THE BASICS OF REDEMPTION…
UNDERSTANDING SANCTIFICATION
This morning, we are continuing our sermon series on the theme of REDEMPTION
And by way of review, so that we will know where we are, we have already preached…
--Let the Old Goat Go
--What Is Redemption
--Understanding Sin
--Understanding Salvation
--Understanding the New Birth
And today, we're going to continue on with the next step in the process of redemption, by talking to you this morning about UNDERSTANDING SANCTIFICATION
And tonight, we're going to the next level and we're going to be taking about UNDERSTANDING THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
And why, you may ask, are we preaching this series?
--because many have gotten saved over the last few months in our church
--because many do not understand the basics of Christianity
--because if we want to have a revival, then we've got to get back to our first love
And in order for us to get a greater understanding of redeption, we're breaking this sermon series down into two parts
--the BASICS OF REDEMPTION
--the BLESSINGS OF REDEMPTION
Now, by way of review, redemption is the process by which God is bringing fallen humanity back into right relationship with him
And, we have discovered that when you get right down to it, redemption is…
--the theme of the whole Bible
--the whole purpose that God is working in our world
It's the reason we…
--come to church
--are blessed on our jobs
--are here
--we exist
Because God is in the business of bringing lost humanity into right relationship with himself!
And we've already talked about…
--understanding sin
--understanding salvation
And now, we're going to focus on the next step in the redemption process, which is SANCTIFICATION
Let's read….
• Revelation 5:9-10 (KJV) "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
• Hebrews 2:11 (KJV) "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,"
INTRODUCTION
In our message on "Understanding Sin", we have learned already about the problem of sin and how that God saves us from our sins
But the truth of the matter is this: Even though salvation brings…
--pardon
--justification
--adoption
--redemption
There's no question, but that SIN is still a major issue in the life of the born again believer
Now, how many of you know that you are saved?
Yet, how many of you can say, "Pastor, even though I know that I'm saved, and even after I was saved, I have or had in some shape or form sinned."
Now, everyone of us needs to raise our hands
Why is this? Why if when we're saved…
--old things are passed away
--we're born again
Why do we still have to deal with sin?
For several reasons…
A. First of all, just because we're saved, it doesn't mean that our bodies are
And just because our mind and spirit are saved, we still have a body that has been so use to sin, that we will most certainly struggle with sin as long as we have a body
Romans 8:23 (KJV) "…even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
B. Secondly, we struggle with sin after conversion because we're in a sinful atmosphere
Did you know that many people die, not because of smoking, but because of SECOND HAND SMOKE!
And that's the way it is after we're saved
We still have to…
--see billboards on the road
--work with unsaved people
According to Ephesians 2:2, Satan is the prince and power of the air, or atmosphere
But really, the main reason we deal with sin after we're saved is because…
C. Thirdly – there remains in us, after conversion, the sin nature, which causes the propensity and prone-ness to sin
It's the old nature inherited by Adam
And so many times, the soul will get saved, gloriously saved, and it won't be no time before there's a struggle and there's…
--guilt
--fear
--condemnation
Because not long after we're saved, we're dealing with things we thought we got rid of, things we thought we wouldn't want any more
But sure enough, those struggles rise up within the SAVED CHRISTIAN
And what's the cure for this: SANCTIFICATION!!!
Now, I want you to know that there is so much confusion on something that is so..
--simple
--wonderful
--something so needed
I read about this preacher that announced that the next Sunday he was going to preach on Noah and his Ark. The next Sunday he got up to read his text not knowing that some boys had glued some of the pages of his Bible together. He began to read, "Noah took unto himself a wife and she was," he turned the page and continued to read, "three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high." He paused and then read it again. He then looked up and said, "You know, I have been studying the Bible for almost fifty years, but there are still some things in that are hard to believe."
And Satan has done a good job of making the doctrine of sanctification hard to believe
And the reason Satan has attacked the doctrine of sanctification so much is because Satan knows, if you get saved, but you don't ever deal with the sin question in your life, you are an impotent Christian
And so Satan has done everything he can to bring…
--confusion
--abuse (in the form of legalism)
--uncertainty
--ambiguity
To this Bible doctrine of sanctification
But if you intend on…
--getting all the God wants for you
--being the most effective Christian you can be
--having not just joy, but the fullness of joy in your Christian life
--walking in victory
Then when you get saved, you need to come back to this altar and ask God to sanctify your heart by the power of His grace!
Now – before I venture further, I want you to understand a couple of things about sanctification
Because, without question, there is so little preaching on the subject of sanctification
Why? First of all, because of ignorance
If you go back in history, you will understand that it was the preaching of sanctification that led to the greatest revival in world history – Azusa
And go back to the great healing campaigns of the 40's and 50's – sanctification was preached strong
But somewhere, something went wrong and there's really one main reason why you don't hear much preaching on sanctification
And it's one word: LEGALISM
Satan had caused legalism to overshadow the experience, so most preachers in my generation have thrown out the baby with the bath water
But you listen to me this morning, I am convinced, if we want to see God move like we heard about
--at Azusa street
--in the great healing meetings
--when they had revivals for 2 and 3 weeks
Then we need to get back to the OLD LANDMARKS
And I also believe that before we see the Lord return, we must return the message of…
--holiness
--sanctification
We must get back to the basis
And may West Road Church be a church that
--believes in sanctification
--preaches sanctification
--has the experience of sanctification
Now, in order for us to understand sanctification, there are three thoughts I want to amplify for your thinking this morning
First of all, I want to talk to you about…
1. THE SURE EXPERIENCE OF SANCTIFICATION
A. First of all, we need to understand what sanctification is
Here are a few definitions
•Sanctification is an experience whereby the sin nature is rendered powerless in the life of a born again believer – Pastor Ricky Nelms
•"…Sanctification is for the born again believer, offering cleansing from the very bent and power of sin and freeing him from that bent so that he can grow naturally in the will and the love of God." --Evangelist Jim Forehand, N.C. Conference of the IPHC
•We believe in sanctification. While sanctification is initiated in regeneration and consummated in glorification, we believe that it includes a definite, instantaneous work of grace achieved by faith subsequent to regeneration (Acts 26:18; 1 John 1:9). Sanctification delivers from the power and dominion of sin. It is followed by life-long growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:16; 2 Peter 3:18). --Articles of Faith, IPHC Manual
Notice sanctification delivers from the power and dominion of sin, but not the presence of sin. (That won't happen until heaven) I will deal with that later
B. Why do we need sanctification?
Because, without question, the sin nature remains in our hearts after conversion
In every unsaved heart, sin exists in a twofold manner. There are sins and there is sin. The former refers to acts, the latter to condition. Sins are actual, sin original. Sin separated us from God; sins bring His condemnation upon us. Sin is a principle; sins are practical. Both are intimately related. Sin is the root; sins are the fruit. Sin is the lawless seed; sins are the lawless deeds. Sin is the parent; sins are the offspring. Sin is Adamic; sins are individual and personal. Sin is called the "Old Man"; sins are designated as transgressions." --Bishop J.H. King, "Passover To Pentecost"
And because of the remaining sin nature, there remains a struggle with sin in our lives after conversion
Romans 7:21-24 (KJV) "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
Note that Paul is a born-again believer (I delight in the law of God). A sinner doesn't delight in the law of God
But something is wrong!
Paul knew it
And others have testified to it as well…
•An Indian, after conversion, said, "I find two Indians in one. A good Indian and a bad Indian."
•John Wesley said of new converts, "These feel a heart bent to backsliding, a prone-ness to wander from God. They are sensible to sin remaining in the heart, pride, self-will, unbelief; and sin cleaving to all they think and do."
•Bishop McKendree, past Bishop of the Methodist Church, wrote not long after his conversion, "I heard Mr. Gibson preach on sanctification. I examined my heart and found remaining corruption."
Have you ever wondered why that is such a problem?
Has the devil ever beaten you down with failure, after failure, after failure
Let me tell you that there is an answer!
It is called SANCTIFICATION!!!
And though in salvation, or sins are forgiven, we still have a sin nature
And sanctification takes that sin nature and renders it powerless by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
This is a SURE EXPERIENCE, and you can have it today!
Not only do we need to understand the SURE EXPERIENCE, secondly, to further illustrate this, let's look secondly at…
2. THE SCRIPTURAL EXAMPLES OF SANCTIFICATION
All throughout the Bible, we see example after example of the experience of sanctification, and I'm going to give just a few of the many, upon many
For example,
A. Isaac and Ishmael
This story illustrates the experience of sanctification
You remember the story of Abraham, and how that God promised him a son
And he got in a hurry, and he had a son by a surrogate mother, and his name was Ishmael
And then, in the right time, God gave Abraham a son through his wife Sarah
And for a number of years, Isaac and Ishmael lived together, and grew together
But Ishmael represented the works of the flesh
And Ishmael persecuted Isaac
Galatians 4:29 (KJV) "But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now."
And there came a day when Ishmael had to go
And that's the way it is when we're saved
We still have within us that inherited sin nature from Adam, and it
--torments us
--persecutes us
--gives us all kinds of problems
We want to do good, but there's Ishmael
And then, there comes a crisis – and we come back to that altar, and by faith we, like Abraham, cast out that Ishmael!
That's a beautiful picture of Sanctification!
And then, there's…
B. The tabernacle in the wilderness
You have the Brazen Altar
This represents Calvary
And then there is the brass laver, or brazen laver, and then you go into the holy place
And the picture is clear: before you go into the holy place – where there is…
--the lampstand of God's light which represents the Holy Spirit
--the table of showbread, which represents fellowship and communion with God
--the altar of incense, which represents prayer
You have to come to a place of cleansing, which is the brazen laver
And that is sanctification!
C. Jesus said in…
Matthew 11:28 (KJV) "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
That is salvation, where we come to God and he relieves us of the burden and struggle of conviction
But that's not all
Matthew 11:29-30 (KJV) "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
We come back to Christ after conversion and we take his yoke upon us
That's sanctification!
D. Paul mentions…
In 1 Thessalonians YOUR FAITH (1:8, 3:2, 3:5, 3:6, 3:7, 3:10)
In chapter 4:3, he mentions YOUR SANCTIFICATION
Making it clear, these are two distinct works of grace!
Also, Paul says in…
Colossians 3:1 (KJV) "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."
That's salvation!
But then he goes on to say…
Colossians 3:2-3 (KJV) "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
Notice – for you are dead! That's sanctification
That's the "Old Man" the old sin nature dying out to the will of God
And what a wonderful thing it is!
We have the…
--sure experience
--scriptural examples
And now, lastly, and quickly…
3. THE SACRED ENCOURAGEMENT TO BE SANCTIFIED
Oh, you talk about a…
--heaven sent
--Holy Ghost
--Old fashioned
--On fire
--Straight from heaven
Revival!!! It will happen when people get tired of yielding and yielding to sin
It will happen when we…
--present our bodies a living sacrifice
--get tired of defeat and move into victory
It will happen when we get back to the old landmarks that shook our world – and that is the full message of being saved, sanctified, and baptized in the Holy Spirit
Now, there are people who will argue that when you get salvation, you get it all
And in a sense that's true
They will use the scripture…
Ephesians 1:3 (KJV) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"
But this is taking this scripture and making it say something it doesn't
LISTEN: It does mean that when we are saved we GET all spiritual blessings
But it doesn't mean we HAVE all spiritual blessings
When I got my college degree, on the paper it says that it was conferred to me with all rights and privileges pertaining thereunto, but I still have to apply for a job
In other words, when we get saved, we have access to sanctification
And therefore, we need to press on in and get it!
There are some who say, you know what, we're always going to "sin a little every day", you might as well accept it – you'll never be sinless
And that's true: Even sanctified people will be tempted to sin
Listen: Sanctification removes the sin nature, not the human nature
But how much better are we able to live IF WE'VE BEEN SANCTIFIED!
I'm encouraging you to be sanctified!
IN CLOSING
How do we receive it?
A. Recognize the need
Romans 7:24-25 (KJV) "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord…"
B. Realize the provision
Hebrews 13:12 (KJV) "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."
C. Respond by faith
Acts 15:9 (KJV) "And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."
That word "purifying" in the Greek can be rendered "sanctifying"
D. Receive right now!
Those who've never received it, can receive it instantaneously by faith now!
Those who've been sanctified before, we don't believe in ONCE SANCTIFIED ALWAYS SANCTIFIED, sometimes you need it again!
Come this morning!
