Faithful Living In Difficult Times

FAITHFUL LIVING IN DIFFICULT TIMES

Intro: Second Peter may be titled "The Believer’s Conflict in the Last Days." or "How To Live When Surrounded By The Problems and Perplexities of the End Time."

Theme: Faithful Christian living in difficult times

demands sanctification.

I. A Definition

A. An act of Divine grace

B. Agents of this experience in grace

1. God’s Holy Word

2. The Spirit of God

3. The Blood of Jesus Christ

C. The basis on which God performs these

enablements of Grace is the blood of Christ’s

atonement.

D. In this act of sanctification, the body of sin

is crucified and all unrighteousness is purged

from the heart of the regenerated person.

E. Sanctification is a separating from the world

and sin

F. A crucifying of the body of sin, i.e., the

"old man" (Rom. 6:6), "sin that dwelleth in me"

(Rom. 7:17), "body of this death" (Rom. 7:24),

"the flesh" (Rom. 7:25), "the law of sin and

death" (Rom. 8:2), and "the carnal mind"

(Rom. 8:7)

G. To be sanctified is to be cleansed and set

apart.

II. Sanctifying Process

A. Practical

B. Positional

C. Progressive

D. Instantaneous

III. How We Are Sanctified

A. By His own act Christ was sanctified

(John 17:19)

B. As His sanctification was for our sakes,

our daily sanctification should be for

His sake (Heb. 2:11).

C. By God-1 Thess. 4:3; Heb. 10:11

E. By Christ-Titus 2:14; Heb. 10:10,14;13:12

F. By the Spirit-1 Cor. 6:11

G. By prayer-Job 14:4; Psalm 51:10

H. By Godly fellowship-Prov. 13:20

I. By our own wills-2 Cor. 6:17

J. By chastisement from God-Heb. 12:6-11;

1 Peter 1:7

K. By the Blessed Hope-Titus 2:12-13

IV. Signs (Evidences) of Sanctification

A. a separation from sin to God-James 4:4

B. a determination to trust God as our

Defense-Rom. 12:19

C. a constant effort to guard the heart-

Eph. 5:15-17

D. dressing properly according to 1 Peter 3:4

E. demonstrating holines in lip and life-

2 Tim. 2:19

F. a growing resemblance to Christ-1 Peter 1:16

G. a well-ordered life--1 Peter 1:15

H. a determination to follow Christ all the

way-Job 27:6

Concl: The sanctified individual is honorabe and

useful to God.

"If a man therefore purge himself from these,

he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified,

and meet for the master’s use,..."

(2 Timothy 2:21

Sanctification, a Bible based doctrine, is

to be believed, received, and acknowledged.

Some deny it, but they cannot destroy it.

2013 will probably bring stronger feelings of

uncertainty, nervousness, and utter

helplessness.

Sanctified ones have better

coping abilities available to them through

the Holy Spirit, God’s Holy Word, and Jesus’

efficacious and effective blood.

If God brings us to it; he will certaintly

bring us through it.