The Gospel IRL Sanctification: - A Call to Holiness Pt 2

Sanctification - The Fight

Last week we looked at why sanctification. We talked about how we receive God’s free gift of salvation and justification. How we are positionally sanctified in Christ.

This week I want us to look at the fight or the struggle in the call to sanctification.

Once we say yes to Jesus. Once we bow down and submit to Him we enter into a war.

Growing up I loved watching wrestling and boxing. One of my favorite moments was when they announced the fight was going to start. It didn’t matter if it was a bell or an announcer saying something. The start was this magical moment when the story that had been building reached its climax and the fight would begin. My favorite wrestler was Sting (Steve Borden). He just carried himself in a great way. By the way, if Steve happens to see this feel free shoot me a message.

Anyway, my point in telling you this is that we have similar things going on in our lives. When we come to Christ the fight begins.

Remember we are sanctified or set apart for a holy purpose and we are being set apart. When you were born, you were born as a member of your family. Yet a very real your entire growing up was a member of that family. Learning how that did things.

Our Enemies - The Flesh

We have two constant enemies as we press on towards sanctification. The first is our flesh.

Our flesh and spirit are in a constant battle. We have this battle all the time. We are constantly close to this one.

Galatians 5:16–17 CSB

I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.

Our bodies will be made new, so they are not interested in sanctification. - Chris Parras

Our flesh is going to pass away. Whether it is put in the ground or Jesus comes back and makes it new.

1 Corinthians 15:42–44 CSB

So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

The flesh does not make the trip. What will our new bodies look like? I have no idea, no one does. The Bible is clear about that but it will be new (1 John 3:2).

The point is that we are fighting against our flesh. Our very bodies are against us as we seek to do God’s will. As we desire to press into God and walk in holiness our bodies reject that desire and seek only carnal, or fleshly, gratification.

Your body has no interest in sanctification.

You body wants what feels good. What makes it happy.

If we are waiting until we feel like it will never happen.

Will power is good and helpful. The brain can grow stronger, but Holy Spirit power is better.

To walk in the spirit it to put your flesh in its rightful place.

I cannot tell you how many times, often daily, I have to tell myself out loud, “No thank you, we do not need that Michael.”

It can be a million different things. It is not just wrestling with things we think are sinful. Yes we should not do drugs but I also do not need that Oreo Mousse cup from the store. I want it every night. I desire it after dinner but I do not need it. My body craves it butI do not need it. Why?

It is not just about the mousse cup. Once in a while is fine but every night will give my flesh the upper hand. Add to that my body does not need that much sugar. The point us is my body is not in control, my spirit is.

We are called to holiness and that process of denying the flesh happens in a million different small ways.

Matthew 26:41 CSB

Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

If we want to do God’s will we must learn to make the body stronger.

Our Enemies - Spiritual Warfare

You might be expecting me to list people as an enemy but biblically speaking no.

Ephesians 6:12 CSB

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

I will say this until I go to the grave.

People are not the enemy. People are the priority!

People are in need of salvation and sanctification just like you and me. Do they hurt us sometimes, yes, forgive them and love them anyway.

The enemy is the enemy. We are in a spiritual battle and that is who we are struggling against.

I am not a person who says or thinks the devil is hiding behind every bush and corner but we are in a spiritual battle. The moment you say yes to Christ you enter into the battle.

He wants you gone so you should want Him gone. The enemy, like your flesh, is actively opposed to your sanctification.

Satan means adversary and you need to hate the devil.

Amos 5:15 CSB

Hate evil and love good; establish justice at the city gate. Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

We need to hate the enemy as much as the enemy hates us.

When we get out of bed in the morning the enemy should go, oh crap they are awake again.

Our Response - Fight

On one hand it does not matter if we are fighting against our flesh or against spiritual forces. The response is the same, we have to fight.

As the great theologian Rocky Balboa says,

Let me tell you something you already know.The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!

Now if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth! But you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!

You have to keep fighting. You have to keep swinging. If you get knocked down you get back up. If you sin and fall short, expect it, and get back up by the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep getting back up, dust yourself off, and keep fighting.

The battle is going to keep raging so keep fighting. Now is not the time to quit.

How do we fight?

First and foremost we pray. We pray and we ask God for strength to resist.

James 4:7 CSB

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We ask God to give us strength to resist the schemes and tactics of the enemy.

2. Second, we learn to control our bodies. We do not give in to temptation but learn to stand strong in faith. Nothing wrong with sleeping in or eating ice cream, or whatever but when it becomes the pattern we make adjustments.

Proverbs 6:6 CSB

Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise.

3. Third, we repent. When we fall down and we will we repent, get back up, and keep going. Repent just means to change direction.

4. We ask God to refine us. We pray and ask God to make us new. To burn off the old and bring up the new. Yes it will hurt but it is only for a while. You will always be thankful for the refining.

Fighting through Prayer

It does not matter if we are fighting our flesh or the enemy, we fight first and foremost in prayer.

1 Timothy 2:8 CSB

Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.

We are all called to be praying. This verse says men but women you are not off the hook. We are all called to be praying. Praying for ourselves and for others. We all need it. We need to be pressing into prayer. One of my favorite tools is the One-Hour prayer wheel. Women if you remember from your retreat last fall I believe this was given out.

It can be hard to pray but the prayer wheel helps us.

Prayer Wheel

If you are not praying you are missing out on so much power in your life.

Prayer is our life line to God and how we communion with a holy and transcendent God.

Romans 8:26 CSB

In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

I get it we are all busy. Sometimes I look back at my week and realize I have hardly prayed. When we notice that we should make adjustments and pray.

Second, we learn to control our bodies.

We do not give in to temptation but learn to stand strong in faith. Nothing wrong with sleeping in or eating ice cream, or whatever but when it becomes the pattern we make adjustments. This is not about asceticism or self-denial for self-denial for self-denial alone. It is to remind our bodies that it is not in control.

Third, we repent

When we fail and we will all fail we repent. We turn. We change direction.

Brother Lawrence when asked about and said,

When he sinned, he confessed it to God with these words: 'I can do nothing better without You.

We are all going to fail so take heart. On our own we will fail but with God we can be better. Not by strength nor by might but by the power of God.

We ask God to refine us.

We pray and ask God to make us new. To burn off the old and bring up the new. Yes it will hurt but it is only for a while. You will always be thankful for the refining.

We bring our brokenness to Him and ask for His healing hand.

Here is thing God wants the best for you. He wants to make you the best version of yourself and He knows what that is because He made you. He crafted you. He knows what your best is. We often have no idea but He knows.

A Call to Salvation

If you have never received the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior then now is the time.