The Saints
As the House of Lords fiercely debated whether or not it was appropriate to investigate British slavery in the Caribbean, the slaveholding Lord Holland argued in favor. He assured his fellow politicians that the West Indian slaveholders "could not outdo the saints in...their propensity to lie." So the inquiry went ahead, stacked by slave-owners, who hoped to officially declare that slavery was humane. By calling William Wilberforce and his abolitionist friends "the saints", the powerful politicians of their day sought to characterize them as religious fanatics who wanted to destroy their own country's economy.
Ephesians 4:1-16
So I, as a prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live up to the calling to which you were called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to preserve the unity the Spirit gives, bound together in peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that your calling brings; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given, in proportion to the gift Christ gives. This is why it says: "When he ascended to the heights, he led captive a host of captives; he gave gifts to humankind." Now what does "he ascended" mean, except that he had also descended to the lower regions of the earth? The one who came down is the very same one who went up, far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things. And he is the one who gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, to equip God's saints for the work of ministry, so that the body of Christ is built up, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God's Son, and become mature, attaining the full stature of Christ's fullness. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed by the waves and swept along by every wind of teaching, by human sleight of hand, by cunning bent on deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow up in every way into him who is the head, Christ himself. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every ligament that supplies it, brings about its own growth as each part does its work in proper measure, building itself up in love.
"What are you, a Boy Scout?" "Goody two shoes." "You think you're better than us?" When people want to undermine God, they denigrate the idea that anyone could be a "saint." Even for Christians, it's a hard label to own. But it's what Paul calls us. He wrote as a prisoner, under house arrest, with a rotating cast of soldiers watching how he lived. They could see if he lived up to the name. He was writing to a new church, eight hundred miles away, that was trying to figure out how Jews and Gentiles could live together as God's family. As they grappled with their differences, he gave them a new identity to bring them together. What do saints look like? In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis explained that if you met a truly humble man, "Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him." People who are characterized by humility, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, and steadfast friendship don't tend to draw a lot of attention to themselves. They don't stand out because saints are following the model set by Jesus. Paul explains that Christ is "far above" not only us, but even all the heavens. He's God. He reigns over all creation, holding it all together. Yet Jesus descended into death on the cross. So when God's people "live up" to their calling they also "go down" to serve others. Paul gives us seven reasons for unity: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. He's naming the Father, Son, and Spirit, working together as one God, as the orchestrator of our identity, hope, and salvation. The default way of thinking about people is "us" and "them." But Paul says that God has already made us a "we." Because God has made us one, any effort to divide us becomes absurd. But what about leaders? Paul acknowledges that God has given his people many gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. But Christ gives these gifts out after he showed us what to do with them: serve. If we read this passage to understand who's in charge, what power they have, and how we can promote ourselves, we're reading it upside down. The people God has given to the church exist to strengthen everyone else for the work of ministry. God knits us together in unity as we speak the truth in love to one another. If that's the culture of our community, we're better protected from lies spoken to take advantage of us. We're looking out for one another, building each other up, and becoming increasingly capable to handle life as Christ would. We may not be bankers, bestselling writers, lawyers, or MPs like the Clapham Sect that drove the abolitionist movement in the British Parliament. But wherever God has placed us, we are called to the same high honor as saints. It's humble work, leading us to go low like Christ did, as we build our friends up to be like him.
Christ's gift to the church is people. What does that tell you about God?
Who is one person in your church or group whose ordinary, unnoticed work has helped you mature as a Christian? What did they do?
Where do you tend to let others carry the load of building up the Body of Christ?
What's the one thing only you can do to serve someone in your church? Pick the person, pick the action, and ask God to be the one who gives you the strength to follow through.