Are We Christians or Saints?

Feb. 7, 2021

My cousin asked a question concerning Christianity yesterday. And I followed up with her after service with this and it cleared some of her confusion. When I explained “Systems” to her, she said,  the light bulb came on. Are we Christians or Saints in the Dispensation of Grace?

First let’s examine the rule of right division.

2 Timothy 2:15. 1. Who is speaking! 2. To whom are they speaking? 3. What are they speaking about?

Now let’s see how many times the word “Christian” is mentioned in the Bible.

Answer: Only 3 times.

Acts 11:26. Acts 26:28. & 1 Peter 4:16. (The location is a clear clue).

In none of these cases was Paul referring to members of the church, BOC. None! The BOC didn’t exist.

First we must realize that Acts is a book of transition. The program of the Kingdom was transitioning into the Dispensation of Grace, or the “revelation of the mystery of Christ.” And it (the revelation) was not complete to Paul yet.

CHRISTIANS:

 1. Acts 11:26 “And the “disciples” (of the earthly Jesus) were called Christians first at Antioch.” The CBOC was not formed yet.

2. Acts 26:28 Paul was defending his apostleship and King Agrippa was “almost” persuaded (by Paul) to become a Christian (which meant a disciple of the very earthly Messiah Jesus Christ, that he (Agrippa) rejected. And of course we know that Hebrews -Revelation is written to Israel (the remnant) to help them make it through the tribulation period.

3. 1 Peter 4:16 “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian,” is written to (scattered Jewish believers and Gentile believers) in the “Day of the avenging and purging wrath of the Lord.” (Ages to come) the Kingdom program will resume.

SAINTS:

Paul in his epistles written to the CBOC today, in the dispensation of Grace NEVER refers to the church as “Christians,” no not once (in his 13 epistles)!

When Paul received the revelation (new information) of the mystery of Christ, for the “one new man,” Paul refers to the members of the BOC as “saints”, throughout his epistles. Case in point: Romans 1:7 “To all that be at Rome, beloved of God, CALLED TO BE SAINTS:”

1 Corinthians 1:2 “Unto the church of God which is that Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, CALLED TO BE SAINTS.” 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, Philemon.

God called the “one new man,” the church BOC to be Saints. Which means “sanctified,” set apart from “the course of this world” Eph. 2.2. (Satan’s religious systems). Key word being “systems.” (course).

We have “come out from among them” systems of Satan’s world and are now separate 2 Cor. 6:17. Although we have to deal with the systems everyday, we spiritually are not a part of Satan’s world systems Eph. 5:11. No matter what label a person wears, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist, Pentecostal, Jehovah’s Witness, non-denominational, etc. they all are a part of the corrupt religious system. And I am well pleased to be what God called me to be, through Pauline authority and godly edification, and that is “a “saint of God,”  a member of the CBOC. We are “ambassadors for Christ,” and we have been “given the ministry of reconciliation.” We preach a separate and distinctive message of Pauline “My Gospel,” “The preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery.” (Rom. 16:25). Which we also “have received of the (glorified) Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24).

To God be the glory, Saints.

My cousin said she was clear on this point but realizes that she has a lot of bad doctrine to unload (as we all do) and replace with sound doctrine, rightly divided. And she said, she is excited to join the Women’s Study Group. To God Be The Glory!