Sanctification
A boy had cerebrated his tenth birthday that day, therefore, at bedtime, his mother thought it was time for him to move on from the prayer she had taught him when he first learned to speak. That night as the boy’s mother sat beside his bed, she told him that he was old enough for him to talk to God about was on the boy’s mind. So, the boy prayed, “God it is alright if you do not make me a better boy; I am having a good time just as I am. Amen.” That is how many Christians act today.
I have often spoken about basic Christianity and saving grace. That is the first step in being a Christian. The actual number of steps are preceding grace, saving grace and sanctifying grace. Since you all have past the age of understanding you have experienced the preceding grace of your childhood, and I believe all of you have accepted Christ, that is, you have experienced saving grace; it is time to be about doing what God wants you to do, that is leading a sanctified life. Therefore, today I am going to give you more details about what the scriptures have to say about growing in holiness, your sanctification. Listen carefully to our scripture for today: 1st Thessalonians 4:-3a, “1 Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God … you should do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification ….” Paul is telling the Thessalonians to learn how [they] ought to live … to please God … [they] should do so more and more … [to be] sanctify[ed]. Sanctification is you experiencing all of the joy God wants for you, His children, to feel. God wants you to do this not only for our own good but for the good of our friends and neighbors.
What is going on in America today: In 1950, 90% of Americans said that they were Christians. Monday, I read the latest survey by the Pew Research Center that said that that 90% has fallen to 70%. 70% of Americans say that they are Christians, that number includes Protestants, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, et cetera. Only 41% of professing Christians are regular church attendees. That number has declined 5% in the last five years.
Even though we have seen a significant decline in the number of believers, in witnessing and in Christian works, still the majority of Americans say that they are Christians. Why then are our news stories full of political scandals, our television entertainment full of sinful trash, why is the internet polluted, why is drug use prevalent, illegitimate births high, divorce, why? I believe it is because most Christians do not take their Christianity seriously. Thus, Christian witnessing is almost nonexistent and Christian works are diminishing.
We are the salt; Christ said that salt that has lost its savor is no good but to be thrown out. Just a little slat goes a long way. Did you ever have green beans without salt? We Christians are the salt that makes society work. Without active Christians, our society falls apart.
Think about it, when is the last time you saw someone witness to even one person or saw many people directly involved in some Christian works? Answering our today’s scripture, are many people trying to live “how [they] ought to live … to please God … [are they doing] so more and more”? Why so few sanctified Christians?
I think that is in part because Christians understanding and need of sanctifying goes wanting. Many preach being saved but do not mention moving on what today’s scripture calls for, that is how you ought to live … to please God … you should do so more and more … your sanctification.
Sanctification deals with consecration and holiness. Sanctification has to do with our nature, our character and our conduct. In justification, Christ declares us righteous in order that we were readied to move on to sanctification, growing in righteousness, and God’s further work in us. Justification puts us into a right relationship with God; sanctification calls for you to become more like Christ. Far too few Christians are seem interested in being more like Christ if that takes any effort on their part.
The Old Testament discuses sanctification, in its various forms, at least 400 times. In the Old Testament, the root word is kadash (ka-dash) which means, "to separate,” to separate from sinful habits and actions. 115 times the writers of New Testament used the word sanctify meaning, “to be holy,” to be holy as Christ was holy.
Separation from evil, and growing in holiness, that is how you ought to live … to please God … you should do so more and more … your sanctification.
First, we will look at this part of the scripture, ‘how you ought to live”. We are to are separation ourselves from Evil.
Leviticus 27:14-16, “When a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the Lord, … And if a man shall sanctify unto the Lord some part of a field of his possession ….” It is evident that whatever is set apart from a profane to a sacred use, whatever is devoted exclusively to the service of God, God sees it as sanctified. Therefore, it follows that a man may "sanctify his house to be holy unto the Lord,” or he may "sanctify unto the Lord some part of a field of his possession." The Jews did and still do set aside a special place of worship in their homes. They did and still do set aside a part of their land to grow food for the poor. I remember when the Lord’s Acre sell was a big deal, a fun time, but interest in the Lord’s Acre sell fell and fell and finally it stopped. That kind of activity not only helps people, it helped set a tone in us and in our community. That is gone.
Numbers 8:17 instructs parents to set apart, to sanctify, to dedicate the firstborn of their children to the Lord. God did this; God sanctified His only Son. John 10:36, “Even the Son of God himself, insofar as He was set apart by the Father and sent into the world to do God’s will, was sanctified.” Whenever we separate a thing or person from the common relations of life in order to be devoted to the sacred, it is sanctified. That is how “[we] ought to live.”
It is evident from scriptures that sanctification necessitates a turning away from all that is sinful and defiling to both soul and body. Hezekiah was one of the few kings of Judah who was constantly aware of God’s acts in the past and His involvement in the events of every day. The Bible describes Hezekiah as a king who had a close relationship with God, one who did “what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God” (2 Chronicles 31:20). 2nd Chronicles 29:5, 16-18, “Sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the lord God. ... and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. … And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the lord, to cleanse it and brought out all the uncleanness …. Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, we have cleansed all the house of the lord.” Once the Priest had cleansed Temple, Hezekiah set about retuning Israel to worshiping God and returning Israel to Holiness. That is how “[we] ought to live” and thus return our Nation to Godliness.
We see the importance of this separation ourselves repeated in the New Testament: 1st Peter 1:15, “But as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” 2nd Corinthians 7:1, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” The life of separation challenges us to forsake the patterns of the world and to follow the pattern of holiness with Jesus Christ as the model. That is how “[we] ought to live.”
Paul had a word for the Galatians about separation ourselves from ungodliness: Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Paul is telling us to renounce from our lives these bad habit for that is how “[we] ought to live.”
Paul spoke of his past life and old habits, Ephesians 2:3-5, “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved ….” Paul is saying that God’s saved us so that we could move on, separate ourselves from sin; God will help us do that.
This separation expresses itself in outward cleansing and inward holiness. Sanctification, as a condition of the heart, affects every facet of the Christian’s life. It is the heart of the Christian faith, the theme of the Holy Scriptures, and the purpose of God for His people. It is possible to profess sanctification by subscribing to legalistic and ceremonial codes without possessing sanctification of the heart? True sanctification will affect the entire nature of man. Holiness flows out of a pure heart of love that is full of forgiveness. That is how “[we] ought to live.”
The next point in today’s scripture, “to please God.” We are to move on to Holiness: After having accepted salvation, we are to move on to holiness: that is, we are to mature in the ways of love for that pleases God.
Doubtless, the newly saved sinner does not realize his or her need of holiness. First, guilt and condemnation occupy our attention; only later do we come to see our need for further cleansing.
What length of time must elapse between accepting Christ and turning one’s attention to holiness? This depends wholly upon the experience of the individual. Holiness begins to occur when the intelligence clearly comprehends the defects of the present state, and when faith comprehends the power and willingness of God to sanctify us wholly, and to do it now.
3rd Peter 3:18, tells us, "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” That pleases God. Where does growth fit into the picture? The Christian must study, pray, witness, and consistently use what he or she has to improve his or her effectiveness as a Christian. In Romans 6:22, Paul tells us that weeds are rooted out around a rosebush that it might flourish and grow, sin is rooted out of a man’s life that love might abound and that he might bring forth "fruit unto holiness" for that Pleases God.
Fruit grows from something that is already in us. A person cannot grow in grace, if he or she does not have any grace to grow in. One grows in grace, not into grace. The whole problem reverts to a difference between purity and maturity. Purity is the cleansing from sin, while maturity implies an increase of knowledge, and alludes to such things in a similar category that are continuous and progressive. If one accepts the correct definition of sanctification, there is no way of making entire sanctification a thing of growth.
Sanctification is a work in progress. Sanctification is pleasing God by letting His work in us, a work in which we must participate. According to the Scriptures, salvation is by faith and not by works, thus precluding any acceptance of credit on man’s part for obtaining any blessing, "but for the grace of God!"
The next point in today’s scripture “you should do so more and more.” 1st John 4:10, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The “more and more” is becoming “sanctified … wholly,’ that we become “blameless” a complete work and ready for “the coming of our Lord.”
1st Peter 1:22, "Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth.” 1st John 2:5, declares that "whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him." These scriptures tell us that obeying the “truth”, the Word, moves us on toward perfection.
2 Corinthians 5:9, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” We must remember that Galatians 1:10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” We must be totally dedicated, not concerned about what people think of us, but only doing more and more for God. He is to be the absolute center of our life; if He is, all else will fall into place. I have had people tell me that they felt like fools when they tried to witness. People had the same opinion of Paul and Silas. Do not worry about what people think of you when you witness or try to help them; just do God’s work.
True faith is accompanied by a complete dedication of life, Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” This becoming a “living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” is “pleasing God more and more.”
Proverbs 16:7, “When the LORD takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.” God will not only help you as you become more and more dedicated to His works, he will bring peace between you and those who want to do you harm.
You Sanctification yields fruits: Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
We are so accustomed to asking God for the things we think that we need that we often lose site of what God wants of us. He requires you to separate yourself from all that is not holy, and to dedicate yourself to holy purposes. As today’s scripture stated, that is how you ought to live … to please God … you should do so more and more … your sanctification.
