Having completed the task for which the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write the epistle, the Holy Spirit also inspired Paul with the ending salutation. There are three important points in these three verses: First, we will see that the word “saint” refers to every believer in Christ Jesus. Second, we see that if there could be committed believers serving in the household of Nero, then there is no excuse for not being committed Christians in whatever place or time we are living. And third, we are reminded that God’s grace through Christ Jesus is sufficient to ensure that we gain and maintain our victory.
Grace and Peace
We might think it is demeaning to refer to oneself as a slave or a servant, but in the first century, the slave of a high-ranking official often had more influence and authority than the average free Roman citizen. A servant sent in the name of his master came with conferred authority; therefore, to rebuff the servant was to rebuff the one who sent him. As the servants of Jesus Christ, we have been sent in His name, and there is power in the name of Jesus.
What Are You Fighting For?
Have you ever been in a church fight? Church fights are the ugliest because we rightfully expect more from believers than we do from the world. I remember reading about a church fight in the Atlanta area a few years ago where the deacons changed the locks on the church doors and the pastor couldn’t get in on Sunday morning. Of course, the secular media love it when church people fight. It gives them the opportunity to mock Christianity and claim all Christians are hypocrites.