to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
– Colossians 1:2
The first part of the salutation in this letter told us that Paul was writing according to the will of God, not his own will. The second half of the salutation identifies his audience. — The saints at Colosse Church.
A saint is not a person chosen by men because of some supposed miracle or prominent position. Some who are given the title saint by men may very well be saints of God, but their election by men did not make them saints of God. A saint is a person who is holy. A saint is a person who is set-apart for God’s use. A saint is a person who was elected by God before the foundation fo the world.
Paul is declaring that the members of Colosse church are already holy and set apart by God by election and effectual calling. This means any instruction that Paul will give in this letter is not how they are to become saints but how they should act in response to the fact that they are already saints.
In this letter, Paul will show them, and us, what wondrous things God has done for us in sovereign grace. He will show all the saints how God reconciled us to Himself and also made it possible for us to understand and live in that reconciliation now!
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