Understanding Sanctification Series

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."