Colossians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, 2 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.”
In this context, those who are identified as “saints” are those whom the Lord has “sanctified”; that is, those whom the Lord has chosen, and set aside for His purposes, and He has equipped them to worshipfully serve Him, and He has rendered them perfectly fit for Eternal Life with Him. These “are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10) and “by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Sometimes the word “sanctified” is used in a practical sense; for example, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (II Timothy 2:21); that is, one who has willingly made whatever changes in their life that is necessary to fully worship and serve the Lord, to fully commit and dedicate themselves to Him. In this case, Paul uses the phrase “faithful brethren” instead of using “sanctification” in a practical sense. Jude, referring to our Eternal Relationship with God, wrote “to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called” (Jude 1:1). Paul goes on to explain that these “saints” are “faithful brethren in Christ”; that is, they are known to be fully committed to our Lord’s worship and service, when the Church meets they are there, when a need arises they are on scene to give whatever help and service they can, and they cling to the Doctrine of Christ and will not be swayed by false doctrines or practices. These are the Children of God who willingly “deny” themselves carnal pleasures and comforts “and take up” their “cross daily, and follow” the Lord (Luke 9:23). To “take up” our “cross daily” is to “daily” present ourselves for service to our Lord, enduring whatever obstacles or sufferings may be in our path. Knowing that the Children of God go about their worshipful duties, often bearing a severe “cross”, Paul prayed “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”!