Holiness And Sanctification - Back To School Series

INTRODUCTION:

You know when you buy toys for your kids or grandkids often times on the package in fine print are these words: “Batteries not included.” Do you know what that means? It means that you get the toy, but the power to make it work is not included. That is not the kind of gift that God gives. God’s gift of salvation includes the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit – the power to make it work. What good would it be for our lives to be unchanged? Why even try to live for God if all you can do is fail? God has empowered us by His Spirit to live a new kind of life.

We have gone back to SCHOOL; together we are taking look at the basic or essential doctrines/teachings of the Bible. We started off looking at Salvation; then last week we looked at Conversation with God. Today we are going to dig deeper into our salvation as we look at Holiness and Sanctification.

Now think back with me for a moment; we said there were three things we needed to do with God’s gift of salvation. Does anyone remember what they are? GRAB IT; GO FOR IT, and GIVE IT! We need to grab hold of salvation and receive God’s gift personally. Second we need to go for it; that is we need to live the new life God has given to us. And finally we need to give it away or share God’s gift of salvation with others who still need rescued from sin and death. Today we’re going to take a closer look at the second step: GO FOR IT! Live the new life.

God wants us to live like we are saved, to live our lives differently. That’s where Holiness and Sanctification come in. Everyone who accepts God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is to live out their new life in Christ.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

When we grab hold of God’s gift of salvation, He makes us new! Nothing remains the same; the old way of life is gone and there is a new way of living. That new way of living is a HOLY LIFE, a SANCTIFIED LIFE.

Again no one who calls themselves a Christian, who has been saved, should continue to live a life of sin! Don’t just go through the motions! Live for Christ.

• Romans 6:6-7 (NIV)

[6] For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—[7] because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Let me put it simply; if you have no desire to live a new kind of life, if you don’t want to live like Jesus, then maybe you need to ask yourself if you are really saved! Salvation is not head knowledge or the affirmation of one’s heart. Salvation is head transformation, a heart transplant. WHEN YOU ARE SAVED YOU ARE NO LONGER THE SAME.

ILLUSTRATION: Chuck Colson says it well, "Holiness is the everyday business of every Christian. It evidences itself in the decisions we make and the things we do, hour by hour, day by day." [Loving God p. 131]

• 1 Peter 1:14-16 (NIV)

[14] As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. [15] But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; [16] for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Now I’m going to share a lot with you today about holiness, but if you only hear one thing then listen up right now. This is what I want you to take away with you from today’s message: AS GOD’S CHILDREN WE LIVE HOLY LIVES BECAUSE HE IS HOLY. As children of God we share the family resemblance of holiness; we no longer live according to our evil desires. As God’s children we live holy lives just like our Heavenly Father.

What is holiness and sanctification? This morning we are going to discover what it means to be sanctified as we look at the seven “C’s” of holiness: Consecration, Complete reality, Continual process, Choice, Control over sin, Connection and Condition of heaven.

1. HOLINESS IS CONSECRATION

Literally to be holy means to be set apart to God and sanctification is simply the process of being made holy. Sanctification is to be separated from the world and consecrated unto God; it is to declare and set apart something or someone as belonging to God. To be made holy is to be sanctified.