Sanctification

In week 1 we looked at a core message of the bible which is Salvation. I shared with you that separation through sin reveals the fundamental need for salvation. God in His abundant mercy made provision for salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

His very name prophetically declared His purpose. That Jehovah is Salvation. Jesus has come to bring deliverance, victory, and help to all who call upon His name.

Acts 4:11-12 “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

Last week Pastor Josh shared with you about justification. Justification is the understanding of the manner in which God communicates Christ’s righteousness to believers so that they may stand as righteous before him and gain eternal salvation.

When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive salvation we become justified before the Father. This right standing comes solely through the finished work of Christ. We have not and can not earn it. God the father looks at us through the life of His son and declares that His blood shed wipes away our sin.

This is the precious gift of salvation and justification.

Today I want to look at one last area called sanctification, but before we do lets pray.

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Submit:

Sanctification defined means being made holy, or purified. Another word closely associated with sanctification is the word consecration. The origination of these terms are seen initially in the story of the Exodus and the Levitical priesthood. Leviticus 11:44-45.

In Leviticus 11:44-45 “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

Israel was called to come out from among the nations and to be separate. They were to be consecrated or set apart for God’s use. In both the tent of meeting in the wilderness and the temple in Jerusalem there were tools and instruments built specifically for ministering to the Lord. They were not to be used for unclean acts.

The levitical priest before ministering had to be ritually cleansed and purified before they served in the temple. These elements were a type and shadow of what was to come. God is a Holy. He had very strict instructions on how he was to be approached. Although the instructions were right there was still separation between God and man.

The very presence of God in the temple was blocked by a large vail (curtain). The high priest was limited to entering once a year on the day of atonement to offer sacrifice for the sins committed by the people. When this offering was accepted the sins of the nation were covered again for another year, but never removed.

The good news of the gospel is that through Christ our sins are removed and we have received imputed righteousness. Essentially God has deposited Christ’s righteousness into our account because of this we are justified in the sight of God.

This gift of salvation and justification has closely tied with it sanctification. Those who say yes to Jesus have received a heavenly inheritance, but there is more to it. 1 Peter 1:3-9. 1 Peter 1:13-16.

Open you bible to 1 Peter 1:3-9 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.””

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Apply:

Sanctification is the process of becoming holy because God is holy. The grace of God leads us to holiness. For many years there has been a false grace preached that we can essentially do what we want and just ask for forgiveness and we are good. This message does not require sanctification or consecration to God. It has not required that we come out from among the world to be separate unto God.

I must submit to you today that this concept of grace is deception. Romans 6:1-4.

Turn with me to Romans 6.

Romans 6:1-4 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

When we receive Christ we are called to walk in newness of life. We are to put on the character of the new man (Colossians 3:12-17). Romans 6:5-11.

Romans 6:5-11 “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The old man was crucified that the body of sin might be done away with. We are to reckon ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. There is two letter word there that is significant. It is the word IN. Sanctification is not about our best efforts. Its about becoming alive to God IN Christ. What does John 1:1-4. tell us about Christ.

John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Sanctification and becoming alive to God begins and ends with the Word. Romans 6:16-19.

Romans 6:16-18 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Romans 6:19 “I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.”

I want you to see something.

We are either slaves of sin or slaves of righteousness. There is nothing in-between. Remember that our righteousness is as filthy rags on its own. Being a good person is admirable but apart from Christ you are still a slave to sin. Romans 6:21-22.

Its Romans 6:21-22 it says, “What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”

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Closing:

Do not let the verbiage of slave lead your mind astray. Becoming a slave of God leads to the fruit of holiness and the end, everlasting life. 1 Corinthians 2:9.

I would remind you that 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.””

Sanctification is not a drudgery to life. It actually brings the fullness of God to life.

So my final question is this.

How then do we become sanctified and set apart?

Through the washing of the water of the word. Ephesians 5:25-27. Romans 12:1-2.

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 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.”

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Illustration:

The dirty glass of water. Large amount of fresh water.

Demonstrate the process of the renewal of the mind that leads us to righteousness and holy living. The word washes us clean. Ultimately our reflection becomes like the word. The grace of God empowers us to live according to the word. Living by and through the word releases holiness in our lives. Its not something we are trying to earn by works. Its merely a change of life and lifestyle.

The word activated in our lives through obedience will change our thoughts, speech, and deeds. What once was darkness will become light.

This is the concept of righteousness. When we adhere to the word of God we will live righteous. We will be Holy, because he is Holy and righteous

The washing of the water of the word is where we fill our hearts and minds with the word of God. This word convicts, instructs, and encourages us. When we respond in obedience to the word we are set apart by it (sanctified). Our conduct will look different, our attitude will look different, our words will be different. How we treat people, our desires, etc. will be different.

This is the process of sanctification. Holiness does not cause us to stick our nose up in the air at people. It does not give us right to be judgmental or critical of people. On the contrary the revelation of the kingdom of God and holiness should cause us to have compassion on people. Seeing the brokenness and needs of others should provoke our lives to action.

Because we know the transforming power of the love of God we demonstrate it towards others, not pointing out their flaws. Instead we demonstrate through action the goodness of God that leads us to repentance Romans 2:4.

Today my prayer is that we would dive deep into the transforming power of the word of God, and that God would set us apart for His use!

Let’s Pray!

For the grace of God to draw us to draw us into holiness.

Salvation

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