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.
