Doctrine of Salvation Part 2

“Doctrine of Salvation” – Part 2

(May have to have Part 3)

Introduction

· Last week we looked at 2 doctrines of salvation: Regeneration and Justification

· Today: Sanctification and Glorification

I lied – I said 2 parts – No way to adequately cover materiel in 2 parts

· Important to know: We can distinguish the different aspects of these doctrines, but we can never separate them with respect to salvation

Review Regeneration and Justification

Regeneration

· Regeneration = “Born Again” because Jesus died and was resurrected

· We go from spiritually dead to alive in Christ

o We are a new creation – old has passed away, new has come

o An inner change we can’t see that translates to outer Godly living we can see

· We now have new values, morals, priorities, new purpose, and new desires

Justification

· This is a legal term

· When we come to faith, God finds us not guilty of our sins that lead to death and now brings us into a right relationship with God all through the work of Jesus Christ

· The basis for which we are judged not guilty is the righteousness and merits of Jesus who lived the perfect life for us and was crucified to take away our sins that found us guilty

· Christ’s holiness and righteousness has been imputed to us

· Imputed means God declares and sees us as holy and righteous – no inner change

Regeneration and Justification are accomplished by Triune God alone – we play no part in them

· Father initiates His plan of redemption and salvation

· Son is the means by which it happens, He fulfills and accomplishes this plan

· Holy Spirit is the agent that applies the power to make it a reality

Sanctification

Definition – What is it?

· Technical definition: The gracious and continuous operation by the Holy Spirit by which He deliversthe regenerated, justified sinner from the pollution of sin, renews his whole nature (a new creation) in the image of God (sin marred this image), and enables him to do God’s will and perform His good works.

· In both Greek and Hebrew sanctification means:

o To be set apart

o To be made holy and righteous

So 1st: Sanctification is God calling us and setting us apart to be His own

1 Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

2nd: Sanctification: God imparts to us His holiness and righteousness – Unlike imputing, imparting is and inner change

2 Corinthians 5:21

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

3rd: Sanctification is God’s way of dealing with our sin problem

When does it occur (2 aspects)?

Instantaneously:Upon conversion – belief in Jesus

o We have experienced regeneration and justification therefore we are also sanctified

Romans 8:30

30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

o We are also immediately adopted into God’s family

Romans 8:14-15

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Ongoing Process for the rest of our life

o Sanctification is continuously growing and maturing in our faith – Through spiritual disciplines – List

o Continuing process of conforming to the image of God –Becoming more and more like Jesus

Romans 8:29

29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son

Why are we sanctified?

· We are set apart for God and made holy and righteous to be presented to God, offered to God, devoted to God, and to be used by God for to serve Him as we carry out God’s will and perform His good works

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Illustration: Road to Damascus – Paul separated to God and carry out His will

Acts 26:9-10, 12-18 -Paul explaining his conversion

9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.

12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Go back to sanctification being God’s way of dealing with sin problem:

God’s instantaneous sanctification frees us from being a slave to sin and death and made alive in Jesus Christ

Romans 6:9-11

9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

If Jesus died so I would be forgiven of my sins, why do I keep sinning?

· There is a Spirit – flesh tension because of our sin nature that still remains

· It has already occurred but not yet perfected

· Example: Inheritance – It is yours and it is secure but you can only get it when old enough

Paul talks about this tension in Romans 7

15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

How are we sanctified, made holy and righteous? - Who does it?

· We must know and understand that it is only by God’s work through Christ that makes sanctification possible – The truth of the Gospel

Jesus did this perfectly which paved the way for our salvation

· God set apart Jesus to carry out His plan of redemption and salvation

· He lived the perfect life and died the perfect death for us (His resurrection and ascension made our glorification possible

· Because of this, God imparts His holiness and righteousness (sanctified) when we are forgiven of our sins

· We now have a divine nature and are separated from sin

God’s work and our work

· Last week we said regeneration and justification if accomplished by God alone – we play no part in it

· But with sanctification, there is God’s work and then our work

· 1 mistake = We think we are sanctified by our own efforts

· 2nd mistake = We are passive in sanctification, we let God do all the work

· Truth = Both God and ourselves work in co-operation

We will use Philippians 2:12-13 to explain this

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

· The Scriptures plainly teach us that God is working in us because He saved us. But He is working in us in order that we may work that salvation out

God’s part

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

· God’s will for us is to be sanctified – That is the starting point

· God’s part was sending Jesus to live perfect life and die a perfect death for our sanctification

· Work of the Triune God

o God begins sanctification to will and to work for his good pleasure.

o God the Father initiates the plan of salvation

o God the son secures our salvation and sanctification through His perfect life and perfect death

o The Holy Spirit reveals to us God’s will and

o Holy Spirit then empowers us to carry it out

God works in the will to act – enables action

Our Part

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

· Because of all God has done for us, we have the desire and ability live out faith in Godly living

· As Ephesians tells us, our responsibility is to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

· We are also to put to death the sins of the flesh and put on and put on holiness, righteousness, and good works

· We are called to action

· We must align our will with God’s will and then act

Order is important: God’s work first followed by our work

Illustration

John Ch 15

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing

· The branch can’t do anything if nutrients aren’t provided by the vine

· The vine (God) provides all the branch needs to produce good fruit (Godly living)

Let’s tie all we’ve learned about the doctrine of sanctification to TBCC vision frame

At TBCC we value forging disciples

· We want to continuously grow and mature in our faith through the teaching and preaching of God’s Word

· We are committed to building up our church family towards the full maturity of Jesus – more and more like Him

· We are committed to raising up disciples who make disciples

Our strategy to accomplish this:

· Learn – Again from teaching and preaching the Word of God

· Grow – Participating in spiritual disciplines

o Bible study

o Worship

o Attending Sunday service

o Profound prayer life

o Serving our church according to the gifts God has given us

o Evangelism

Marks of spiritual growth – Ways to measure whether or not we are accomplishing our value of forging disciples

Effectual Learning

· Are we engaged in the spiritual disciples mentioned

· Are we living in obedience to God as we represent Jesus daily

· Do we have a firm understanding of essential Biblical truths, God’s overarching plan of redemption and salvation, and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus

Sacrificial Service

· Are we demonstrating our love for each other and for the lost in our community by generously giving our time, talents, and treasures

Doctrine of Glorification

· Sanctification is the process of always growing towards the likeness of Christ – However, we never reach perfection until we die and go to Heaven

This leads us to the doctrine of glorification

Glorification is the last stage of salvation

· It is the resurrection of our body at Christ’s 2nd coming

Revelation 19:11-16

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Glorification for believers was only made possible when Jesus was resurrected and ascended to Heaven

· Jesus paved the way for us

Romans 8:11

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Glorification is the beginning of our eternal life with God in His Kingdom

· We are completely delivered from sin

· We will be completely conformed to the image of Jesus

· We will never experience decay, death, illness, pain, sadness, etc.

Revelation 21:1-4

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

· Can you picture this in your mind?

Application/conclusion

Overload of information – Highly encourage you to watch sermon again – Transcript for you – May have to put it on the windshield of you cars – Important Scripture references in bulletin for understanding and application

· Salvation is God’s work from beginning to end – It started with God, is continued by God, and perfected by God

Martyn Lloyd-Jones quote

“I know nothing so uplifting as the realization of that great truth that the 3 blessed persons of the Trinity have co-operated in order that a worm such as I might be rescued and redeemed and made perfect, to stand in the presence of God in judgement.”