing, Bible reading, and teaching. Yet, many were anti-Christ, and antagonistic to many of the things Jesus taught. He was considered extreme, and because of this He was rejected. Rest assured if they reject Him, they will reject Him in you – if you are growing in faith.

1 Corinthians 1:23 states: We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense.

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom;2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.

Paul only preached Jesus crucified? If you take the time to consider that thought: preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified – it should cause you to question, Is that all he preached? Chapter 2 makes a similar claim: For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. Think about it. All he taught, day in and day out, was the crucifixion of Jesus. But is that what Paul meant by that phrase? Absolutely not. Paul’s message was based on the crucified life Jesus lived. From the day Jesus was conceived, to the time He could understand the whispers and the gossip of the villagers surrounding His virgin birth – Jesus was living the crucified life. In fact you could easily surmise He was crucified, everyday, as He sought to do the will of the Father; to obey Him without compromise. Now imagine, in the midst of all these things, and much more, not only your faith growing and increasing, but your love. Paul commended the Thessalonians for both their faith growing, and their love increasing, and abounding. If these early followers of Jesus did it surely Jesus had done it before them.

Paul added that all of these things taken together was proof that you were worthy of entering the Kingdom of God. In an age of sloppy, and cheap grace, this statement is startling. Salvation is free, but I have been freed to grow in faith, thanksgiving, love, and suffering. Cheap Grace adherents would be incredulous over this statement. Rather than a statement of fact it would be turned into a question: I have been freed to grow in faith, thanksgiving, love, and suffering? Another way to think about this is by asking, Are you growing through suffering? Are you growing through sacrificial obedience, surrender, and love? Now that is preaching Christ crucified. That is knowing Christ crucified. Are you knowing Him?