“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours…” (1 Corinthians 1:2)
Being a saint by definition means being separated from ‘the world’. This may alienate you from people around you who reject God. But it does not mean you are alone. On the contrary, there is a worldwide spiritual family consisting of “all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. If you trust in Him and devote your life to Him, you are part of this worldwide church.
Hebrews 11-12 mentions another type of ‘company’. These chapters list many people in the past who lived by faith, and urge us to follow their example to “run the race that is set before us” with endurance. These people were not perfect. The Bible is completely honest about their failures and their moments of doubt. But they nevertheless served the Lord faithfully and received the righteousness that comes by faith. It is so great to have these examples around us, both in the Bible and in the worldwide church of today. Hopefully, you even have such living examples in your local church or among your friends and family members.
Do you feel lonely in your struggle to live a holy life for God?