福音的重要信息：成圣（一）
腓立比书一章1至11节
1基督耶稣的仆人保罗和提摩太写信给凡住腓立比、在基督耶稣里的众圣徒，和诸位监督，诸位执事。
2愿恩惠、平安从神我们的父并主耶稣基督归与你们！
3我每逢想念你们，就感谢我的神；
4每逢为你们众人祈求的时候，常是欢欢喜喜的祈求。
5因为从头一天直到如今，你们是同心合意的兴旺福音。
6我深信那在你们心里动了善工的，必成全这工，直到耶稣基督的日子。
7我为你们众人有这样的意念，原是应当的；因你们常在我心里，无论我是在捆锁之中，是辩明证实福音的时候，你们都与我一同得恩。
8我体会基督耶稣的心肠，切切的想念你们众人；这是神可以给我作见证的。
9我所祷告的，就是要你们的爱心在知识和各样见识上多而又多，
10使你们能分别是非（或作：喜爱那美好的事），作诚实无过的人，直到基督的日子；
11并靠着耶稣基督结满了仁义的果子，叫荣耀称赞归与神。
信息分享
新约里屡次称信徒是「圣徒」（1节）。我们很少这样称呼自己或其他基督徒，但是，在神的眼中，每个信徒都是圣徒。其实，「圣徒」一词的意思只是「分别为圣的人」──在圣经中特别指被分别出来，归神使用的人。它的英文字根意为「成圣」，是一个非常宝贵的圣经教义，也是福音的一个重要信息。
从这个字的原文字根，衍生出许多其他字词或观念，包括「圣所」、「圣洁」、「分别出来」等。这样类似意义但不同形式的词在旧约出现760次，在新约出现300次。换言之，神已经告诉我们不止1,000次：我们是被分别出来归给祂的，这是我们的身份。
我们的外貌也许没有甚么改变，衣着也和从前一样，然而，就像移民到另一个国家一样，我们已经完全不一样了。可悲可叹的是，许多基督徒的行为表现却与从前没有分别。我们若是圣徒，就该生活得像个圣徒。
成圣包含两方面。首先，我们是分别为圣归给神；这是我们的身份。其次，神的心意是要我们变得更像祂。关于这一点，我们明天要探讨渐进的过程。
「圣徒」就是整体被分别出来归给神、为祂所用，并要学像祂儿子样式的人你是一个基督徒吗？若是，那你就应该是一个「圣徒」。
GREAT WORDS OF THE GOSPEL: SANCTIFICATION (1)
Philippians 1:1-11
1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Message
In the New Testament, Christians are repeatedly called 'saints'. (v.1) We do not often use the word in that same way but every believer is a saint in God's sight. The word simply means 'one who has been set apart' - particularly in the Bible as being set apart unto God for His use. It is part of a longer word - 'sanctification', a very wonderful Biblical doctrine and one of the great words of the Gospel.
Many similar words come from this same root or concept, including sacred, sanctuary, holy, holiness, consecrate, separate and even different. In all its many forms it is mentioned 760 times in the Old Testament and 300 times in the New Testament. Over 1,000 times God speaks to us about our position as being set apart unto Him.
We may still look the same. We may even dress the same but like people who have been naturalized in a new country, we are now different. Sadly, tragically, many Christians do not act differently from what they once did. If we are saints, we should live like saints.
Sanctification has two aspects. First, we are set apart unto God. That is our position. Secondly, God's purpose is that we should be made like Him. That is the progressive aspect which we will look at tomorrow.
A saint - One who is wholly set apart unto God, for His use, to be made like His Son. Are you a Christian? If yes, then that definition applies to you.