1 Peter 1:15-16 God demands that those who are associated with Him, those set apart by Him to be a dwelling place for His Spirit, be holy as He is holy. This means that we must become, not merely set apart, but set apart and clean. We are entering the area of Chrisitian conduct, and our separation is away from those who are not clean, not pure spiritually as God is. We see the implied meaning of sanctification coming into play, because in order to be a suitable dwelling place for God, we have to become holy as He is holy. We have to become holy, then, in the sense of clean—a clean life, as well as clean in our sacrifices. I Peter 2:5 says that we are "to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." We have to be holy in the sense of clean living, and our sacrifices need to be acceptable. This deals with being made holy by Jesus Christ, that is, through His work made possible by means of the blood of His sacrifice as a man, as well as His continuing work of sacrifice as our High Priest before God as our Mediator and Intercessor.
I want to review this with you by asking you to turn to Exodus 13. Exodus 13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
That kind of phraseology, especially that last phrase—"there shall no leavened bread be eaten," is tied to what the LORD did in order that we understand why we are to do what we do. Exodus 13:7-9 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with you, neither shall there be leaven seen with you in all your quarters. And you shall show your son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD's law may be in your mouth: for with a strong hand has the LORD brought you out of Egypt.
Over and over Moses keeps reporting this very important piece of information. You eat unleavened bread because of what the LORD did. Exodus 13:14 And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? That you shall say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.
There it is! That is about the fifth time he has said that. Exodus 13:11 And it shall be when the LORD shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore unto you and to your fathers, and shall give it you, . . .
I will not read the rest, but the implication is that we are to understand that when Israel finally came into the land, God made it possible for them to come into the land. In other words, it was because of what the Lord did, not only in Egypt, but also in the wilderness, that enabled them to get into the land. It is what the Lord does. I want to stress to you that this is not a minor bit of trivia. It is not merely that we come out, but rather this puts everything regarding our coming out, our growth and overcoming, and eventually going into the Kingdom of God, into its proper perspective, because human nature is ever ready to take the credit for more than it actually does. I want you to see what Paul said, in its proper context, and why he said what he said. Go to I Corinthians 1. I know that you will understand the context here by just reading verse 26. I Corinthians 1:26 For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. I Corinthians 1:29 . . . . That no flesh should glory in his presence.
I just said human nature is ever ready to take the credit for more than it actually did. I Corinthians 1:30-31 But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.
Let him glory not in human nature—glory not in what he has done by way of works—but "let him glory in the Lord." I am going to summarize what Paul said here, and put it into a little bit different configuration of words. Paul said, "It is because of what the Father did. It is because of His work that we are in Christ, and because in Christ are all the riches of salvation. All that we are that is right, we owe to them; therefore, if we are going to glory, let us "glory in the Lord." Maybe this will give us a little better understanding why Paul said what he did in Ephesians 2:10. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works.
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, [implying our works], lest any man should boast.
Does that sound familiar with the context of I Corinthians 1? It sure does. I am going to use a little bit more of a base term than the word "created," and that base term is that we are manufactured goods, and we are in that sense machines created to glorify the Creator. I do not care whether it is Mrs. Fields and her cookies, or Famous Amos and his cookies, or Bill Gates with his operating system, or Thomas Alva Edison and his thousand or so inventions, or Marconi who invented the radio—their inventions would not exist if they did not create them. The invention neither willed nor worked itself into being. After they created those things, their creation brought them honor and glory. It may be humbling for us to think of ourselves as an invention, or as a machine, but the principle that I am speaking of here is essentially true in spirit in reference to our relationship with God. If we do not understand and believe this, it moves us to overemphasize what we do, and we create our own brand of an evolutionary works religion. That is why Paul said "not of works." All the while, the truth and reality is that what the Father and Son have been doing is enabling us to do what we do. No invention of man would do what it does unless the inventor worked and created and put the ability within that invention to do what it does. That is the principle we are dealing with here. It is God who invents us through a process that we call "conversion." If the Father and Son did not do what they do before we do what we do, we would never do what we do. I am talking here about things that have to do with salvation, with conversion, with growth and overcoming. If they did not do what they do before what we do what we do, we would never do what we do. All along the way they are preparing us—from the calling all the way to the Kingdom of God—and that is the major lesson to be rehearsed at the beginning of each Sacred Year during the Days of Unleavened Bread. This understanding gives the whole salvation process the proper footing, and it orients our thinking regarding our relationship with God in the proper direction. This must be done because it is very easy for pride to slip in, and we begin thinking too much of ourselves, since we do play a small part in our creation. What we are looking at here is a major aspect of grace. It is God's grace that is to be celebrated during Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. That is the reality. Therefore, if we are going to glory, we should glory in the Lord, in what He is creating in us, enabling us to do an imitation of Him. Now with that foundation, in the same manner as we have come to more fully understand the keeping of the Days of Unleavened Bread, there are also things regarding Pentecost that we thought we had perfectly nailed down, but the truth is that there were missing pieces regarding it as well. These missing pieces are regarding the subject that we are going to be addressing in this short series. Sanctification is the Bible's term for the state or condition and process of being separated from others for God's purposes, and it is a major step in making it possible for us to carry out our responsibilities in this process. In the Bible's usage, sanctification is at one and the same time both a result of God's calling and an active on-going process. At one and the same time it is a condition. It is a result of God's calling, and it is also a process that continues. Once it is started, it does not stay static. It is a dynamic process in which sanctification continues and becomes more and more refined. The basic meaning of sanctify is "to set apart," or "to separate away." To a rancher it would mean to cut a certain animal away from a flock or a herd. Now families often have special things that it uses only on certain occasions. Perhaps it might be a set of dishes, or silverware, or tools, or maybe an automobile, or certain clothing. We all do this in some manner of form, and this illustrates the concept of separating one thing, or many things, and putting them to a specific use at a specific time. Let us apply this to religion. Our calling by God begins the condition and the process of sanctification for His purpose of salvation and the creating of Himself in us. Exodus 6:6-8 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and you shall know that Iam the LORD your God, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which Idid swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.
This very clearly states who it is who begins and ends the entire process: the One who said "I." Seven times He states what He will accomplish, and each one of those statements pertains to some aspect of sanctification. What I want you to notice especially is that God did not make these proclamations to the Egyptians. It was only made to those people that He wanted to sanctify. These stated objectives, followed by God's acts in fulfilling them, separated and distinguished the called Israelites from the uncalled Egyptians specifically, but He had also distinguished the called Israelites from any others that they came in contact with on their journey to the Promised Land. They came in contact with other nations as well. You know the names of some of those people: the Moabites, the Ammonites, and eventually the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and all of those others that they met along the way. It was the calling and acts of God that separated them from the Egyptians, and then separated them, step by step as God fulfilled His promises here, from every other uncalled people that they came in contact with. Israel was different. Israel was "cut away from" the whole herd of nations that were out there. Israel was cut away for a special purpose. They were sanctified; set apart. I want you also to note that neither the Israelites nor any of the other nations had any choice in the matter of whom God calls, or whom God chose to do what, or to or for whom. God is sovereign, and He made the choice. It was an act of His love, of His grace that separated the Israelites away from the others. It was not by works of the Israelites, and it was not by works that they made it into the Promised Land. It was what God did that gradually predisposed each to make the choice that they did, whether it was the Israelites, or the Egyptians. It was what God did that led those people to make the choices that they did. They still had free moral agency, but God was making it clear what he wanted each person's choice to be, and so the Israelites overwhelmingly chose to follow Moses. Would you not? God enabled them to make that choice. He did not do the same thing for the Egyptians. He did not give them the same inclination to go in that direction, and so they went the direction that human nature would take it to go. What we are seeing here is that sanctification, or the setting apart of people by God for some special use, is an ancient and clearly revealed pattern in the Bible. We could begin by going all the way back to Enoch and to Noah, who were clearly set apart by God, sanctified by Him for deliverance in the saving of their lives, and thus the pattern begins, but we are going to go to Genesis 12. This is exceedingly clear. Genesis 12:1-2 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, unto a land that I will show you: And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.
God sanctified Abraham from his family and his country for the objective of establishing a more specific direction as He laid the foundation of the family and the nation through whom He will work out that purpose. A simple question: Would this have happened to Abraham if God had not done what He did? The answer to that is obvious. What I want you to see clearly is that it is what God does that triggers what we do. You can see that so clearly with Abraham here. Now would we ever come out if God did not do what He does? No, we would not. Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
The scale was much larger than what He did with Abraham, where it only involved Abraham and his family. Now we see Abraham's family beginning to grow quite great, and so God calls out a group of people, physically—the descendants of Abraham—and He calls them "His son." He not only named them that, but He called them "out of Egypt." Turn now to Matthew 2:14, which tells the story of Jesus' birth and the things that occurred after it. Matthew 2:14-15 When he [Joseph] arose, he took the young child [Jesus] and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Why do you suppose Matthew wrote what he did? Again, God is continuing our understanding of sanctification. Even Jesus was called out of Egypt! Now who precipitated that? God did. That is what Matthew is saying there. That whole sequence of events that led to Joseph's fleeing to Egypt was set up by God that the prophecy in Hosea 11:1—"Out of Egypt have I called my son"—might be fulfilled. God separated Israel from Egypt, calling them "His son." God separated Jesus from Egypt as well. John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him; and I will raise him [the drawn one] up at the last day.
So now we, and the church, fit into the same pattern as Enoch, as Noah, as Abraham, as Israel, as individuals who make up the church. All of us are called out, drawn by the grace of God—an act of love on His part—that separates us from the rest of the world and puts us in a position in relation to Him that the uncalled do not have the privilege of being part of. We had no control, as it were, over this, and neither do the uncalled. "Jacob have I loved. Esau have I hated." You are a living fulfillment of that prophecy. You has God loved. The uncalled has He not loved. Did God have to work miracles and do things far beyond human capability to break Israel's bondage to Pharaoh and to Egypt? Of course He did. Now in order to break us away so that we are separated from the herd, as it were, God had to do similar things spiritually to break our bondage to Satan and this world so that we are set apart. This is no little thing. It is because of what the Lord does that we are separated from the world. Miracles have to occur, or we would never be separated, and those miracles begin with our calling. The Greek word translated into the English as "assembly," or "church," depending upon which version of the Bible one uses, is ecclesia, and it means "a calling," "a summons" to an assembly. The purpose of the calling out, or the separation, from others is determined by the context in which ecclesia appears, and thus it can even be applied to a mob of people who are summoned by curiosity over some exciting thing happening in the neighborhood. That is exactly the way it is used in the book of Acts in one place. People were drawn by some exciting thing, perhaps a riot that was taking place in the city. It can apply to people summoned by the attraction of a theater show. It does not necessarily have a formal summons in mind, but in our case the Bible makes sure that we understand that our calling is very definitely specific and formal. We are summoned to be separated away from the world. Now over time this word "ecclesia" came to be applied to the Christian assembly or congregation during the first century in order to distinguish them from the Jews of the Synagogue. The word itself has absolutely no direct connection to the church, but by common usage it came to be understood as implying those called and separated from the world, and thus we talk about "the church." But in Greek, all it means is "those summoned." The implication is, unwritten, summoned by God; summoned to be separated away from the world; summoned to be separated to have God Himself reproduced in us. There is one more step needed for us to understand, and that is the usage of the Hebrew and the Greek words translated into various forms of the word "sanctify." Sanctify is the verb. Sanctification is the noun application of that word. The word "sanctify" strongly implies cleanliness, purity, blamelessness, sacredness; and thus the English terms that come into play are: holy, holiness, consecration, devoted, dedicated. You will find those words scattered throughout the Bible. If you care to look in Strong's, you are very likely going to be led to the exact same word that is also translated somewhere else as "sanctify" or "sanctification." It is just that the context in which it is translated into the word "holy" or "holiness" demands that it be absolutely associated with cleanliness, purity, consecration, and devotion to God. We must understand then, even when we see the more base term "sanctify" or "sanctification," that there is also implied within this the sense of holiness, purity, and sacred use. We are going to go back to the book of Revelation to pick up one verse, because here is the next step. Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.
When God separated Abraham and his family from his family and his country, and when God separated Israel from Egypt, their sanctification was also geographical. He literally moved them from one place on earth to another. His purpose was to establish a new community of people all involved in the same purpose. Now with the church, our separation is not geographical, but is spiritual, moral, and ethical, while still living geographically within the system that we were born into. We must become separated from the way, from the manner, from the lifestyle, from the attitudes of the system that we were born into, and moved to make God's way, His manner, His system, His attitude ours. That is how we "come out." They literally moved geographically. Some of us may move geographically, but that is not really what God has in mind. What He has in mind is a spiritual, moral, ethical, and attitudinal departure from our friends, our neighbors, our family, the gang we ran with, or whatever. We are called then to be different. The concept, for us, of God's separating, making holy, and establishing a new community, is not lost. The community aspect is merely reserved until a later time. Under the New Covenant the community is the Kingdom of God. It is a goal being moved toward as He prepares those He has set apart to be set into that new community. So where are we headed? To the Kingdom of God. Are we headed there geographically? No. We stay right where we are, but we still "come out." We are still sanctified by a change of attitude, a change of practice, a change of conduct. Instead of immoral, we become moral. Instead of being unethical, we become ethical. Instead of being spiritual in the sense of the way Satan is spiritual, we become spiritual in the way God is spiritual. That is our "coming out." That is why we are set apart. Geography at this time has little or nothing to do with the overwhelming majority of the people who are sanctified. In Exodus 19 we have that occasion that takes place just before the making of the covenant. God is proposing this to the Israelites. Exodus 19:4-6 You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak unto the children of Israel.
We will probably be coming back here a couple of different times to keep touching base with what the Israelites went through, because there is a parallel here between them and us. In one sense not a great deal was changed between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. This is God's proposal to them: "If you do this, then I will do this." Turn now to I Peter 2. We will begin to see the parallel here. I Peter 2:5 You also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
I Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
There is a very close similarity between the two. The major difference between the two, which does not really show up strongly at this point, is a contrast between physical/spiritual. For example: Physical: the Old Covenant. Israel was moved from one location to another. It was a physical setting apart. Spiritual: We go nowhere geographically, but we "come out" spiritually. The difference between the two, even though the wording is very similar, shows us being set apart, not for geographical separation, but for spiritual separation. It is a contrast: physical/spiritual. Another way of putting it is this. You might run into this in somebody else's explanation. The Old Covenant was outward. The New Covenant is inward. The Old Covenant was national and temporal. The New Covenant is heavenly and eternal. You will notice that both descriptions contain the word "peculiar." In neither case does it mean peculiar in the sense of odd, weird, or strange. However, the uncalled might think that you are odd. They might think that you are weird. They might think that you are strange. But that is not the way God writes this. Remember, He is looking at it from His perspective, and His perspective is the way that we need to look at it so that we have the correct understanding. The Exodus word, the Hebrew word, that is translated into the word "peculiar" puts more emphasis more directly on the sense of "special." We are special in that sense. The I Peter word puts more emphasis on how we became that way, and that is that we are a special purchased possession of God. If you have a Bible that marks paragraphs, you will see that a new paragraph began in I Peter 2:4. The key verb in this paragraph, which runs to the end of verse 8, is translated "built up." It appears in verse 5. It is an action in progress. It is being "built up." It is active. It is a dynamic word. It is indicating that the building is being done by somebody else. We are living stones. Step away from human beings and think of stones out in a field, or think of a pile of bricks if you want to. Think of a construction job, because that is the illustration Peter is using here. In his mind's eye, as he was writing this, he saw a literal building being built by a stone mason, only the stone mason is God and His Son Jesus Christ. So we are being "built up." The stones are not taking themselves out of the field, shaping themselves, and fitting themselves into the building. That does not fit the illustration. Somebody else is picking up the stones, knocking off the rough edges, and then fitting them exactly into the place where the builder wants them to go. What Peter is describing here is a building that is not going up haphazardly, but according to an intelligent plan, as if he is working according to a blueprint drawn in advance before the construction even begins. You will find in verse 6 the "chief corner stone" is mentioned, and like the chief corner stone, each of us, as living stones, are being individually set apart from all of the other rocks that are in the field, prepared and fitted into what is called "a house." The word "house" simply means a dwelling place, and since this is a spiritual house, it means "a dwelling place for God." The picture that Peter wants us to get is that individually, and in the church as an institution, each one of those stones is picked individually and drawn out of the field, fitted and shaped, and put into the building. Again you see the sense of sanctification at work. All you have to do is get a picture of that stone mason looking over a selection of stones in a field, but only choosing certain ones which he then works on and fits into the building. But in the sense of this verse, we are being fit into a suitable dwelling place for God—individually, and as an institution, as a church. This begins to put responsibilities on each one of the living stones that are set apart, and made a part of the dwelling place for God. I Peter 1:15 But as he which has called you [summoned you, cut you away from the crowd] is holy; . . .
The translators translated the word that they might have used as "sanctify" in another situation, but in this it demands that it be translated into "holy," because the context is stressing cleanliness, purity, blamelessness. "But as he which has called you is holy." Is God holy? Is God clean? Is God pure? Of course He is. I Peter 1:15-16 . . . so be you holy in all manner of conversation [or conduct]; because it is written, Be you holy; for I am holy.
Those who are associated with God, those who are set apart by Him to be a dwelling place, He demands that they be holy as He is holy; not merely set apart, but set apart and clean. Now we are getting into the area of conduct, and our separation is away from those who are not clean, not pure spiritually as God is. Again we see the implied meaning of sanctification coming into play, because in order to be a suitable dwelling place for God we have to become holy as He is holy. We have to become holy then in the sense of clean—a clean life, as well as in our sacrifices. I say sacrifices, because it says in I Peter 2:5 that we are "to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." We have to be holy in the sense of clean living, as well as in our sacrifices being made acceptable, having to do with being made holy by Jesus Christ; that is, through His work made possible by means of the blood of His sacrifice as a man, and then His continuing work of sacrifice as our High Priest before God as our Mediator and Intercessor. This then opens up our present responsibility, which we will not get to too much, because we are still laying groundwork here. We will not touch on this much until the end of the sermon. In verse 5 it states that we—all of us—are being built up as a clean, holy, pure, blameless spiritual house and priesthood. Let us add to this verse 9. "We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood." The priesthood word in verse 5 is embellished by saying it is not merely a priesthood, but it is a royal priesthood. We have two things here. There is the illustration of a house, which is passive. It is being worked on. There is the illustration of priesthood, which is the active part of the stones that are being selected away from, set apart, from all the other stones in the field. Now what are we supposed to do in our responsibility as a priest? It says here that "we have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light in order to show forth the praises of Him who has called us." We are beginning to see, step by step, what the responsibility of the church is. It is all revolving around sanctification, being built up as a house, and actively performing the work of a priest. Is the ministry a priesthood? Yes, it is. But everybody in the church is part of the same priesthood. The ministry is an administrative office with a special responsibility within the priesthood to teach others who are a part of the same priesthood that they are. We are going to go back to Deuteronomy, back to Israel again, to see what God had to say about the Israelites, because this keeps building out and building out. All this instruction that is in the Old Testament is to give us understanding as to what our job is to be, and the way God thinks about us, and what He is doing. Deuteronomy 7:1-11 When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land whither you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you: [Think about I Corinthians 1:26. We are the weakest of people. Well, so was Israel.] And when the LORD your God shall deliver them before you; you shall smite them, and utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them: Neither shall you make marriages with them; your daughter you shall not give unto his son, nor his daughter shall you take unto your son. For they will turn away your son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy you suddenly. But thus shall you deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. Foryou are an holy people [set apart] unto the LORD your God: [That makes a big difference.] The LORD your God has chosen you [I Peter 2:9—"You are a chosen generation.] to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, ["Jacob have I loved. Esau have I hated."] and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, has the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God, he is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations: And repays them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hates him, he will repay him to his face. You shall therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments which I command you this day, to do them.
In verses 1 through 5, God makes stringent demands on the Israelites whom He has set apart. Why He has done this is given in verses 6 through 8. The reason is because they are a sanctified, holy, special people set apart for God Himself and His purpose. Incidentally that word in the King James Version translated "above" is an unfortunate translation. It simply means that God chose them out of all that were available. It does not mean that the Israelites were greater or better. That is what the word "above" seems to imply. But rather they were in the position that they were only because God chose to give them love. They were not better or greater. That is the whole point. We are not to get puffed up by what we have. In verses 9 through 11 He makes clear the responsibility that falls upon them as a result of Him setting them apart. That responsibility is that they, [we] are to keep, to observe His commandments. The emphasis is on the word "His," because the world has its own commandments, its own statutes, and its own judgments. We are to bring emphasis to the setting apart by doing that. Doing His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments will accomplish two primary objectives in God's purpose. Isaiah 43:1 But now thus says the LORD that created you, O Jacob, and he that formed you, O Israel, fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine.
This is spoken to the sanctified people. Isaiah 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: [We are "the sons of God." Hosea 11:1 said Israel was His son.] For I have created him [There we are, manufactured goods! God's invention.], for my glory, I have formed him; yes, I have made him.
Isaiah 43:9-10 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, it is truth. You are my witnesses, . . .
Here we come to our responsibility. We are God's witnesses of what? God has set us apart to witness, and if we keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that witness will be accomplished. Isaiah 43:10 . . . says the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am He. ...
Our God is God. Our God is the Creator. Isaiah 43:10-12 ...Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore you are my witnesses, says the LORD, that I am God.
That is the job of the "set-apart" ones. It does not mean that we have to go out on a street corner and shout it to the world. What we have to do is live it! That will show that we are set apart. That will prove that we are the holy ones. Now all the while that this is going on, the second operation is taking place at the same time as the witness is being made. We are going to just cut this short and give you the activity that is involved, and you can figure out the rest yourself, because it is easy once you begin to see it. II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. . .
The stones are being chipped away at, and molded and shaped into the design that the Creator wants for them to be so that He can fit them into the place that He has set apart for them to be in. He is creating them. If we keep His commandments, if we keep His statutes, if we keep His judgments, the witness will be made, and the creation will take place. II Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away: behold, all things are becoming new.
II Corinthians 3:18 But we all [To whom is this written? To whom is Paul saying this? He is saying this to the church.], with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord [Do you see God?], are changed [are transformed] into the same image [the image of God] from glory to glory [the glory of man to the glory of God] even as by the spirit of the Lord.
Ephesians 2:10 fits right here again. "We are His workmanship created unto good works." What are those good works? To keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments. In doing so we witness that our God is God, and as we do this, He is forming and shaping us spiritually to enable us to perform the very things He has commanded us to do: keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments. Now a reminder again from I Peter 2:5, 9. He has given us a specific area of responsibility, and it is within a royal priesthood, offering up acceptable sacrifices. This responsibility was also mentioned in Exodus 19:6 where He says, "And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests." We are looking then at the specific areas of privilege and responsibility. The privilege opened up because God separated us from the world, and He has given us the privilege of being a priest under Jesus Christ. That responsibility bears obligation and duties that have to be performed: keeping His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments. One of those commandments is that we are to offer up acceptable sacrifices by Jesus Christ. So we are a special, chosen, holy, clean possession of God, and we are to bear a priestly character in relation to Him and to the world. Under the New Covenant only is it stated that we are a "royal" priesthood. This is because we are all part of a royal Family—the Family, the nation, the Kingdom of God. We are in the Kingdom of God, as it clearly says in Colossians 1 that "we have been translated into the kingdom of His dear Son." That was stated to church members before they are ever resurrected. The biblical proof gives us the truth that we are already in the Kingdom of God. Now is the Kingdom of God on earth? Not in its full sense. Not at all. That will not occur until Jesus Christ returns. I want to show us an interesting and simple overview description of what a priest does. This is very important. With this the sermon for today will end, and we will carry on, God willing, in a couple of weeks from now. We might call the priesthood our area of work. From your background of studying, where do youpicture a priest doing his work? Is it not at the tabernacle, or the Temple? In your mind's eye you picture a priest laboring at the altar, sacrificing. Do you not? Sure you do. Now why is he laboring there? A simple and a correct answer is that this is where God, in the Bible, is symbolically pictured as living. Remember the dwelling place analogy? Whose dwelling place are we being fitted into? It is God's. Where does He live? He lives in you. Collectively He lives in the church. We are going to go back to Exodus 19 again because something very interesting is given here. In Exodus 19, and at that point in Israel's history, there was not yet any tabernacle, temple, or altar. Or is there? Yes, there is. You might recall from the movie The Ten Commandments how they portrayed Mount Sinai as being God's dwelling place. That is a true representation. I can remember the first time I saw that, I screwed up my face. I said, "That can't be right." Yes, it was. Exodus 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
Exodus 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground.
Moses was standing on the dwelling place of God. It was God's territory. Exodus 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with you; and this shall be a token unto you, that I have sent you: When you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon thismountain.
Now where does a priest serve? He serves where God lives. He serves at God's altar. Where was God living symbolically at that time? He was living at Mount Sinai. And where was God's altar? The whole mountain was God's altar. He not only had a dwelling place, He also had an altar. It was a mountain. Exodus 18:5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God.
So here we have another "setting apart." In this case it was an entire mountain to serve as God's dwelling place, and the altar at which the Israelites were to worship and to serve Him. Let us notice the sequence of events in Exodus 19 as they unfolded. God is speaking to Moses, and telling him what he was to deliver to the people. Exodus 19:9-13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai. And you shall set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that you go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever touches the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mount.
A line was drawn in the sand. "This far, and no farther." In verse 10 the word "sanctify" there should be understood in the sense of devote, or dedicate, or consecrate. It meant that Moses was to focus their attention on what they were about to enter into. The clean clothing then is symbolic of the righteousness of the saints. That is a symbol of becoming holy, clean, in order to appear before God. Consecrated. Devoted. Not merely set apart, but with their mind focused, and therefore consecrated to God. Exodus 19:16-18 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
It says in one of the psalms that we sing that Mount Sinai skipped to and fro like a lamb. I am sure it was terrifying to these sanctified, dedicated, consecrated people. Exodus 19:19-25 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai for you charged us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. And the LORD said unto him, Away, get you down, and you shall come up, you, and Aaron with you: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, and spoke unto them.
Now I am going to ask you a question. Did you catch the brief and simple description of the function of a priest in what we just read? It is in verse 22. Here it is. A priest is someone set aside, set apart, to draw near to God. That is what a priest does. That is the beginning of his responsibility, because in order for him to carry out the rest of that responsibility, he has to draw near to God. It must be understood that the priest always acts in nearness—near to, right in front of God—because the priest works at the altar, and the altar is just outside of God's door. Is that not true? Is that not what the layout of the tabernacle is? The priests had to draw near—beyond, closer to God—because they were allowed into the Holy Place where the altar of incense was and where the showbread was, and where the candelabra was. Correct? Correct. Then on the Day of Atonement the high priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies—right into the very heart, the room where God Himself lived—once a year. Do you begin to get the picture? A priest is somebody who draws near to God. Are you doing it? Are you doing your job? That is your job. Now what happened here? In a sense something very tragic happened, but God knew it was going to happen. It is clarified in Deuteronomy 5, and here we will end for today. Deuteronomy 5 is a repetition, only Moses clarifies. Deuteronomy 5:22-31 These words the LORD spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. And it came to pass, when you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that you came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; and you said, Behold, the LORD our God has showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God does talk with man, and he lives. Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire as we have, and lived? Go you near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak you unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto you; and we will hear it, and do it. And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when you spoke unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto you: they have well said all that they have spoken. [And then He says:] O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever! Go say to them, Get you into your tents again. But as for you, stand you here by me, [really close, near] and I will speak unto you all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
What happened here was that God gave the people a test to see whether they would draw near to Him. The test proved that Israel's fear of God was nothing more than a terror for their own lives. It was not a deep respect mingled with a trust, that despite this awesome display of power they were safer there than anywhere else they could have been. They did not believe that they had just been set apart as Moses had been set apart for safety. God did not take Moses' life, did He? He would not have taken their lives either if they would have just followed through with what He told them to do: "This far and no farther." He would have considered this that they had drawn near to Him, as close as they could get. They did not keep His commandment. They were filled with self-concern and faithlessness, and they disqualified themselves. They rejected, they turned down the priesthood aspect of the Old Covenant. They never performed it. Even before the covenant was made, they turned it down. And God agreed with them. They were not fit to carry it out. That is why He gave the lament: "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me." "Do they think that I would have killed them if they had done what I asked them to do?" They were filled with self-concern, and they rejected what God revealed to them. What they made was a discovery of their unworthiness. They were not fit to draw near to Him, and so thus the yearning lament. The other portions of the covenant remained in place. Even though Israel officially rejected the priesthood, they nonetheless still carried with them a consciousness that they were supposed to represent God before the world. To assist the people in this responsibility God officially, and shortly after that, appointed Moses as their mediator. He appointed the family of Levi to serve as functionaries about the tabernacle, and specifically the family of Aaron to draw near to Him as priests, and to serve under Moses, assisting him in teaching the Israelites how they were to perform the witnessing.
Hebrews 2:9-12 Hebrews 2:9-11 opens to us a spiritual reality that we must come to understand and appreciate if we are to make the most of this wonderful opportunity of salvation that God gave to us completely unbidden. Because of our disobedience and the resulting curse of death placed on us, we could never experience what is said of us in Psalm 8:4-8, which the author of Hebrews refers to here. However, Jesus suffered death and gained the victory for us. As a result, He wears the crown of glory and rules the universe. We know this Being as God-in-the-flesh, but the author uses His earthly name, Jesus, so that we can see the historical setting of His victory. "Jesus" calls to mind the concept of salvation, as it means "savior." The author writes that Jesus accomplished the redemption of His people by "tast[ing] death," not—interestingly—by merely "dying." To taste death is a graphic illustration of the painful way He suffered and died. He was not spared this excruciating trauma because He was the Son. He experienced suffering, both physical and emotional, to the very marrow of His bones. In Hebrews 2:10, we find that the "everyone" of verse 9 is, in realty, not in this context the whole world, but it is limited to the "many sons" being brought to glory—in other words, the church. He bore the suffering that should have come upon us as the wages of our sins. He is the Author, the Pioneer, the Trailblazer, the Forerunner, going before us to our salvation. He is the One clearing the path, as it were, as we make our way following our calling. In Hebrews 12:2, He is called "the author and finisher [or perfecter] of our faith." The Father made Him pass through gruesome suffering in our behalf. He completed His preparation for the responsibility that He now holds as our High Priest; the Father has charged Him with the task of preparing many others to share life with them in the Kingdom of God. Jesus, therefore, is the One who makes men holy. The path to sanctification lies in obedience to doing God's will, and that obedience is to be given out of gratitude because one understands and knows the Father and Son from within an intimate relationship (John 17:3). Verse 12 quotes Psalm 22:22, putting the words in Jesus' mouth: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praises to You." In the holy Family of God, this spiritual relationship supersedes all human aspects. Jesus died for our sins; He redeemed us from the curse of sin; He forgives our sins; He gives us gifts; and He leads us to glory. Because of His sacrificial work, He is not ashamed to give us the name "brothers"! This implies that we, in turn, may call Jesus our Brother. What a privilege to be called brothers of the Son of God! If one is truly being sanctified, it will show itself in a habitual respect for God's law, most specifically the Ten Commandments. Many specious arguments have been devised to convince people that God's law need not be kept for salvation. These arguments are specifically aimed at denying the Christian responsibility of keeping the Sabbath, despite Jesus and the apostle Paul keeping the Sabbath as examples to all. Was it not our sins that made it necessary for God to give us grace for forgiveness? Is not sin defined in I John 3:4 as transgressing God's law? Does it not defy logic that God would allow His sinless Son's life to be taken, grant us an unearned, unmerited pardon, and then permit us to go right back to sinning as a way of life? Perhaps one who has been taught thus should reread Hebrews 10:26-31. Contained in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is an exposition of the very spirit of the Ten Commandments, showing that His followers have a more thorough and expansive responsibility to keep them than they ever had before conversion. He even admonishes us not to think that He has "come to destroy the Law or the Prophets" (Matthew 5:17). At just this point in His message, He launches into His expansion on the Ten Commandments. Similarly, the apostle Paul never made light of God's laws. He writes, God forbid that we should break them and continue in sin (Romans 6:1-2). Do those calling themselves Christian really think that idolatry, lying, hypocrisy, thievery, murder, and adultery have God's approval? He does not approve of breaking His Sabbath either. We must labor not to break them so that we do not lose what our Lord and His Father have so generously and freely given us. Habitually endeavoring to do Christ's will is a hallmark of one striving for holiness. He understands that Christ's teachings were given for the express purpose of promoting holiness because holiness is what pleases our Father in heaven. Is that not what our life is to be devoted to? In I Peter 1:16, the apostle quotes Leviticus 19:2, where our God commands, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." It is foolhardy indeed for one to neglect to make practical use of Jesus' teachings, especially those given so plainly and clearly in the Sermon on the Mount. Will not one committed to glorifying God follow Jesus' example when opportunities present themselves to do good, lessening the sorrow and pains of those around him while increasing happiness and well-being? Will he not exude peace, revealing a caring nature that always looks for ways to make others' lives a bit easier? A truly sanctified person will not exhibit a self-righteous, holier-than-thou, hard-as-nails attitude that cares nothing about whether others sink or swim. A sanctified person will perform good works. Some works are more passive than those just mentioned, but we must develop and perform them nonetheless. Of the nine fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, three of them - longsuffering, gentleness and meekness (KJV) - are more or less passive qualities that express godly traits. We must work to become more patient and forbearing with the weaknesses of others. Peter recalls of Jesus, "[W]hen He was reviled, [He] did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (I Peter 2:23). In this same context, he commands us to "follow His steps" (verse 21). In the Lord's prayer, we are reminded of our need to forgive those who trespass against us (Matthew 6:12). Immediately after this, Christ emphasizes how important this work is by telling us that, if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us (verses 14-15)! Are we given to quick, cross tempers; sharp, sarcastic tongues; or disagreeable, easily offended attitudes? These are hardly godly attributes. It takes considerable work to overcome their presence in one's character. We must never be ashamed of reaching for high standards of righteousness in our quest for holiness. Just because others do not seem to care is no excuse for us to lower our aim. For example, we cannot allow ourselves to be content with just keeping the Sabbath, somehow thinking that we have pleased God. Much of what passes for religion these days is perfectly useless when compared with the earnestness of God crying out in His Word for us to flee from the wrath to come (see Matthew 3:7; Romans 5:9; I Thessalonians 1:10). How do we flee from this wrath? By submitting to God. Can a person in danger flee in slow-motion or by standing still? |
Exodus 12:19 There are seven days of Unleavened Bread but only one day of Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, and Atonement. God knows that we tend to change slowly. He gives us seven days each year to concentrate on our duty to rid our lives of sin. Those acts that are God's responsibility - the sacrifice of one for all sin, the sending of His Spirit, the resurrection of the dead, or the binding of Satan - He can accomplish in one day. The part that involves mankind's participation - overcoming sin - requires more time and attention. The Days of Unleavened Bread represent a period of judgment when man is required to overcome. To us, overcoming a deep-seated sin can seem to take an eternity! The obvious lesson is that we must draw much nearer to the Source of the power to overcome. |
Exodus 19:1-2 These and the following verses reveal that the Israelites progressed by various stages to the Promised Land. Slavery in Egypt was a type of being part of the world. Coming out of Egypt was a type of redemption or justification. The journey through the wilderness was a type of sanctification, and entering into the Promised Land was a type of salvation. We see several clear steps in this process. Which took the longest time? Their sanctification! They came out with a high hand: "Yeah! We're free. Everything is fine. This is going to be a lark!" But where did they do all their crying? Where did they go hungry? Where did they experience pain? Where did they quake with fear? Where did they have their greatest tests? Where did they fail? In the wilderness, in the type of sanctification. Why did they fail? Hebrews 4:1-2 makes it clear: They failed because their faith broke down during the portion of God's plan called sanctification. We might say today, they couldn't hack it. They could not endure to the end. Thus, as these verses say, their bodies were strewn from one end of the wilderness to the other. As mentioned, being freed from Egypt pictures redemption or justification, but there was a great deal more to come. They had to walk for a lifetime - roughly 40 years - before they approached the Promised Land. Walking out of Egypt was only the beginning. So it is with us and the receiving of our inheritance. One of the first things that God did after He freed Israel was to enter into a covenant with them and to reveal His laws to them. There is a parallel, a pattern, here. Many want to do away with the laws of God, but if we do that - from the clear pattern shown in the Old Covenant - then we are destroying the rules of the game. It is nullifying part of the very elements necessary for our purification, which prepares us to inherit the Kingdom of God. The revelation of the law was necessary to prepare Israel and to set down the rules for their relationships between themselves and with God. The law was designed to prepare them to be fit to live in their inheritance. It did not save or redeem them - God did that. The law's purpose was to prepare them. |
Amos 5:1-6 Note something of considerable importance to church members: Both Isaiah and Amos addressed their counsel to people who had already made a covenant with God. Why? Because these Israelites were in serious spiritual trouble within the relationship that the covenant created. These are stern exhortations for them to get on the ball. A second but not readily apparent reason why these warnings are important to us is that seeking after God truly does not begin until after He reveals Himself to us and we make the covenant with Him. Many do not realize that seeking God is the main occupation for a Christian during the sanctification process. Amos is clear regarding this. God warns how devastating the coming perilous times will be, then He counsels us to seek the help of One far greater - our Creator and Ruler. Finally, He urges us to turn our everyday conduct to seeking to do good, showing care for God and His people. Amos is not charging the Israelites to seek God in order to find Him because, at the very least, they were acquainted with Him, having already made the covenant with Him. However, that He charges them with seeking Him reveals that despite making the covenant, what they knew about Him had not been translated into everyday living or being like Him. This indicates that they were just drifting along with the times. Four times in Amos 5, he urges them to seek God, and two of those times, he adds, "that you may live." This thought ties directly into John 17:3, which indicates that, more than being just endless existence, eternal life is a quality of life. As we proceed, we will see that they were being exhorted to seek God because, despite having made the covenant, they had stopped seeking Him, and the effect of stopping was their poor spiritual condition and subsequently, their imminent destruction at the hand of the Assyrians. |
Matthew 5:8 The heart is central to this because in the Bible the heart stands for the seat, source, reservoir, and instigator of our thoughts, attitudes, desires, character, and motivation. It is synonymous with our modern use of "mind," since the mind is where we hold knowledge, attitudes, motivations, affections, desires, likes, and dislikes. Jesus says in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Obviously, the quality of the heart is the issue in this beatitude. Proverbs 4:23 reads, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." Our Father directly addresses the book of Proverbs to His sons (Proverbs 1:7). It assumes our hearts have been purified by His initial cleansing, that we have received His Spirit, and are in the process of sanctification and going on to perfection. Ezekiel explains this process: Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (Ezekiel 36:25-27)
This does not all take place in an instant. It is a process, and as we have all discovered from Scripture and our own experience since baptism, human nature is still very much alive within us (Romans 7:13-25). Paul confirms this in Galatians 5:17, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you cannot do the things that you wish." Human nature, the law of sin within us, is always seeking to pull us again into the defilement of sin, seeking to destroy our hope of sharing life with the holy God. That is why God counsels us in Proverbs 4:23 to keep—that is, guard, preserve, and maintain—our heart. It is very easy to become defiled by lapsing back to old habits. In stark reality, Romans 8:7 and Jeremiah 17:9 show why: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" The normal human mind deceitfully convinces each person that they are good and love God, men, and law. But the reality is just the opposite: It is at war with God and men, and hates God's holy, righteous, and spiritual law. It loves itself and its desires far more than anything else. It is this deceitful, self-centered enmity that exerts constant influence, pulling us into the defilement of sin. Jesus preaches on this in Matthew 15:16-20: So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
It is sin that defiles holiness. In terms of character, of being in the image of God, sin defiles, pollutes, contaminates, or blurs the reflection of God in us. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8). |
Luke 21:28 This is part of Jesus' Olivet Prophecy, where He predicts conditions before His return—and our redemption is still future! The conclusion is clear: Sanctification is a process; conversion is a process; and growing and overcoming are a process. We go—proceed—on to perfection, and now we see that redemption is also a process. We do not become completely free of our captivity to Satan and this world in one giant leap. Liberty is produced incrementally, one step at a time. We are indeed the firstfruits of God's great purpose, but we are most assuredly not a finished product—yet. We are under construction, being transformed and brought "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). |
John 6:53 We have to choose! It is our responsibility to choose to intensify the sanctification process or to stop it. It is our choice. God says, "See, I have set before you this day life on the one hand and death on the other. Therefore, choose life!" (Deuteronomy 30:19). We can choose to go along with God's program, and if we do, we cannot hide the fruit. It will be produced. However, we can choose to reject it. It is our responsibility to make the choice. |
John 17:17 Sanctify means "to render or set apart as pure," and when we obey God's Word, we are set apart and purified. Jesus confirms here that everything that God originally authorized to appear in the Bible is truth. This means that every law, statute, illustration, example, and principle is good for us, helping us to have a better life now by building godly character in us.
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Romans 1:15 All of Paul's letters, with the exception of the Pastoral Epistles and Philemon, were written to congregations of already-established, converted people. Rome was no exception. The church was already formed there. They had a congregation—a group of Christians who were already disciples—and Paul wanted to go to them. Why? For them to be converted? No, to continue the process of conversion. And how was he going to do this? By preaching the gospel to them. He was going to preach the gospel to already-converted people. |
Romans 5:6-10 Sanctification and justification are not the same. They are, however, different processes within the same purpose, and they are definitely related issues. They both begin at the same time: when we are forgiven, justified, and sanctified. Justification has to do with aligning us with the standard of God's law that in turn permits us into God's presence. We will never be any more justified than we are at that moment; justification does not increase as we move through our Christian lives. Some believe that Jesus Christ lived and died only to provide justification and forgiveness of our sins. However, those who believe this are selling His awesome work short. As wonderful as His work is in providing us with justification, His labors in behalf of our salvation do not end there. Notice that verse 10 says we are "saved by His life." Jesus rose from the dead to continue our salvation as our High Priest. God's work of spiritual creation does not end with justification, for at that point we are far from complete. We are completed and saved because of Christ's labor as our Mediator and High Priest only because He is alive. Sanctification unto holiness continues the process. Hebrews 2:11 states that Jesus is "He who sanctifies," and those of us who have come under His blood are called "those who are sanctified." Note these verses carefully: » John 17:19: And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. » Ephesians 5:25-26: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. » Colossians 1:21-22: And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. . . . » Titus 2:14: . . . who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
Sanctification has a definite purpose that is different from justification. In one respect, justification—as important as it is—only gets the salvation process started. Sanctification takes a person much farther along the road toward completion. It occurs within the experiences of life generally over the many years of one's relationship with the Father and Son. How long did God work with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, and the apostles to prepare them for His Kingdom? By comparison, will our perfection be achieved in just a moment? Sanctification is the inward spiritual work that Jesus Christ works in us. Notice His promise, made on the eve of His crucifixion, in John 14:18: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." Moments later, when asked by Judas, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" (verse 22), Jesus replies, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (verse 23). These clear statements show that Jesus would continue His work with them following His resurrection. As our High Priest, He continues that work in us after our justification. He not only washes us of our sins by means of His blood, but He also labors to separate us from our natural love of sin and the world. He works to instill in us a new principle of life, making us holy in our actions and reactions within the experiences of life. This makes possible a godly witness before men, and at the same time, prepares us for living in the Kingdom of God. If God's only purpose was to save us, He could end the salvation process with our justification. Certainly, His purpose is to save us, but His goal is to save us with character that is the image of His own. Notice Hebrews 6:1: "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God." This verse and those immediately following confirm that, at the time of justification, we are not perfect or complete. Justification is an important beginning, but God intends to complete the process of spiritual maturation that He began with our calling. When sanctification begins, our Christian walk truly begins in earnest. Sanctification, then, is the outcome of God's calling, faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, justification, and our becoming regenerated by God through receiving His Spirit. This combination begins life in the Spirit, as Paul explains in Romans 8:9: "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." At this point in Christian life, the principles of Christianity must be practically applied to everyday life. At this juncture, it might help to recall what righteousness is. Psalm 119:172 defines it succinctly: "My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness." The apostle John adds to our understanding in I John 3:4: "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." Both rectitude and love concisely characterize the same standards, the Ten Commandments, and we are required to labor to perform both. |
Romans 5:6 In Romans 5:6, the apostle Paul declares that “Christ died for the ungodly.” The Greek word for “ungodly” is asebes, meaning “those without any reverence toward God.” The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, showed little reverence toward God. They were heedless when He warned them of the deadly outcome of their disobedience (Genesis 2:17; 3:3). Since then, all humans have followed their example, falling from God's favor because of unbelief, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Essentially, man is unwilling or unable to recognize God's sovereignty and holiness, which causes him to fall short of being what God intends him to be. The countermeasure for man's sinfulness is the perfect, sacrificial life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, culminating in our opportunity for justification (Romans 4:25). The objective of justification is not merely to render a guilt-free verdict for the repentant sinner, nor does it provide a special certificate of eternal life to its recipient. Instead, it is a spiritual act—part of a spiritual process—with spiritual effects that open the way to salvation and eternal life. |
Romans 5:8-10 Verse 10 says, "We shall be saved," in the future tense. Thus, we now have access to the Father, to the Tree of Life, and to a relationship to build upon which should lead to everlasting life. But God has willed that our development must take place within the world, not the Garden of Eden. Part of God's solution clears us of guilt of past sins; this is referred to in the Bible as "justification." Justification by faith in Christ's blood is only a partial solution because it neither changes the nature nor the character that is the cause of our needing justification through Christ's blood. It does clear us of indebtedness due to sin, and that in itself is a major blessing—an enormous gift—but by itself, it does not change the behavior that was responsible for us being indebted in the first place. It does open the door to that change, and thus verse 10 says, "We shall be saved by His life." This phrase implies help to enable us to be saved. Help is available to fulfill our part because Christ is alive to assist us. |
Romans 8:27-32 With such positive statements about our salvation, why should we be hopeless and fearfully doubt that God will supply all our needs? Does He ever fail to succeed in whatever He undertakes? These verses flatly and dogmatically state that, if we want to cooperate in faith to bring God's purpose for us to its intended conclusion, we must, I repeat, must, believe that His watchfulness over us involves every circumstance of our lives. Verses 31 and 32 put a cap on this issue: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" In verse 30, note that the term "sanctified" is missing from the list of the general stages of God's purpose. Sanctification is the only part of the salvation process in which our cooperation plays a major, consistent, and daily role. Why does Paul exclude it? This was not an oversight; he deliberately leaves "sanctified" out because he wants, for the remainder of this section of this epistle, to focus entirely on the absolute certainty of God's providence, not on any works we may perform in cooperation with Him during the sanctification process. Paul is not saying that God will always do what we might want Him to do; he is reminding us that He will always do what is right according to His purpose. God has the necessary powers to do as He sees fit for His purpose and us. He is watching, which is even more reason for us to draw on that power. Nobody can successfully stand in the way of His completing that purpose in each of us, but based on our knowledge of those powers, are we willing to accept His providence? Do we accept what He provides in any given circumstance, even though what He provides might not be what we would like to have? All of the things Paul writes here are wonderful, but the key to this particular subject is the answer to the question he asks in verse 31: "If God be for us who can be against us?" God has the power and the will, and He does not make mistakes or empty promises. Paul then lists what God has already done for all concerned. Our responsibility is to choose to put these facts to work in our specific circumstances. The handwriting on the wall for us is this: Terribly difficult times are coming, and they will affect all of us to varying degrees. The only successful way to complete our minute part in God's purpose is to choose to draw on His power. We must begin at once to cultivate the habit of cooperating by faith, accepting whatever He chooses to provide in our circumstances. If this habit is in place through long practice, we will be ready when the pressure really mounts. Because He is the Source of our deliverance in every circumstance, it is crucial for us to know God as well as we can. Our relationship with Him through Jesus Christ is the key that gives us access to the deliverance He provides. He has the power, and it is His will to meet our every need. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to use our time now to build on our present relationship with Him, making it stronger and more intimate. |
Romans 8:29-30 Paul actually left one step out here; he could have added sanctified. Sanctification is the period between justification and glorification during which we become holy, when the growth takes place. Everything in regard to this issue exposes a process. We are to consider ourselves pilgrims heading toward the Kingdom of God, gradually being transformed into the image of God along the way. The qualities of character, whether human or godly, are not produced instantaneously but through the everyday gathering of information, weighing it, making the necessary choices, setting our wills, and watching to see the results. Even as Israel had to walk out of Egypt and across the wilderness to the Promised Land—or there never would have been a change in their situation—so must we live this process to grow to become like God and be in His Kingdom. The laws of God are written on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10; Jeremiah 31:33) by life's experiences while we have a relationship with God. Like everything else in life, it is a process that has a beginning and end. Like every educational system, it moves from simple to complex. It moves from that which is clearly stated in the letter of the law to what is less apparent and depends upon a background of instruction, experience, and results. It depends on faith in and love for God and love for man that have grown in a person to aid him in properly understanding, applying, and practicing the spirit of the law. |
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 We play a part in making peace with God by choosing to be reconciled to Him. This is perhaps the first step in becoming a peacemaker. Paul essentially refers to himself as the one to whom the word and ministry of reconciliation have been given as a portion of his function as an apostle of Jesus Christ. However, the thought does not end there because we are also being prepared to assist in causing the reconciliation of the world to God. This is a second major, time-consuming step toward being a peacemaker. The sanctification process of a Christian's conversion creates within us the ability to be a peacemaker in the godly mold. |
2 Corinthians 6:1 J.B. Phillips' New Testament in Modern English renders this verse, "As cooperators with God Himself we beg you, then, not to fail to use the grace of God." The apostle Paul warns us against receiving grace with no purpose in mind for making the very best use of God's wonderful gift. God gives grace to be used by those who receive it. The sanctification process that follows justification requires our cooperation with Him so that the right qualities, understanding, and sensitivities are produced by His creative efforts. This cooperation produces Christian works. We must stop resisting Him through neglectful drifting—thus receiving God's grace in vain. |
Ephesians 1:4 God says that we have been called to be holy and without blame before Him. One could also say we have been called to be sanctified. Becoming holy is sanctification. Sanctification is just a fancy term that means "becoming holy," which is growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. It implies overcoming. We might avoid a word like "sanctification" because it is not part of our normal vocabulary, but all it means is "to become holy." Paul says in Hebrews 12:14 that "without [holiness] no one will see the Lord." This is serious stuff! We have been invited—called—to become holy. |
Ephesians 2:8-10 Notice first how this chapter begins: He has made us alive (Ephesians 2:1). Paul makes sure that we understand that it is God who gives what we spiritually possess. As for verse 8, it does not matter whether we believe that the pronoun "it" refers to grace or faith; both are gifts of God. Grace is God's kindness to us, shown or demonstrated by His revealing Himself to us. It might help to think of this in reference to God revealing Himself to Moses in the burning bush before He sent him to Egypt. If God did not freely purpose on the strength of His own sovereign will to reveal Himself, neither Moses nor we would ever find Him. If a person cannot find God on his own, how could he possibly have faith in Him? Satan has deceived us so well that men have only the foggiest idea of what to look for. Faith—with God as its object—begins and continues as part of His gift of kindness. The gift includes His calling, the granting of repentance, the sacrifice of Christ for our forgiveness, and His giving of His Spirit. It is a complete package of many individual gifts. The gospel is the medium that provides knowledge of the objects of the faith He gives, that is, what we believe and trust in. Paul, perceiving these gifts as a package, uses "grace" as its label. In verses 9-10, he advances to the logical "next step" in God's purpose. Our works in no way jump-start the process of justification, sanctification, and glorification. All our works, beginning with repentance and continuing through our period of sanctification, depend directly on the freely given kindness and faith God provides. Our God-ordained good works are the result of our response to the gift of faith that God gives. Works, then, are the external evidence of the unseen, internal faith that motivates them. A person could not do them unless God had given the gift of faith beforehand. Good works follow, they do not precede. II Corinthians 5:17-18 confirms this: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." This corroborates that it is God working in the person. His work is termed a "new creation." Since nothing new creates itself, we are the workmanship of another. We are God's workmanship. In sum, because of what God does, we cooperate and produce works that He ordains. The apostle Paul adds to our understanding in Philippians 2:12-13: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." He is not saying that we should work in order to obtain salvation. These verses indicate the continuing use of something one already possesses. They suggest carrying something to its logical conclusion, which is for us to live lives worthy of the gospel, doing the works God ordained, as in Ephesians 2:10. In Romans 9:9-19, Paul, using Jacob and Esau's pre-birth circumstances as a foundation, provides a clear illustration to show that from beginning to end, the whole salvation process depends upon God's involvement. Jacob, representing those called into the church, received God's love in the form of gifts designed to prepare him for the Kingdom of God. From Esau, representing the uncalled, God has simply withheld His love for the time being. |
Ephesians 4:17-32 Most of us realize that the unity of the church of God courses through the book of Ephesians as a general theme. Paul illustrates the church as a complete body of which Jesus, though in heaven, is the Head, and the elect here on earth comprise the rest of it. Early on, Paul declares how God has planned the organization of His purpose from the very beginning, determining whom He would call, give His Spirit to, and perfect as His children. In Ephesians 4, the apostle begins to clarify our Christian responsibilities regarding works. He appeals to us in verse 1 to make every effort to live a manner of life that measures up to the magnificence of our high calling. He then makes sure we understand that we must carry out our responsibilities in humility, kindness, and forbearance as we strive to maintain doctrinal accord in purity. He explains that Christ has given each of us gifts to meet our responsibilities in maintaining the unity of God's church. Foremost among these gifts are teachers who will work to equip us for service in the church and eventually in the Kingdom. This same process will enable us to grow to completion, to mature, no longer wavering in our loyalties, certain in the direction of our lives, and not deceived by the craftiness of men. With that foundation, the "therefore" in verse 17 draws our focus to the practical applications necessary to meet the standards of the preceding spiritual concepts. We must not conduct our lives as the unconverted do. They are blinded to these spiritual realities and so conduct life in ignorance, following the lusts of darkened minds. Because we are being educated by God, the standards of conduct are established by His truths and are therefore exceedingly higher. We must make every effort to throw off the works of carnality and strive to acquire a renewed mind through diligent, continuous effort so that we can be created in the image of God in true righteousness and holiness (verse 24). In verses 25-29, Paul moves even further from generalities to clear, specific works that we must do. We must speak truth so that we do not injure another through lies, as well as to maintain unity. Because deceit produces distrust, unity cannot be maintained if lying occurs. We must not allow our tempers to flare out of control, for they serve as an open door for Satan to create havoc. We must be honest, earning our way so that we are prepared to give to others who are in need. We must be careful that what we speak is not only true but also edifying, imparting encouragement, empathy, sympathy, exhortation, and even gentle correction when needed. In verse 30 is a brief and kind reminder that, in doing our works we must never forget that we owe everything to our indwelling Lord and Master. We must make every effort to be thankful, acknowledging Him as the Source of all gifts and strengths, enabling us to glorify Him through our works. In the final two verses of the chapter, Paul delineates specific responsibilities concerning our attitudes toward fellow Christians within personal relationships. This brief overview of just one chapter shows clearly how much works enter into a Christian's life as practical requirements that cannot be passed off as unnecessary. How else will a Christian glorify God? How else will he grow to reflect the image of God? How else will he fulfill God's command to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19) except by faithfully doing those works that lead to life? Through the whole process of sanctification, the Christian will make constant use of two additional works: daily prayer and Bible study, which must be combined with his efforts to obey God. No one who is careless about performing these works can expect to make progress growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ during sanctification. Why? Without them, he will have no relationship with either the Father or the Son, and thus will not be enabled to achieve the required works. They are the Source of the powers that make it possible for us to do the works God has ordained. If we do not follow through on these two works, we will surely hear ourselves called "wicked and lazy" and be cast into "outer darkness" where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:24-30). |
Ephesians 4:22-24 This occurrence of "holy" (verse 24) is a different word from the other word that is most frequently translated as "holy." This word means "to be without contamination." If one becomes dirty because of work - say there is dirt on one's face, hands, arms, and perhaps some of it is grease - it is very difficult to get it off. Will that dirt that contaminates one come off just because one wishes it so? No, we become uncontaminated, clean, because we work at it. The analogy is being followed through here. Paul's illustration explains that effort must be made to become holy, to be transformed into the image of God. There is action required on our part. |
Colossians 2:9-10 All the fullness of the Godhead is in Him, in bodily form, and we are complete in Him. It does not mean that we are complete yet. Nevertheless, all the resources for completion and spiritual fulfillment are there - in Christ! And He can bring us to completion! It is available to us in Him! Ephesians 4:7-8, 11-13 says that He gives gifts to men. The purpose of those gifts is so that we might be equipped to come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ! So, if we are in Christ, then all the resources for completion and spiritual fulfillment are available. We know from other places in Scripture that the completion is a process. As Ephesians 4:15 says, we must "grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ." |
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 This is a prayer of Paul's in which he makes a bold request on behalf of that congregation. It contains great encouragement for us. Paul requests their complete sanctification and preservation as holy until they die or God finishes His activities on behalf of the church at Christ's coming. Sanctification is the part of salvation that deals with our progressive growth in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ—or put another way, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ—or in yet another way, into God's image. God is faithful in carrying out His part in the building of Christian character. God's faithfulness guarantees the progressive perfection of a Christian's life. He is not like men who begin a project, lose interest, run into difficulties, consider it too hard to overcome, or become impatient and quit. He does not begin a work and then get disgusted with it and turn to something else. He does not begin and, finding He lacks the resources to finish, give up. Men do this, but God never stops until He is finished. He does not finish until He is satisfied. |
1 Thessalonians 5:23 God does not need to be persuaded to help us become sanctified. Yet, is not Paul saying that we are not completely sanctified? "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely"! We can never be "more pardoned" and "more justified" than when we first believed and were forgiven. We do not grow in justification; one cannot become more justified than before. It is impossible to be more justified than when one is justified and declared righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ. However, a person may become "more sanctified," even as a one may become stronger or weaker depending on the circumstances of his life. When we obey and follow God's way, every time we overcome something—every time some of God's attitudes, His mind, His character becomes a part of us—we are strengthened and enlarged in sanctification. But not in justification, as that would be an insult to the spirit of grace—to think that we could ever be more justified than when declared righteous on the basis of Christ's righteousness. Then we would be giving ourselves credit for our great works, showing we are deceived to the nth degree. |
2 Thessalonians 2:13 Sanctification is also known as becoming holy (Ephesians 1:4) and being conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). It cannot be left out of God's purpose because it is the step whereby we are transformed into the image of His Son, as well as into the image of the Father. It is in this step that we begin to take on the characteristics of the Family—where we begin to think and act like the current members of the Family of God. The character, the mindset, the attitudes, theperspective, the way we think, the way we look at things begins to become just like God's. Jesus says in Matthew 5:14, 16 that "a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works." Sanctification—if it is taking place in a person—cannot be hidden. Why is God so concerned about sanctification? Because 1) this is the step in His purpose in which the major portion of the transformation takes place, and 2) it can be seen—this is how we make a witness! Thus, when Paul sees the working faith, the laboring love, and the patient hope of the Thessalonians, he writes: . . . remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. (I Thessalonians 1:3-4)
Seeing the fruits of their lives, he knew that they had been begotten by God—that they had God's Spirit—because they had begun "looking" like the Family. Therefore, if a person claims to be a son of God but habitually lives in sin—he is deceiving himself. Those qualities that identify his "spiritual ancestry" begin to show. "Family ties" can be seen. |
Hebrews 2:10-11 God sanctifies us through Jesus Christ and graciously justifies us by means of Christ's blood, providing us with His Son's righteousness and granting us entrance into a relationship with Him. The sanctification process writes the laws of God in our hearts and minds, making His righteousness real and practical to daily life. During this process, which requires our cooperation with Him in His purpose, we literally become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The overwhelming majority of Christian works come to the fore within this process as part of the preparation for God's Kingdom. |
Hebrews 2:11 "He who sanctifies" is Jesus Christ, and "those who are being sanctified" is us. He calls us "all of one" because we are all of one Father, and therefore of one family. The word "brethren" indicates why the word "one" implies family. We are all brothers and sisters. If these words teach us anything, it is that Christ not only undertakes our justification but also our sanctification. Both of them are provided under the New Covenant, which He mediates. |
Hebrews 2:14-15 The purpose in this section of Hebrews is to provide us with a foundation of truth regarding how we are freed from the condition we were in before we were called, converted, and made Christians and part of God's Family. Hebrews 2:9-11 adds key information to clarify our understanding: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.
These verses introduce the solution. Jesus is the means by which we, the many sons, are made perfect, that is, brought to completion and made free from this bondage imposed on us. Our Creator had to first become completely identified with us: human. This is important because Jesus is the means by which we are not only made free and holy at the beginning of our conversion, but this same One also keeps us free throughout our conversion. Those who are truly holy by God's standard are those who will escape death. This holiness or sanctification is not a static, unchanging state but a growing, lifelong, continually forming one. It is helpful to be reminded of John 8:31-36, which concludes with the statement that "if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." The Son sets us free. However, a key element pinpointing our responsibility in this relationship is the word abide, mentioned by Christ in John 8:35: “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.” It means “to live,” “to continue,” “to go on.” We must recall Romans 5:10 and be very thankful: “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” This truth confirms that we are saved by His life, that is, He is our living High Priest. “I will never leave nor forsake you,” He declares (Hebrews 13:5). Our responsibility, then, is to continue being faithful to Christ, striving to overcome sin, and as this occurs, He, as our High Priest, continues to keep us free from backsliding into Satan's bondage. Thus, the work of Christ makes us one with Him and keeps us one with Him. The author of Hebrews is stating that Jesus, our Savior, and His brothers and sisters all now belong to the same Family. Remember that Jesus, in order to be identified completely with us, became a mortal man, but He, by living a sinless life, escaped the mandatory death penalty. Because of God's calling and faith, we are now linked with Him spiritually and can look forward to everlasting life. Hebrews 2:14 is saying that in order for us to be freed from bondage to Satan and the fear of death, Christ had to become human and able to die because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Thus, nothing less than the death of our sinless Creator, living as a man, could suffice for us to be freed from the death penalty by means of His substitutionary death on the cross. God paid a huge price for our freedom from the fear of death. This was not His only great accomplishment. He also lived sinlessly, and in doing so defeated Satan, who has the power of death, as he lost the struggle to induce Jesus, the second Adam, the beginning of the new creation, to sin. The Adversary had won this struggle over Adam and Eve and all their children, but Jesus took the weapon of death from Satan's hands. Because we are one with Christ, that weapon no longer hangs over us. |
Hebrews 10:14 Justification and sanctification are both essential to God's purposes regarding salvation. However, most are far more familiar with justification. Some believe that justification preserves one's salvation through to the resurrection. This cannot possibly be so, though, because that would mean that justification is salvation. In Hebrews 6:1, this same author writes, "Let us go on to perfection." At the time one is justified, the perfection or maturity of which he writes is still future. Sanctification is the inward spiritual transformation that Jesus Christ, as our High Priest, works in a convert by His Holy Spirit following justification. I Corinthians 1:30 informs us that Christ is not only our righteousness but also our sanctification. Hebrews 2:11 names Him as "He who sanctifies," and in the same verse, His brethren are called "those who are being sanctified." During Jesus' prayer in John 17:19, He says, "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also [the converts] may be sanctified by the truth." Ephesians 5:26-27 adds, ". . . that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." If words mean anything, these verses—and there are many more—teach us that Jesus Christ undertakes the sanctification of His brothers and sisters no less than He does their justification. Hebrews 10:14 is apt to be misunderstood. Perhaps this illustration may help: Imagine an observer, who, looking to his left, sees a perfect work—Christ's sacrificial offering for our justification—already completed in the past. On his right, he sees an ongoing continuous process—our sanctification—stretching off into the future. The author of Hebrews is showing that Christ's one offering is so efficacious that nothing can be added to it. It will provide a solid foundation for the continuing process of godly character growth to holiness for all mankind for all time. In the Old Testament, the words translated as "sanctify" and "holy" are derived from the same Hebrew root, and in the New Testament, they come from the same Greek root. In both languages, they are used in essentially the same way, meaning "to be made or declared clean or purified." Because of the sense of cleanliness, both imply being different from others of their kind that are not holy, and thus they are separated or set apart from what is common. One author suggests that the cleanliness of something holy makes it "a cut above." Justification is essentially a legal operation on God's part by accounting Christ's righteousness to us because of faith on our part. Romans 4:1-5 confirms this: What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something of which to boast, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
No works on our part are acceptable for justification. There is no way a sinner can "make up" for his sins. By contrast, we are deeply involved in the sanctification process, where works are very important. Ephesians 2:10 from the Amplified Bible clearly states our responsibility following conversion: For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
After being justified, we are required to live obediently, to submit to God in faith, glorifying God by overcoming Satan, the world, and human nature. Sanctification is normally the longest and most difficult aspect of salvation. Real challenges, sometimes very difficult ones, abound within it if we are to remain faithful to God, the New Covenant, and His purpose. |
Hebrews 12:14 Holiness starts in one's relationship with the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Justification through God's merciful act of grace opens the door of access to Him, as well as the door to the Kingdom of God. Justification is entirely an act of God, a legal action on our behalf that we accept by faith because He does not lie. Others do not easily discern our justification, since in most cases it has no outward manifestation. While sanctification unto holiness begins at the same moment as justification, it is a progressive, creative, time-consuming work of God within us. Unlike justification, sanctification cannot be hidden because it appears in our godly conduct. By it, a witness is made that God dwells in us. Where there is no holiness, there is no witness to glorify God. So we see that justification and sanctification are two separate matters. They are related - indeed, they cannot be separated - but we should never confuse them. If one partakes in either, he is a partaker of both, but we should not overlook the distinctions between them. Christians cannot take sanctification for granted. We must pursue it until we are assured that we are sanctified. Our course is clear: We must go to Christ as forgiven sinners, offering our lives to Him by faith, crying out to Him for the grace we need to enable us to overcome all the flaws in our characters. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:19, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." The same apostle adds in Ephesians 4:15-16: . . . but, speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Close communication with Christ is the source of the perception, motivation, and energy to discern flaws and overcome them. It is a biblical principle that whatever God requires, He provides what we need to accomplish it. Thus, we are to draw from this inexhaustible well and be renewed every day in the spirit of our minds (verses 23-24). In John 17:17, on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus asked the Father to sanctify us by His truth. Will God not answer that prayer, especially when we desire to be sanctified to be like His Son? He most certainly will answer it so that our sanctification will continue. Perhaps a word of caution is in order, and with it an admonishment that we also ask for patience. Growth does not always come quickly. In addition, as we grow in knowledge, at the same time we become more perceptive of our flaws. The more we know, the more flaws we see, and this can become humiliating and discouraging. The humility it produces is good, but the discouragement is not so good if it halts our growth. Paul faced this, writing of it in Romans 7, but he most certainly did not let it stop him. By the time he finishes his discourse, he declares resoundingly that he knows he will be delivered by Jesus Christ. Sinners we are when we begin, and sinners we find ourselves to be as we continue - we will be sinners to the very end. Salvation is by grace, is it not? Our absolute perfection will not occur until we are changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet" (I Corinthians 15:52). While reaching for God's holiness, we should not let our goals ever be anything but the highest. We should never let Satan convince us that we can be satisfied with what we are right now. |
Hebrews 12:14 Of what does holiness consist? Is it the accumulation of religious knowledge? Many people have labored long to research material for commentaries and other tomes on religious subjects, but does that accumulated knowledge translate into holiness? After three and a half years with Jesus, Judas had undoubtedly accumulated much knowledge, but it did not stop him from betraying his Master. Would Jesus, the Holy One, have betrayed Judas? The Bible shows that many had long contact with truly godly people, yet never became holy. Joab had an almost lifelong association with David, but he remained a scoundrel to his dying day (I Kings 2:5-6, 28-34). For years, Gehazi served Elisha, but he ended up cursed because of greed (II Kings 5:20-27). Paul reports that Demas had forsaken him because he loved the world (II Timothy 4:10). The rich young ruler, who appears to have been moral and respectable in conduct, asked Jesus what he should do to have eternal life, yet his rejection of His counsel proves that he was not holy at the time (Matthew 19:16-22). Were the Jews made holy due to their claim that the Temple of the Lord was in the capital of their nation and God dwelled there (see Jeremiah 7)? Does this equate to some taking comfort because they are "in the church" and are therefore holy? Later Jews claimed that Abraham was their father, and that they had "never been in bondage to anyone" (John 8:33). They were indeed "related" to someone of renown who was holy, but this did not stop Jesus from telling them that their spiritual father was Satan the Devil! Demographic categories may play their parts in one's sanctification, but none of them guarantees or makes one holy on its own merits. Holiness is not transferred via a group. Each must work with God on achieving it himself. John Charles Ryle gives the following definition in his book, Holiness: Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God's judgment, hating what He hates, loving what He loves, and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word. He who most entirely agrees with God, he is the most holy man. (p. 34)
We must understand more to appreciate more fully what he wrote. Ryle's is only an overall definition because he reveals as he continues that it defines only the overall mindset, foundation, and trigger of the holy person's conduct. Holiness includes both one's mindset and conduct. What good is a mindset without the conduct to give evidence of it? To paraphrase Ryle's conclusion, a holy person will strive to shun every sin known to him and to keep every known commandment whether required physically or in spirit. He will have an enthusiastic desire to perform God's will combined with a greater fear of displeasing God than displeasing the world. Paul writes in Romans 7:22, "I delight in the law of God according to the inward man." David, too, says, "Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:128). Why will this combination of attitude and action exist? Because the holy person will be striving to be like Christ. He will labor to have Christ's mind in him, as Paul admonishes in Philippians 2:5. He will deeply desire to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). Thus, the holy person will bear with others and forgive them, even as Christ bears with and forgives us. He will make every effort to be unselfish, just as Christ did not please Himself, sacrificing Himself for our sakes. The holy person will endeavor to humble himself and walk in love, as Christ served and made Himself of no reputation. The holy person will remember that Christ was a faithful witness for the truth, that He came not to do His own will but His Father's. He will deny himself in order to minister to others and will be meek and patient when receiving undeserved insults. On the other hand, Jesus was bold and uncompromising when denouncing sin, yet full of compassion toward the weak. The holy person will separate himself from the world and be instant in prayer. Christ would not even allow His closest relatives to stand in the way of doing the work He had been given to accomplish. In sum, the holy person will shape his life to walk in the footsteps of His Savior, as the apostle John advises in I John 2:6, "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." |
1 John 3:3 Our hope is to be like Christ and to see Him as He is. Our hope is to enter the Kingdom of God. What does having such hope do? It motivates a person to purify himself. He does this by living life as Christ lived it. The whole issue of sanctification revolves around the receiving of God's Holy Spirit and then the study, belief, and putting into practice of God's Word. If we do those things, Christ is in us, and we then cannot help but to produce fruit, just as He did. If we receive God's Holy Spirit, and it joins with our spirit, converting us, then sanctification—spiritual growth toward perfection—begins. It cannot be stopped unless we choose to stop it. Paul says, "Do not quench the Spirit" (I Thessalonians 5:19). We have the power to do that, but if we will just yield to it, fruit will be produced. How much and of what quality is up to the individual, but it will be growth taking place. The process will begin. |
Revelation 6:11 The explanatory material that fills out the remainder of the verse provokes varied interpretation. The reason for this is that two similar but variant readings of "was completed" have come down to us in the manuscripts: plerothosin and plerososin. The former is aorist passive, meaning, as in the New King James Version, that "the number of their fellow servants . . . was completed," while the latter is plain aorist, changing the sense to either "their fellow servants . . . should be complete" (less likely, according to the experts) or they "should complete [their course]" or "should fulfill [their calling]." Yet, this may all be just a semantic argument. By using italics, most Bibles make it clear that the number of is not in the Greek text but has been supplied by the translators. This was done to conform to their misunderstanding of the passive form, plerothosin. Since mainstream Christians, including translators, do not believe in the biblical doctrine of sanctification as a lifelong process—in cooperation with God—of spiritual growth toward perfection, translations of this verse contain a built-in bias toward a certain number being saved by grace alone through faith rather than those whom God calls being transformed into the image of Christ through grace and works. Thus, they insert the italicized phrase unnecessarily to preclude the idea of Christian works—despite the fact that the entire passage exalts the particular works of witnessing and martyrdom! Nevertheless, the verb—whichever is chosen as the better of the two—appears in the plural form, as it refers to its plural subjects, "servants and . . . brethren." "Number" is singular. This provides additional proof that Revelation 6:11 is not referring to a specific number of martyrs but simply that others either will be completed or will complete their calling through martyrdom. The latter half of the verse, then, is better rendered, ". . . until their fellow servants and their brethren, who are to be killed as they were, should also be complete [or, should also complete (their course)]." In other words, whether passively or actively, more sons and daughters will come to perfection through suffering and death, just as God's Firstborn Son did as our Forerunner (Hebrews 2:9-11). |
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