Philippians 4:21 - Every Saint Matters

Philippians 4:21: "Saluteevery saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you." Thevery first word that catches my attention is the word "every." Pauldoes not simply say, "Greet the church," or "Greet theleaders." He says, "Salute every saint." That tells ussomething about the heart of this great apostle. Paul loved people. Throughoutthis letter we have seen his affection for the believers at Philippi. Inchapter 1 he called them his partners in the Gospel. He thanked God for themevery time he remembered them. He prayed for them with joy. In chapter 2 heencouraged them to be of one mind and to esteem others better than themselves.In chapter 4 he thanked them for their generous gift and their faithful supportof his ministry. Now, as he closes the letter, he wants every believer to knowthey are remembered.  Isn'tthat just like our Lord? Jesus never overlooked individuals. He stopped forblind Bartimaeus while others tried to silence him. He noticed Zacchaeussitting in a tree when everyone else saw only a tax collector. He spoke withthe woman at the well when others would have avoided her. He stopped to taketime for the lady that had an issue of blood who had touched the helm of Hisgarment from behind when a large crowd was pressing in on Him. His disciplessaw a crowd, but He saw one needy person. He welcomed little children when thedisciples thought they were unimportant. Our Savior never saw people asinterruptions. He saw them as souls. Paul had learned that same heart. Noticealso the word "saint." In our world, many people think a saintis someone who has lived an extraordinary life and is honored centuries afterdeath. But in the New Testament, every believer in Jesus Christ is called asaint. The word simply means "one who has been set apart for God." Itis not a title we earn. It is a position we receive when we trust Christ as ourSavior. That means if you know Jesus today, you are one of God's saints. Notbecause you are perfect. Not because you have never failed. But because youhave been made holy through the finished work of Jesus Christ. I have oftenreminded people that God does not see us merely as we were. He sees us inChrist. What a wonderful truth! ThenPaul writes, "The brethren which are with me greet you." Paulwas under house arrest in Rome. He was chained to a Roman soldier. He wasseparated by hundreds of miles from the believers in Philippi. Yet thefellowship of God's family could not be broken by prison walls or greatdistances. Other believers were serving beside Paul, and they wanted their loveconveyed to these Christians in Philippi. What a beautiful picture of thefamily of God. Most recently, our mission team experienced this againin Guatemala. Though we spoke different languages and came from differentcultures, we immediately recognized something we had in common. We belonged tothe same Savior. We were members of the same family. There is a bond amongGod's people that cannot be explained by nationality, language, or background.It is the fellowship we have in Jesus Christ. Do peopleknow that I care about them? Paul's concern for "every saint"challenges me. It reminds me to notice people who may otherwise be overlooked. Theelderly saint who faithfully attends church. The young believer who is justbeginning to grow. The widow who quietly serves. The missionary faithfullylaboring far from home. The pastor who faithfully preaches week after week. Everysaint matters because every saint matters to Christ. Perhapstoday the Lord is laying someone on your heart. Why not call them? Send them anote. Write them a text. Pray for them. Encourage them. You never know how mucha simple word of kindness may strengthen a fellow believer. After all, that isexactly what Paul is doing here. Even in the closing words of his letter, he isencouraging God's people.