¡§the Doctrine Of Sanctification¡¨ Series

Sermon Series ¡§The Gospel of God ¡V A Study of Romans¡¨

Week #4 ¡§The Doctrine of Sanctification¡¨

Sermon Text: Romans 6:1-8:39

Opening Text: 6:19

INTRODUCTION: We enter now our third week of our study of Romans

„X Week #1 we discussed Paul¡¦s letter to the Roman church is the preeminent doctrinal work of the New Testament

„X Week #2 we learned about the doctrine of sin and how sin is universal

„X Last week we studied the doctrine of ¡¥righteousness and justification¡¦

This week we are going to study the doctrine of sanctification

[In some of your texts, the word ¡¥holiness¡¦ may have been used in place of ¡¥sanctification¡¦ in verse 19]

To sanctify something means you have ¡¥set it apart for God¡¦s service¡¦

Examples include God sanctifying:

The Israelites

The Land of Canaan

The City of Jerusalem

The Temple

The Feasts

Etc.

And God sanctifies the believer by setting us apart for His service after having been justified through faith in Christ

Nelson Bible Dictionary describes sanctification as ¡§The process of God¡¦s grace by which a believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God¡¦s righteousness¡K sanctification results in holiness, or purification form the guilt and power of sin¡¨

The key word there is ¡¥process¡¦

Separation from our sinful ways is not something that happens overnight

Illustration: ¡§Children form abusive homes¡¨ We are like children who grow up in abusive homes. When they finally are adopted by loving parents it takes time to become acclimated to the love, attention, warmth and the rules of the new family

These children often steal food rather than just ask and receive because it was a habit held over from their old life

As Christians we have old habits that hold into our new lives in Christ

Sanctification is the process in which God the Holy Spirit purges us of our sinful ways and makes us like Christ

Simply put:

Justification is where we receive the forgiveness of sin and the righteousness of Christ by faith

Sanctification is the process that allows us to grow in our faith

In Romans, Paul really expounds on the doctrine of sanctification

[Though we are going to hit on the three main points this evening, I encourage you to study Romans chapters 6-8 concerning the process of sanctification]

I. The Path of Sanctification

a. Because of grace we have been set free from the penalty of sin

i. BUT this in no way gives us license to sin

ii. Romans 6:1-2 ¡§What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?¡¨

iii. Many people use their ¡¥justification¡¦ from the penalty of sin as a free pass to indulge in sin

b. We are to consider ourselves dead to sin

i. Romans 6:11 ¡§Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.¡¨

ii. Example: When we are tempted by a desire to sin, a good thing to remember is ¡¥I have no right to do this¡¦

iii. Say to ourselves, ¡¥I am dead to this sin¡¦ and ¡¥Christ did not die so that I would do this¡¦

1. Remember we have been bought with a price

2. Christ¡¦s blood was our payment

3. Romans 6:17-18 ¡§But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.¡¨

c. Sanctification begins with a decision of discipline

i. Romans 6:19 ¡§I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members [as] servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members [as] servants to righteousness unto sanctification.¡¨

ii. What is being said here is

1. Before salvation we willingly present our members to sin

2. Now we are to purposefully present our members to righteousness

iii. This is not a natural thing, as we will learn about in Ch 7

1. This requires that we decide to follow Christ with our actions not just our words

2. And the Holy Spirit, who is our helper, takes us through this process

II. The Problem of Sanctification

a. Sanctification is a battle

i. READ: Romans 7:14 ¡V 25

ii. Paul separates the flesh from the spirit in this analogy

iii. He says there is an ongoing battle between the two

iv. Jesus confirmed this point in Matthew 26:41 ¡§The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak¡¨

b. There are those who say that Paul is referring to his old self, before becoming a Christian, but a good look at the scripture tells otherwise