SS- Sanctification

Sanctification is a progressive work of both God and man that makes Christians more and more free from sin and more and more like Christ in their actual lives.

Grudem, Wayne . Christian Beliefs, Revised Edition: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know (p. 108). (Function). Kindle Edition.

Recap

“Set apart” same root word for holy

Biblical defense

1 Thessalonians 4:3–7 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 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. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.”

Hebrews 10:14 “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Legal Standing - Internal condition

Once for all time - Continuous throughout life

Entirely God’s work - We cooperate

Perfect in this life - Not perfect in this life

The same in all Christians - Greater in some than others

Three stages

Definite beginning at regeneration

Initial moral change

different orientation

Freed from power of sin

Increases throughout life

one degree of glory to another

2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Complete at death

1 John 1:8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Sanctification is a process

Practical Applications of Sanctification

The Christian life is compared to:

Running a race

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

Fighting a war

Ephesians 6:10–18 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”

In addition to that, Sanctification is a mandate

1 Peter 1:15–16 “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

Sanctification is a holistic endeavor

We ought to pursue holiness in every part of our lives

work

home

public

private

our thoughts

our minds

our relationships

our affections

This is impossible apart from Christ

John 15:1–8 ““I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 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. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

Which means it is a vain endeavor to try to be holy apart from christ

You dont make yourself holy to come to Jesus

We need to look to christ for our justification & look to christ for our sanctification

Count yourself dead to sin and alive to God

Romans 6:1–14 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present [not passive but active fight] yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments [weapons] for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

Counting yourself dead to sin and alive to god is entering into battle for holiness, knowing that Jesus has already won the battle

Paul says fight the good fight of faith

1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Understand the severity of sin and the holiness of God

War against temptation & indwelling sin

Obedience to the law of God

Submission to providential suffering

Living unto God

Obstacles to Holiness

Self-Centeredness

2 Timothy 3:1–5 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

We think far too much about ourselves

“love yourself more”

Even sin we dislike can be because it offended us not God

James 4:1–9 “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

Spiritual lethargy

We can wrongly view sanctification as “Jesus take the wheel”

Some even go so far as to abandon effort at all in an attempt to avoid legalism

Fruit of spirit - Self control

Paul “disciplines” his body

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

If you are not holy it is your fault

Spiritual Pride

External victories in holiness can lead to pride & boasting

They ought to lead to thanksgiving & praise

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Calvin, “Holiness is not a merit by which we can attain communion with God, but a gift of Christ which enables us t cling to him and to follow him.”

We may think because we know more or have seen victory in areas that we’re “good enough”

Dont sleep on your sin

Shirking Battle

Spiritual warfare is hard

It’s easy to lay down and choose not to fight

No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist. - CS Lewis

This is a daily battle

Disciplines to Cultivate Holiness

1 Timothy 4:7 “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;”

Means of grace

Gods word

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—”

Read

search

John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,”

Pray

Study

Memorize

Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Meditate

Psalm 1:1–2 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Pray for more sanctifying grace

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Psalm 139:23–24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

The lords prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Participate fully in the life of the church

Worship & fellowship with Gods people

Membership & placing yourself under the watch of shepherds

Reading, singing, teaching, & preaching of Gods word

Flee worldliness

Cut off

Fill your mind with the glory of God

Think of Isiah in the throne room

Know your sinful heart

Flee the temptations

Understand the reality of how wicked we are capable of actually being

Look to Christ

“I know of no other way to triumph over sin long-term than to gain a distaste for it because of a superior satisfaction in God.”