Chosen & Changed

//INTRO

We began a few weeks ago what has become a little series on the Christian Journey.

We began with a look at the marvelous Mercy of God.

The Mercy of God

God is rich in mercy

His mercies are new every morning

His mercy triumphs over judgment

He sits on a seat of mercy

We are called to be a people that cries out for mercy and extends mercy to others (even when they don’t deserve it – that’s the point)

The Stain of Sin

Sin is anything that opposes the will of God

Sin can be internal and external

Only the redeeming blood of Jesus can wash away our sins

We closed with a look at the Crimson Worm that Jesus himself calls to in the Messianic Psalm 22.

Justified

Last week we looked at Justification or the Justice of the Lord.

It’s not about retribution, but rather God putting misplaced things back into their rightful place and orientation

It’s not by our works, but through out faith that we are justified.

It’s us believing God even when we cannot see it.

Just like mercy, we are called to extend Justice to those around us.

This means even when we can’t see how it’s going to work, we walk in faith believing that the Justice of the Lord will work!

This week we are going to continue down the journey of the Christian Life and make our way through Sanctification.

Last week I felt impressed to open this weeks’ message to anyone that had a nugget, testimony, thought to share with me and I would ask God how to “cook it all up.”

I had 5 people reach out with incredible insight into the topic. Two of which pointed out the need to understand Adoption & Acceptance before we can wrap our minds around sanctification.

My spirit immediately bore witness and I’ve asked Steve Supe to share on Adoption before I bring a teaching on Sanctification.

So we are going to do a good ‘ol tag team message today.

Bring up Steve S

Adoption

Steve Supe Teaching

Closing verse, John 15.14-15

Sanctification Defined

Sanctification Definition

::To be made holy, set apart for God’s purpose.

Heb. שָׁכַן (shakan) – to dwell, reside, remain. Sanctification invites God's abiding presence.

It is both a position (set apart) and a process (being transformed).

Think of a group of unique Lego pieces in a box. Each piece has different shapes, colors, and sizes, but not all will fit into every model. When you select certain pieces to create something special, you are essentially setting them apart for a specific purpose. God does the same with us through sanctification—He chooses us for His unique plan, beautifully creating something extraordinary out of our diverse backgrounds.

The Pattern of Sanctification in the Old Testament

God Sets Apart What He Loves

Genesis 2:3  – God blessed and sanctified the seventh day; rest was made holy.

Genesis 2:3 ESV

3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Exodus 29:35–46 – Consecration of priests: "Whatever touches the altar shall become holy."

Exodus 29:35–46 ESV

35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them, 36 and every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall purify the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall anoint it to consecrate it. 37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall become holy. 38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

Sanctification is linked to dwelling — "that I might dwell among them."

might dwell; means to lodge, reside, abide, have habitation, be enthroned.

A sanctified life creates space for God to abide and be enthroned (see also Eph 3:17, Ps 22:3)

In our Christian lives, under the new covenant of Christ’s Blood, we enthrone the lord, not in a temple or tabernacle, but in our hearts.

Ephesians 3:17 ESV

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, …

2 Corinthians 1:22 ESV

22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Jeremiah 31:33 ESV

33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 ESV

26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Psalm 22:3 ESV

3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

Sanctification Belongs to God

Exodus 31:13 ESV

13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.

We don't sanctify ourselves to come to God—we come to Him, and He sanctifies us.

We come in rest, not in striving!

Warning! Sanctification Is Not Neutral

2 Kings 10 – Jehu calls a "sanctified" assembly for Baal.

We can be set apart for the wrong things — sanctification is about who or what we are set apart for.

Sanctification in the New Testament

A Work of the Spirit and Truth

2 Thessalonians 2:13–17 – We are sanctified by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:13–14 ESV

13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:18–31 – God chose the foolish, weak, and low to shame the wise — that no one may boast.

1 Corinthians 1:30–31 ESV

30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Romans 6:22 ESV

22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Sanctification Invites God’s Dwelling

1 Corinthians 3:9–23 – We are God’s temple, and His Spirit dwells in us.

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

What we build our lives with matters. Sanctification is not cosmetic—it’s foundational.

The Sanctified Life Is Lived Out

1 Thessalonians 4 walks us through what a life pleasing to God looks like.

1 Thessalonians 4:3–8 ESV

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Sanctification impacts how we walk, how we love, how we work.

It’s practical: abstain from sexual immorality, live quietly, love others more and more.

The Heart Behind Sanctification

(From David Arena)

We struggle with sin because we have disordered hearts. We have made the lesser things the main things. We have put something we love before the God we should love supremely.

Our priorities are out of whack. When our loves are out of order, the Bible calls it idolatry. Whatever we love more than God becomes the focus of our worship, and therefore, it has become an idol.

We all have idols of some sort. When our loves becomes disordered, we worship whatever we love more than God. We so often worship the created instead of the Creator.

God is committed to reclaiming our hearts and remaking us into the image of Christ.

Grace in the Process

The author goes on to discuss the grace that we have in God.

We are saved by grace, held by grace, and sanctified by grace.

God gives grace:

To expose sin,

To name idols,

To transform hearts.

“We cannot change what we will not acknowledge.”

Final Challenge

Sanctification is not about striving for perfection—it’s about surrendering to the One who makes us holy.

Are you building a life where God is welcome to dwell?

Are you set apart for Him—or for something else?

Let your life be a place where He is enthroned.

Romans 8:12–21 MSG

12 So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. 13 There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. 14 God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! 15 This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” 16 God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. 17 And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him! 18 That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. 19 The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. 20 Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in 21 until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.