Who Are the Saints?

Dr. Couch, are we saints today?

Answer: Yes, we positionally saints "in Christ." In almost all of Paul's letters he starts out addressing the believers as saints. Paul means that positionally we are "holy" because we are related to Him. In our walk and experience we are to live as saints. The Bible says "Be holy for I am holy." That means to be walking sanctified. While we will never become perfect, PERFECT, we are still to do what He asks.

The church is not the kingdom, though we will live with Christ in the kingdom when He returns to establish the Davidic rule on earth. The Bible almost 100% calls the kingdom the millennial reign, though sometimes it speaks of the universal kingdom rule of the Lord over His creation, but this is really just a few times in Scripture.

Christ is presently seated on His Father's throne in heaven (Psa. 110:1-2). But He says: "He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev. 3:21). It was told Mary, "[Jesus] will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever; and His kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1:32-33).

Thanks for asking. --Dr. Mal Couch (2/12)

The Anointing

Dr. Couch, what is the anointing in 2 Cor. 1:21 and 1 John 2:20, 27?

ANSWER: The Greek lexicon says that it is a smearing of unquent and an oinment. In 1 John 2:20, 27 the lexicon says "This is regarded as endued with the Holy Spirit rendering the individual holy." But there is more. 2 Cor. 1:21-22 reads: "God who establishes us with you in Chris and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave to us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge." "To establish" means "to make firm, to make steadfast and constant in the soul." Look at the results, with the anointing: "And to seal us and give us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge" (v. 22). This establishing, anointing, and sealing brings about this work of the Spirit in our hearts.

I wrote in my Holy Spirit book, "This refers to an imparting of knowledge of spiritual truth and knowledge that gives a framework for living the Christian life. The apostle John speaks of this anointing also in 1 John 2:20." Barrett adds: "God made us share the anointing of Christ Himself being the Anointed One (Xristos [Christ] --- Xrisas [Anointing]). We share His vocation and mission and as themselves anointed are assured of this not by the steadfastness of their own faith, or by the warmth of its emotional accompaniments, but by God Himself."

—Dr. Mal Couch (7/11)

Progressively Sanctified

Dr. Couch, how were the OT believers progressively sanctified? ANSWER:  To be sanctified means "to be holy." The Hebrew word is Ko'desh and all its variants have to do with being holy, to sanctify, or to be sanctified. The main Hebrew verses are in Leviticus 11:44; 19:2 which say "Be holy; for I am holy." In the context of 11:44 it has to do with staying clean from eating unclean animals. The verse before says "Do not render yourselves detestable" by eating unclean things. The reason is that it is God who brought the Jews "up from the land of Egypt, … thus you shall be holy for I am holy" (v. 45). Further, this is part of the Mosaic law. In other words, they were to keep the law in order to be clean or holy. Verse 46 says "This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, ..."    Verse 44 then is used by Peter to tell church saints that they are to be holy. Peter writes "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Pet. 1:14-16).    Peter applies the Leviticus 11 passage on being holy and not eating unclean things to the believer to remind them to be morally holy in all things. If I said that this was progressive holiness for the OT saints, I meant it in the sense that no one can become instantly holy in their spiritual walk. We progressively walk toward holiness, and so did the OT saints. And even with this, no one becomes holy all at once, in fact, no one becomes completely holy in the spiritual walk. We grow in holiness, and so did the OT saints, but no one becomes completely perfect or holy in this life.    There were OT saints, or holy ones. "As for the holy ones (Ko'deshim) that are in the earth ..." (Psa. 16:3). There are saints in the dispensation of the law, saints in the church dispensation, and there are tribulation saints, those who are saved during the tribulation (Rev. 13:7). While all of these are sanctified or seen as holy, they are not of the same dispensation.    All believers are saints Positionally, and all saints are growing and learning to Walk in holiness Progressively. Position and Walk are different. Our POSITION before God is established because we are in Christ; our walk is PROGRESSIVE because we are growing in time.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch  (1/11)

Moses' Shining Face

Dr. Couch, the first time Moses went up on the mountain and received the Law from God, the Bible does not mention his face shining from seeing the Lord. But the second time he went up, it says in Exodus 34:29-35 that his face shone from speaking with Him. What is the difference? ANSWER:  Moses broke the first set of Law tablets because of the sin of the people in the valley when he came down from the mountain. He went back up and was given a second set of tablets. Then it says "the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with the Lord" (Exod. 34:29). Aaron and the people "were afraid to come near him" (v. 30). Because of their fear Moses had to put a covering over his face to calm their hearts.    One good explanation comes from Unger who writes that the first giving of the Law was totally legal, while the second giving was "mixed with divine grace and glory." This seems to be demonstrated in Exodus 33:5-11, for it says that when Moses appeared before the people, as shown with the pillar of cloud descending, they all stood "and worshipped, each at the entrance of his tent" (v. 10). At least for awhile, they had learned their lesson about the holiness of their God. These chapters were "learning" chapters about who their Lord was. In their encounter with Moses and God, Aaron reminded the Lord that the people "are prone to evil" (32:22).    God's people must recognize the Lord's judgment and His grace. There is not the one without the other. As sinners, we are due judgment, but Christ went to the cross to provide grace. "Don't mess with the Lord, as Israel did!" Where would we be without His grace and mercy?    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Mar., 10)

Impeccability

Dr. Couch, what is the impeccability of Christ all about? ANSWER:  Christ did not sin nor could He do so. In prophecy, the Messiah is called the Holy One (Psa. 16:10). And in Isaiah 53:9, He had "done no violence, nor was their deceit in His mouth." He is also called "the Righteous One" (v. 11).    Peter reminded the Jews that they participated in Christ's death. He called the Lord "the Holy and Righteous One" (Acts 3:14). The apostle Paul said that God the Father "made Him to be sin, He who knew no sin" so that we could become through Him "the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). The writer of Hebrews adds that Christ had "been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15). And, He was "a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens" (7:26). Finally, Peter adds that there was no deceit in His mouth, quoting Isaiah 53:9, and "while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Pet. 2:22-23). Christ is called the Just One (Acts 7:52; 1 John 2:1) and the "King of Righteousness" (Heb. 7:2).    None of this can be said of any other religious prophet or Teacher. He is sinless because He is "the Word who was God" (John 1:1). The "was" is Past Tense, meaning that He always existed as God forever in the past. There has never been a time that He was not God!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Mar., 10)

Positional Truth, Experiential Truth, and Sanctification

Dr. Couch, you have convinced me about the two facets of the Christian life, concerning Positional Truth, and Experiential Truth. How does this work out with the doctrine of sanctification? ANSWER:  Believers Positionally are "sanctified" in Christ, and they are urged to "Be holy as He is holy" which would have to do with our Experience in time. The word "sanctify" is related to the Greek word "holy" (hagios). We are positionally "holy" in Christ. Paul writes "to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified (made holy) in Christ Jesus, saints (holy ones in position) by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours" (1 Cor. 1:2).    Concerning our daily Christian walk, our Experience in time, Peter says "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Pet. 1:15-16). And, "... what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness" (2 Pet. 3:11).    Both aspects are made clear in these verses: Our Position in Christ, and our Experience (or Walk) with Christ!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Oct., 09)