Introduction: Martin Luther’s thunderstorm promise, constantly going to his bishop to confess his sins, if ever there could have been monk being saved by monkery it would have been Luther
Read Scripture/Pray
Background: Paul’s concern that we will fall back into the sin of self-righteousness and lose any possible joy
Purpose Statement: Seek your joy in your...
I. Sanctification (v. 9)
A. It’s a process
1. Paul seeks to be found in Christ at all times, in all occasions
2. While all believer’s are in His death & Resurrection not all live in Him 24/7
B. It’s a process based upon a right understanding
1. Rabbit misunderstanding
2. There can be no righteousness based upon the Law
3. Righteousness is imputed by faith
4. Faith is increased by being in Him consistently
C. The major difference between us and our Catholic brethren
1. Difference between sanctification and justification
2. Catholic understanding of the two
3. They cannot say Saved by Grace alone
D. Why is it a problem to think of our sanctification as salvific?
1. It takes our focus off God and puts it back upon or self
2. We start to run the balance sheet again
3. We feel less broken up over our sin
II. Justification (vs. 10-11)
A. For Paul, to know Christ was to understand what it is that He did for you
1. How can any of us look at the cross and not be moved to action?
2. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
B. To understand Justification is to understand Sanctification
1. Paul says he knows Christ more when he suffers
2. Paul’s desire is to know the doctrine of justification every minute (v. 10)
3. In one very real sense it is like a marriage – I knew Kim when we married, but after 12 years together...
C. This is a one time event, it has either happened or it hasn’t
1. This is what saves (v. 11)
2. Has this happened for you?
3. There is no purgatory!
D. It is essential that we understand Justification, but it is not enough
1. Justification is a separate event from Sanctification but intimately connected
2. 1 Corinthians 6:11, Titus 3:7-8
How does this relate to your joy?
I. Just in every way
A. obfuscation over this doctrine drove Luther to near insanity
B. Not everyone has an accurate conception of sin, but that God-shaped void is there
II. Assurance is now possible
A. It is not all eschatological, but there is an eschatological assurance
B. God’s love for you ought to awe you
Conclusion: Live a life worthy of your high calling
ILLUSTRATIONS:
RABBIT MISUNDERSTANDING
JOE GIBBS, former head coach of the Washington Redskins, told me a funny story that had to do with one of his friends.
Joe’s friend, whom I will call Frank, owns a fine Labrador retriever. Frank looked out his window one morning and saw his faithful, obedient dog sitting on his haunches near the front porch. Frank thought he saw something hanging from the dog’s jaws. Sure enough, a closer look revealed it was his neighbor’s pet rabbit—now dead. Frank was stunned. Not exactly sure what to do, his brain clicked through several options until he landed on one that seemed best, though it would require a rather tedious process.
He gingerly pulled the rabbit from the Lab’s mouth, took the thing to the sink, and washed off all the dirt and gunk. He then took it into the bathroom, pulled out a hair dryer, and spent several minutes blow-drying the dead creature until it was nice and fluffy. That night, after it was dark and quiet in the neighborhood, Frank crawled over the back fence, slipped across the neighbor’s backyard, opened the door on the rabbit hutch, placed the dead rabbit in the cage, and snapped the door shut. He then slithered back through the darkness, hopped the fence, and breathed a big sigh of relief.
Next morning there was a loud knocking at his front door. Frank opened it and, to his surprise, found his neighbor clutching the dead rabbit. He was steaming.
“Frank, we have a real sickie in our neighborhood.”
“Really? Why do you say that?”
“Well, see … my rabbit here died three days ago and I buried it. Some guy just dug it up, cleaned it off nice ‘n’ neat, and stuck it back in the hutch. We’re talkin’ a real sickie, Frank!”
WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS LYRICS
1 CORINTHIANS 6:11
And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. NAS
TITUS 3:6-8
By being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds. NAS
