“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:1-2)
Titles matter. It’s a blessing to be a “mom” or a “dad.” It’s extra special to be a “grandma” or “grandpa.” Titles like “Coach” or “Doctor” or “Professor” or “Officer” command respect. Titles matter.
So as Paul began his letter to the Philippians in the Bible, he wanted those new Christians to know their title: “God’s holy people.” I bet they were tempted to say, “What? Really? Us? Holy? How?” Like you and me, they sure didn’t look holy. They didn’t feel like saints. They could remember plenty of sins in their past. Even plenty of sins today! But according to Paul, they were “God’s holy people.” Just like you.
How? Well, Paul uses two more titles at the beginning of his letter. Did you catch them? “Christ Jesus” and “God our Father.” Do you know what “Christ” means? That’s one of Jesus’ titles. It means “Messiah.” It’s the title for the coming Savior whom God had promised for thousands of years.
Jesus is the Christ. The Messiah. He fulfilled every one of God’s promises. He died to forgive every one of our sins. He rose to give us new life. How could God call us his holy people? Because Jesus is the Christ!
And that means that God is our “Father.” Think about that: The One who put the stars in their places is your Father. The One who made cells and atoms and veins in your body is your Father. The One who rules over the universe is your Father. You are the child of God. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Titles matter. Remember yours. You might not feel like much today. Maybe words like “useless” or “failure” come to mind. Other people might not be building you up today. Instead, they might be calling you “boring” or “ugly” or “foolish.” But none of those words is your real title. You are God’s holy people! You are a child of God! Because Jesus is the Christ, and God is your Father. No one can ever take that away from you. Dear holy person, dear child of God: Remember that titles matter!
Dear God our Father, thank you for sending Jesus to be the Christ—our Savior. No matter what titles the world gives me today, remind who I am in Jesus: Your holy person. Your dearly loved child. Amen.
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