ARTICLE 13. SANCTIFICATION. WHO? HOW? WHY?
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND SANCTIFICATION WE NEED TO RECAP OTHER DOCTRINAL TRUTHS WE HAVE ALREADY COVERED IN OUR SERIES: LAST WEEK WE UNPACKED ADOPTION, WHEREBY GOD ADOPTS US, THROUGH ADOPTION WE HAVE A NEW POSITION WITH GOD. THEN WE OPENED UP THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION , WHEREBY GOD DECLARES US NOT ONLY AS NOT GUILTY BUT AS AS RIGHTEOUS IN HIS SIGHT THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH IS DONE FOR US BY GOD.
BY SANCTIFICATION GOD MAKES US INCREASINGLY HOLY, UNLIKE JUSTIFICATION , WHICH IS SOMETHING GOD HAS DONE FOR US OUTSIDE OF OURSELVES (JUDICIAL ACT), SANCTIFICATION IS AN ONGOING WORK WHICH IS DONE IN US AND THROUGH US TO BRING US TO THE POINT OF BEING LIKE CHRIST. IT IS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THIS LIFE (HEB10:14) AND ONLY AFTER DEATH PERFECTED (HEB 12:23).
1. WHO? SANCTIFICATION IS A SUPERNATURAL WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD.
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT SANCTIFICATION OF A SINNER IS NOT A SELF IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHERE WE DECIDE TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES – TO BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS - BECAUSE THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. TO BE LIKE HIM (JESUS) IS SIMPLY NOT IN OUR OWN POWERS OF HEART, MIND OR WILL WE OURSELVES ARE UNABLE TO MAKE OURSELVES RIGHT BEFORE GOD. WE WILL NEVER ACHIEVE OUR AIM OF BEING LIKE CHRIST BY OURSELVES. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHY SANCTIFICATION IS A SUPERNATURAL WORK OF THE TRIUNE GODHEAD.
• IN THE VATICAN ART COLLECTION SITS MICHELANGELO’S PIETA, A MARBLE STATUE OF MARY IN ANGUISH AS SHE HOLDS HER CRUCIFIED SON. IT’S REGARDED AS A MASTERPIECE. A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO A VISITOR TO THE GALLERY TOOK A SLEDGEHAMMER AND STARTED SMASHING THE STATUE. BY THE TIME THE GUARDS GOT TO HIM THE DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE. BUT IT WASN’T IRREPARABLE. THE VATICAN’S ARTISTS WERE ABLE TO RESTORE THE PIETA TO NEAR-PERFECT CONDITION.
• ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE A CHRISTIAN HAS BECOME GOD’S WORKMANSHIP, GOD’S WORK OF ART, CREATED TO REFLECT HIS CHARACTER ON EARTH. SADLY, SIN HAS TAKEN A SLEDGEHAMMER TO US. BUT GOD HAS SET ABOUT TO RECONSTRUCT US TO WHAT WE ONCE WERE BEFORE THE FALL, AS WE ABIDE IN CHRIST AND BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WE ARE UNDER RE -CONSTRUCTION GOD IS IN THE PROCESS OF RESTORING US INTO THE IMAGE OF JESUS AND ONE DAY IT WILL BE COMPLETED.
A. SANCTIFICATION INVOLVES THE FATHER (1PET 1:2. HEB 2:11): SANCTIFIED MEANS TO BE SET APART TO BE HOLY . OUR GOD IS JUST THAT HE IS HOLY, HE IS SET APART - GODS HOLINESS IS NOT MERELY AN ATTRIBUTE IT IS THE VERY CORE OF HIS BEING - HOLINESS RUNS THROUGH ALL HIS ATTRIBUTES (LOVE –JUSTICE- COMPASSION – MERCY AND SO ON ). WHEN WE LOOK UPON HIM ABOVE ALL WE SEE THAT GOD IS HOLY (MAJESTIC) WHEN WE LOOK UPON HIM - WE SEE OUR UNHOLY STATE BEFORE HIM (ISA 6:3- 5).
THIS HOLY TRIUNE GOD WHO CALLS YOU AND I TO BE HOLY (1PET 1:16) PERFECT HOLINESS IS HIS COMMAND (1THES 4:7) AND PURPOSE. YET THE REALITY IS WE ARE UNHOLY SO GOD STEPS INTO OUR LIVES TO MAKE THIS CALL TO BE HOLY A REALITY. HE USES THIS PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION TO BRING US TO THE GOAL OF HOLINESS.
WITHOUT GOD, OUR SANCTIFICATION WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE – GOD IS THE SOURCE OF THIS SUPERNATURAL WORK (1 THES 5:23 HEB 13:20,21). WHO IS NOW KNOWN AS THE GOD OF PEACE. BECAUSE HE HAS BROUGHT THAT PEACE THROUGH CHRIST ON THE CROSS (COL 1:20).
A. SANCTIFICATION INVOLVES THE SON : (1COR 1:2,30) 1. THROUGH ATONEMENT. (HEB 10:14, 29). 2. AS WE ABIDE IN CHRIST AND HE ABIDES IN US WE ARE ENABLED TO BEAR FRUIT. (JHN 15:4). 3. ALSO IN CHRIST WE HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH HIM AND IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE , BUT CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME - AGAIN OUR GOALS HAVE BEEN RE ORIENTATED TO BE CHRIST LIKE (GAL 2:20) . 4. CHRIST IS BEING AND WILL BE FORMED IN US (GAL 4:19). ALL OF WHICH SPEAKS OF CHRIST’S WORK WITHIN AND NOT A NATURAL PROCESS OF MERE HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT BUT A WORK OF CHRIST.
B. SANCTIFICATION INVOLVES THE HOLY SPIRIT: (2 THES 2:13). INDWELLING AND EMPOWERING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EQUIP THE BELIEVER WITH EVER INCREASING CHRISTIAN VIRTUES. EMPOWERING AND STRENGTHENING THE BELIEVER TO LIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD (EPH 3:16) TO PERSEVERE TO ENDURE AND BE PATIENT WITH HIS POWER (COL 1:11) . ALSO ENABLING THE CHRISTIAN TO DEMONSTRATE THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT ( GAL 5:22) .
• LOUIS BERKHOF WRITES , “SANCTIFICATION MAY BE DEFINED AS THAT GRACIOUS OPERATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT , BY WHICH HE DELIVERS THE JUSTIFIED SINNER FROM THE POLLUTION OF SIN , RENEWS HIS WHOLE NATURE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, AND ENABLE HIM TO PERFORM GOOD WORKS.” P532 SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY.
• SO WHO SANCTIFIES ? IT IS THE WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD HEAD FATHER SON AND HOLY SPIRIT, WITHOUT WHOM WE WOULD NEVER BE FIT TO LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
• “ANY JUSTIFICATION THAT DOES NOT LEAD TO SANCTIFICATION IS A SHAM.” - ROBERT MOUNCE
2. HOW? SANCTIFICATION DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTION. (ROM 6:4-6 / GAL 5:24/ 2THES 2:13 )
THE CITY CENTRE OF LEICESTER OVER RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN UNDERGOING A TRANSFORMATION. THERE HAVE BEEN WHOLE AREAS EAR MARKED FOR REGENERATION. BUT THIS REGENERATION DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, IT TAKES TIME.... A PROCESS WHICH SEES A PROCESS OF DEMOLITION AND THE NEW AREAS AND NEW BUILDING BEING CONSTRUCTED. WITH PLACES LIKE THE ‘CURVE’ (THEATRE) IN THE NEW CULTURAL QUARTER, THE NEW SHOPPING AREA AND SHOWCASE CINEMAS.
THE OLD IS SLOWLY BEING DEMOLISHED AND THE NEW CONSTRUCTED . THESE EVENTS DO NOT HAPPEN EITHER IN ISOLATION BUT ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY TAKING PLACE ALL OVER THE CITY, IN SOME PARTS DEMOLITION OTHER PARTS CONSTRUCTION. YET BOTH GO ON SIMULTANEOUSLY.
AND SO IT IS WITH THE PROCESS OF OUR OWN SANCTIFICATION, OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN EAR MARKED FOR REGENERATION - THAT MEANS THE OLD HAS TO BE DEMOLISHED AND THE NEW CONSTRUCTED BOTH ARE AT WORK SIMULTANEOUSLY IN OUR LIVES. THESE ARE TWO IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR SANCTIFICATION
A. NEGATIVE ASPECT - MORTIFICATION: IS THE ONGOING DEMOLITION OF THE OLD LIFE OF SIN. IT IS THE PROCESS WHEREBY THE POLLUTION OF SIN IN OUR LIVES IS GRADUALLY REMOVED. (ROM 6:4 -6) OUR OLD SELF IS CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST (ROM 6:6) – OUR BODY OF SIN IS NOW DEAD.
IN THE SPIRIT WE NOW CRUCIFY THE FLESH ( OUR FALLEN NATURE CORRUPT) ( GAL 5:24) WITH ITS PASSIONS AND DESIRES. THIS MEANS THAT THE NEW LIFE OF THE SPIRIT HAS PREDOMINANCE OVER SIN - SO WHEN IT IS REVEALLED IT IS CRUCIFIED IN OUR LIVES. WE DAILY HAVE THE UPPER HAND, TO DEAL WITH SIN BUT ITS AN ONGOING PROCESS.
B. POSITIVE ASPECT - THE CONSTRUCTION (TRANSFORMATION) OF THE NEW MAN CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS WHEREBY WE ARE MADE HOLY. AS THE OLD STRUCTURES ARE GRADUALLY BEING DEMOLISHED NEW HOLY STRUCTURES ARE BEING BUILT IN OUR LIVES. WE GAIN NEW HOLY DESIRES - A NEW WAY OF LIFE IS ENJOYED NEW SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES EXERCISED - SO AS THE OLD STRUCTURE OF SIN IS BEING TORN DOWN SIMULTANEOUSLY A NEW STRUCTURE OF HOLINESS IS BEING BUILT AT THE SAME TIME .... ROM 6: 4,5 UNITED WITH HIM IN HIS RESURRECTION AND V11 ALIVE TO GOD LIFE WHICH LEADS UNTO GOD.
CONSIDER AN ICEBERG, ALMOST 90% OF ITS MASS IS ACTUALLY UNDER WATER. AS THE SUN SHINES ON THE ICEBERG, THE EXPOSED PART MELTS, MOVING THE LOWER PART UPWARD. IN THE SAME WAY, WE ARE USUALLY AWARE OF ONLY A SMALL PART OF OUR SINFULNESS AND NEED, WHICH IS ALL WE CAN DEAL WITH AT ANY ONE TIME. HOWEVER, AS THE LIGHT OF GOD’S WORK IN OUR LIVES CHANGES US IN THE AREAS WE KNOW ABOUT, WE BECOME AWARE OF NEW AREAS NEEDING THE WORK OF GOD.
C. SANCTIFICATION HOW? CONTINUED.... JHN 17:17 -19 THROUGH THE WORD.
• THERE IS AN OLD JEWISH STORY ABOUT A MAN ONCE WENT TO SEE AN OT PROPHET AND SAID, "PROPHET, WHY DO YOU BOTHER? YOU HAVE BEEN PROPHESYING FOR OVER FIFTEEN YEARS, AND STILL THINGS ARE THE SAME. WHY DO YOU KEEP GOING?"THE PROPHET REPLIED, "DON’T YOU KNOW? I’M NOT PROPHESYING TO CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT TO PREVENT THE WORLD FROM CHANGING ME"
THE OT PROPHETS WERE PEOPLE WHO PROCLAIMED THE WORD OF GOD TO A NATION MORE OFTEN AND NOT THE PEOPLE NEVER LISTENED AND AS A RESULT THE NATION WENT INTO A DEEPER DEPRAVITY AWAY FROM GOD WHERE AS THE PROPHETS STAYED CLOSE TO GOD … BECAUSE THEY LIVED ACCORDING TO GODS WORD.
WHEN WE ARE LIVING BY GODS WORD IT WILL ENABLE US TO GROW CLOSER TO GOD (FOR HIS WILL IS REVEALED) GIVING US STRENGTH TO WITHSTAND THE PRESSURES THAT THE WORLD THROWS UPON US TO COMPROMISE OUR FAITH (SIN) AND EVEN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
• (ANOTHER BOOK - COOK BOOK, SPEAK ABOUT AND HOLD UP WHAT EFFECTS MIGHT THAT HAVE? ) IT MIGHT MAKE YOU A BETTER COOK BUT THIS BOOK (the Bible) WHEN OBEYED WHOLEHEARTEDLY IT WILL SET YOU FREE FROM SIN AND LEAD YOU TO RIGHT LIVING
JHN 17:17 JESUS PRAYS THAT THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD WILL SANCTIFY BELIEVERS - THIS IS ANOTHER AVENUE FOR HOLINESS BECAUSE NOT ONLY DOES SANCTIFICATION TAKES PLACE AS WE WALK IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT BUT AS WE DEVOTE OURSELVES TO LIVING OUT IN OBEDIENCE THE SCRIPTURES.
TURN WITH ME TO ROM 6:17 WHOLEHEARTEDLY ( GIVEN YOURSELF FULLY WITH ALL YOUR HEART) OBEYED THE FORM OF TEACHING TO WHICH YOU WERE ENTRUSTED. THESE BELIEVERS WERE OBEDIENT TO THE GOSPEL MESSAGE THAT THE APOSTLES HAD PROCLAIMED. IT WAS ALL PART AND PARCEL OF THEIR ONGOING SANCTIFICATION OF DEALING WITH ERROR AND SIN.
WE TO NEED TO OFFER OURSELVES: HOW MUCH DO YOU GIVE YOURSELVES TO THE TEACHING OF THIS BOOK - HAVE YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY EMBRACED IT? DO YOU OBEY ITS TEACHING OR DO YOU COMPROMISE IT? DO YOU BELIEVE PARTS OF IT AND OTHER PARTS REJECT? DO YOU DO WHAT IT SAYS? JAM 1:22 -25 DO NOT MERELY LISTEN TO THE WORD, AND SO DECEIVE YOURSELVES. WHEN WE ARE OBEDIENT TO THE WORD OF GOD IT WILL HAVE A SANCTIFYING WORK IN OUR LIVES.
• A NINETEENTH CENTURY INDUSTRIAL BARON ONCE SAID TO MARK TWAIN. "BEFORE I DIE I MEAN TO MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND," "I WILL CLIMB TO THE TOP OF MOUNT SINAI AND READ THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ALOUD.""WHY DON’T YOU STAY HOME AND KEEP THEM?" REPLIED TWAIN.
WE NEED TO REMEMBER WHO WE ARE? CHRISTIANS ARE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ... WHY IS THERE A NEED TO WHOLE HEARTEDLY OBEY IT ..... BECAUSE A DYNAMIC WORK GOES ON WHEN WE APPLY THIS WORD TO OUR LIVES: THE WORDS OF JESUS WILL HELP US JOHN 17:17 SANCTIFY THEM BY THE TRUTH: YOUR WORD IS TRUTH. JESUS IS SAYING HERE THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD A BELIEVER BECOMES SANCTIFIED (SET APART FOR SACRED USE) THROUGH OBEYING AND BELIEVING THE WORD OF GOD IT HAS A PURIFYING EFFECT ON OUR LIVES AS IT POINTS OUT SIN – MOTIVATES US TO REPENT – TO RENEW OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD – DIRECT US TO INCREASING HOLINESS - AND GUIDES US BACK TO THE RIGHT PATH.
HOW DOES IT DO THIS? HEB 12:4 FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE. SHARPER THAN A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD , IT PENETRATES EVEN DIVIDING SOUL AND SPIRIT, JOINTS AND MARROW, IT JUDGES THE THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES OF THE HEART .
THE BIBLE IS NOT SIMPLY A COLLECTION OF WORDS FROM GOD OR SOME WORDS FROM GOD - BUT IT’S ACTUALLY LIVING – LIFE CHANGING AS IT WORKS IN US... LIKE A SURGEONS KNIFE IT CUTS INCISIVE IT OUR HEARTS AND LIVES - IT PENETRATES THE CORE OF OUR MORAL AND SPIRITUAL LIFE, IT DEMANDS DECISIONS AND RESPONSES IT DESIRES TO SHAPE OUR LIVES IT BRINGS SANCTIFICATION TO OUR LIVES AS THE SPIRIT OF GOD APPLIES IT TO US.
D. DIVINE PROVIDENCE - HEB 12:10 - POWERFUL MEANS OF OUR SANCTIFICATION THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES ALL HAVE A DIVINE PURPOSE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY . HE BRINGS US TO GREATER HOLINESS – WE LEARN LIFE LESSONS AS WE DEPEND UPON HIM. WHERE WE ECHO THE WORDS ROM 8: NO IN AL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS.
3. WHY ARE WE SANCTIFIED? REV 14:5 21:27 HEB 12: 22-23. PHIL 3:20 – 21
WE ARE SANCTIFIED BECAUSE THE TRIUNE GOD CALLS US TO HOLINESS 1THES 4.7-8 AND WITHOUT HOLINESS NO-ONE WILL SEE THE LORD HEB 12:14. IT’S UPON DEATH COMPLETE SANCTIFICATION TAKES PLACE (INITIALLY SOUL) THOSE WHO ARE IN HEAVEN ARE CALLED SPIRIT S OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT HEB 12:22-23 WITHOUT BLEMISH .
SO WITHOUT THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION WE WOULD NEVER BE FIT FOR HIS HOLY PRESENCE – NO UNREGENERATE SINNER WILL BE IN HEAVEN. REV.21:27NOTHING IMPURE WILL EVER ENTER IT, NOR WILL ANYONE WHO DOES WHAT IS SHAMEFUL OR DECEITFUL, BUT ONLY THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE.
• HAVE YOU EVER SERVED AN APPRENTICESHIP - WHERE OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS YET GET TO LEARN A TRADE DURING WHICH TIME YOU HAVE BEEN SET APART AS IT WERE TO BECOME QUALIFIED IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD DURING WHICH TIME YOU WILL GET THINGS RIGHT GET THINGS WRONG BUT ALL WERE SERVE TO MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE TO BE....... BUT ITS NOT UNTIL YOU SERVE YOUR TIME AND GET THE QUALIFICATIONS ARE YOU REALLY ABLE TO SERVE AS A QUALIFIED PRACTIONER IN YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE.
• THIS LIFE FOR THE CHRISTIAN IS OUR APPRENTICESHIP – A TIME OF LEARNING A TIME OF GROWTH AND HARD WORK - A TIME WHEN WE BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS - BUT ITS NOT UNTIL WE’VE SERVED OUR APPRENTICESHIP - NOT UNTIL WE DIE AND ENTER INTO GLORY OUR SANCTIFICATION IS COMPLETE AND WE BECOME PERFECTED. ABLE TO SERVE THE MOST HIGH AND HOLY GOD IN UTTER PERFECTION.
SO WE ARE BEING SANCTIFIED (SET APART FOR USE – MADE HOLY) FOR OUR MASTERS USE – SO THAT WE CAN ENTER INTO THE PRESENCE OF SERVICE OF GOD. HERE WE ARE MADE HOLY (AT LAST!) UPON OUR DEATH WE WILL MOVE FROM BEING SANCTIFIED TO BEING SANCTIFIED COMPLETELY. OUR SOULS/SPIRIT WILL BE WITH GOD
AND OPON THE FINAL RESURRECTION WHEN CHRIST COMES HE WILL RAISE OUR LOWLY BODIES AND CONFORM US TO THE BODY OF HIS GLORY . PHIL3:2121WHO, BY THE POWER THAT ENABLES HIM TO BRING EVERYTHING UNDER HIS CONTROL, WILL TRANSFORM OUR LOWLY BODIES SO THAT THEY WILL BE LIKE HIS GLORIOUS BODY.
SO THERE WE HAVE ARTICLE 13 SANCTIFICATION - A SUPERNATURAL WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BY WHOM AND THROUGH WHOM WE CAN DEMOLISH THE OLD WAYS AND BUILD GODLY NEW LIVES... AS WE WALK IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT - AS WE PUT TO DEATH THE OLD NATURE AND LIVE IN THE NEW OF THE RESURRECTION . BY ALLOWING AND APPLYING THE WORD OF GOD TO YOUR DAILY LIVING WE WILL EXPERIENCE INCREASING HOLINESS - EXPERIENCE THE SANCTIFYING WORK OF GODS WORD THROUGH THE SPIRIT. THROUGH IT ALL WE ARE BEING SANCTIFIED SET APART FOR OUR MASTERS USE ON THAT GREAT AND WONDERFUL DAY IT WILL BE COMPLETED WHERE WE WILL BE LOST IN WONDER - LOVE AND PRAISE IN HIS PRESENCE! FIT FOR THE MASTERS USE.....
AMEN
