Caerwent Evangelical Baptist Chapel
NEWSLETTER
June 2002
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Dear 'Saints', No! - not the football club. Although I understand that some of football clubs did have strong religious connections, at least when they were first established. No! - not the ones who inhabit the strange world of stained glass. They all seem to have been dead for some time -though much admired of course! No! - not even the people who have gained a certain public recognition for their charity work - many of them are motivated purely humanitarian principles and have no interest in any special spiritual status. No! - not even the unassuming supporters of the local community - they would hardly recognise themselves as such. My understanding is this - in the language of the New Testament the people described as "saints" ( Ephesians 1:1) were quite simply SAVED SINNERS! They all used to live a life dominated by sin in one way or another, but in becoming Christians they had started a new life in Christ. One of the main characteristics of the new life was the presence of the Holy Spirit of God living within their hearts. They were called to live pure and holy lives and they were given the power of The Holy Spirit to enable them to do this. To attempt to be holy without the Holy Spirit is simply an impossible task. The apostle Paul also described the very same people as "the faithful in Christ Jesus". They were all believers. They were sinners who had put their trust in Christ -and in Christ alone in order to be saved from the power of sin. We can therefore say four things about the New Testament "saints":
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