The Sanctification of the Believer

Last fall, as I was praying about what book of the Bible to study next, I asked the deacons for their input. I had recommended things such as a study of the Ten Commandments, a study of Matthew or perhaps Luke, or a study of Daniel/Revelation. But all three of deacons, in their own independent way recommended a study of what our Church believes as expressed in our Articles of Faith. As I mentioned back in January, topical studies are not my “strong suite.” I am much more comfortable preparing a sermon on a specific passage. And I am determined to get back to that approach at some point in the future. However, sometimes God calls us to leave our comfort zones and to do things which are not our “strong-suite.”

Why is important for us each to know what we individually believe? If we haven’t come to some form of conclusions about what the Bible has to say then it leaves us like a boat which is adrift in the ocean, not powered or steered by anything — just tossing to and fro wherever the wind may drive us. It leaves us without a sense of purpose for the Christian life. It leaves us without a foundation upon which to build our lives.

Why is it important to know what your church believes? There are many reasons which can be stated. Obviously, one of the reasons is to ensure that we are fellowshiping with a church which believes the same basic things which we believe regarding the Bible. I’m not saying that we will all agree on every “fine-point” of doctrine. But we should agree on the basics.

My personal checklist for determining if I can fellowship with a particular church is what is sometimes referred to as the

Five Solas of the Reformation:

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)

Sola Fide (Faith Alone)

Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)

Solus Christus (Christ Alone)

Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)

Sola Scriptura or Scripture alone refers to how the Scriptures alone are our sole rule for faith and practice. We do not take our authority from the councils of man, but from God’s Word. But the sad truth is that many people in Bible believing churches have abdicated this by not studying the Bible for themselves, and being dependent on those who do study it to tell them what to believe. I can safely say that most of us who teach God’s Word do not seek to mislead people. But we are human, and sometimes we make very human mistakes. You folks need to be like the Berean’s who daily studied God’s Word to see if the things which Paul & Silas were teaching them were true.

Sola Fide or faith alone refers to how salvation comes through faith alone and not through any so-called work of righteousness. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Any church which teaches that salvation comes through some sort of work which must be accomplished by the individual is in error.

Sola Gratia or grace alone refers to the biblical truth that salvation is a gift of God’s grace. The Catholic church, and perhaps other denominations as well, teach that grace is received by doing good works. But grace is free — it is not a payment for anything which we do. It is a result of the good work which Christ did on our behalf.

Solus Christus or Christ alone refers to how salvation is through Christ alone. As Jesus said that He is the way, and the truth, and the life. And that no man comes to the Father but by Him. Christ is our object of faith.

Soli Deo Gloria or for the glory of God alone refers to how our salvation is not for the purpose of our receiving some sort of glory. It is not so that we will receive an “atta-boy!” because we got saved. It is for God’s glory, and only for God’s glory that we are saved.

If a local church does not affirm these principles I will not fellowship with them. I am not saying that they have to have them written in their church constitution, or hanging as a plaque in the foyer. But the principles need to be apparent.

As I said earlier, I am much more comfortable studying a passage of Scripture than I am a topic. And the good thing about this week’s topic is that there is a passage of Scripture that I believe addresses our topic for today.

Please turn in your Bible to Titus 2:11-14 (page 1184-85 of the Pew Bible) as we consider THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE BELIEVER.

This passage deals with how we as believers should be preparing for the return of Jesus Christ. As believers wait for Christ to return we are to prepare ourselves for His return by putting off the ungodly ways which belonged to our old life and replacing them with the godly ways which belong to our new life, by anticipating the appearing of the glory of Christ, and by enthusiastically serving Christ.

Let’s read our text.

Titus 2:11–14 ESV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Let’s begin by looking at

The Doctrine of Sanctification

Before we delve into the doctrine of sanctification, we need to define what it means to be sanctified.

The first thing we must understand about the doctrine of sanctification is that

The Doctrine’s Foundation Rests on God’s Own Character

Because God is holy, His people are called to be holy as well. Peter wrote,

1 Peter 1:15–16 ESV

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.”

In its simplest form, note that

To be Sanctified is to be Set Apart for God’s Purpose

Some people in the Bible were set apart for a particular purpose. The prophets, the kings, the priest in the Old Testament were all set apart for a specific purpose. In the New Testament the apostles, as well as pastors/elders, and deacons were set apart for a particular purpose. But in a much wider view, all of God’s people are set apart by God as His most precious possession.

In my simplistic mind the anointing of a king or priest in the Old Testament gives a physical picture of what it means to be sanctified. That is because this anointing set them apart for the work to which God had called them.

And in the New Testament, believers are anointed with the Holy Spirit which sets them apart as belonging to Christ.

The doctrine of sanctification is often thought of in two or three stages.

Note that

The First Stage of Sanctification Took Place in the Eternal Counsel of God, Formulated Before Creation

Paul wrote about this in his opening remarks to the Ephesian church.

Ephesians 1:3–4 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

This aspect of sanctification is sometimes called positional sanctification. It is a done deal since we who are believers in Jesus Christ we have been set apart for God. Positionally speaking, we are holy and blameless. Not because of our own righteous works, but because the righteousness of Christ has been applied to our account. This occured before the foundation of the world — it was fixed in eternity past.

Note that,

The Second Stage of Sanctification is Being Worked Out in the Here & Now

This stage is frequently referred to as progressive sanctification. It is this stage of sanctification that will be addressed in our text for this morning.

While our articles of faith does not include the third stage of sanctification, some see that

The Final Stage of this Process will occur at the Lord’s Return

This will be when believers in Jesus are glorified — we will receive a new body which is not tainted with sin. This is the stage for which I can’t wait for it to happen. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to be finally delivered from this body of death and its propensity for sin.

Before we move from here, I want to briefly read what I hope we will soon adopt as our article of faith on this particular doctrine.

We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God accomplished in a threefold manner; first, an eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trust the Savior; second, a continuing process in the saint as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to the life; third, the final accomplishment of this process at the Lord’s return.

With this foundation in mind, let’s turn to our text and begin by looking at

The First Appearing

Look at verse 11.

Titus 2:11 ESV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

How did the grace of God appear in the past? Well, there are many ways in which the grace of God appeared. It appeared when after the fall of man God covered Adam & Eve with clothing made from animal skins. While we will not take time to delve into this today, this pointed to the substitutionary atonement. Something had to die because of man’s sin. In order for God to clothe them with animal skins, innocent animals had to die.

The grace of God appeared when God spared Noah and his family from the flood which wiped out ever living creature on the planet. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

The grace of God appeared in the choosing of Abraham and his seed through which all nations would be blessed.

The grace of God appeared in the choosing of the line of David through which Messiah would come.

Finally, note that,

The Grace of God was Personified in the First Appearing of Jesus Christ

What did Paul mean when he wrote that the grace of God appeared, bringing salvation for all people? Was he saying that all people, without distinction, are saved? That is what some teach, but that does not accord with the rest of the Bible.

Note that,

The Grace of God Brings Salvation to all People Groups

God's grace bought salvation to both Jews and Gentiles, which pretty much describes all people groups. God’s grace brought salvation to both men and women. It brought salvation to both Jew and Gentile. It brought salvation to both slaves and freed men. In Christ, there is no distinction between these groups.

How did God’s grace bring salvation to all people groups? Through the substitutionary offering of an innocent victim — Jesus Christ. Positionally speaking, Jesus, who never sinned, became sin when He hung on the cross. Therefore, God’s demand that the penalty of death for sin was carried out. While He became sin, positionally speaking, we who are in Christ became righteous, though we were not righteous. This is the greatest double switch of all times.

When the time was right, Christ appeared to take away the sins of His people. Let’s move on to consider what I am calling

The Changing of the Guard

At Buckingham Palace on a regular basis is a ceremonial changing of the guard. While this may be a spectacular thing to see, especially if you are into all the royal intrigue, it is nothing like I am talking about here.

Note that,

God’s Grace teaches Believers how to Put Away the things which belong to our Old Life of Sin, and Put on the things which belong to our New Life in Christ

Look at verse 12.

Titus 2:12 ESV

training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

On the negative side — the putting away or putting off side — we are to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions. What does that mean?

Hiebert wrote, “The aorist participle [renounce or deny] indicates that grace aims to lead the believer to the place where as a definite act he will voluntarily make a double renunciation of the past. He must repudiate and abandon “ungodliness,” the impiety and irreverence that characterized his unsaved life, as well as “worldly passions,” those cravings characteristic of the world in its estrangement from God. Such an act of renunciation, standing at the beginning of a life of Christian victory, must be maintained in daily self-denial.” (D. Edmond Hiebert, “Titus,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 440.)

Paul elaborates on this in the third chapter of his epistle to the Colossians.

Colossians 3:2–8 ESV

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

This whole list of the things which we are to put to death are summed up in Paul’s statement that we are taught by God’s grace to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.

On the positive side — putting on — we are to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. What does that mean?

Again, Hiebert wrote, “‘Live’ (aorist tense) may mean “come to live” but more probably means that our entire course of life should be consistently characterized by three qualities (stated as adverbs). In the original these adverbs stand emphatically before the verb. They look in three directions, though sharp distinctions need not be pressed: (1) inward, “self-controlled” (“soberly”); (2) outward, “upright” (“righteously”), faithfully fulfilling all the demands of truth and justice in our relations with others; (3) upward, “godly” (“reverently”), fully devoted to God in reverence and loving obedience.” (D. Edmond Hiebert, “Titus,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 440.)

Again, Paul elaborates on this in his letter to the Colossians.

Colossians 3:12–17 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This is the present work of sanctification of which the believer is to be an active participant. Our growth in maturity in Christ is tied to our participation in this process of what I sometimes call progressive sanctification.

So far, in our text, we have looked at the first appearing and the changing of the guard. Let’s turn now to look at

The Second Appearing

Note that,

The Certainty of the Believer is that Jesus Christ is Coming Again

That thought makes we want to break out into a rousing chorus of the old John W. Peterson song — if you know it, sing it with me.

Coming again, coming again; Maybe morning, maybe noon, Maybe evening and maybe soon!

Coming again, coming again; Oh what a wonderful day it will be — Jesus is coming again!

Look at verse 13.

Titus 2:13 ESV

waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

The term translated “waiting” or “looking” implies a certain, eager expectation like the eager expectation of a mother who is soon to give birth.

In the note for this point I used the word certainty instead of hope. And that is because in our everyday language hope refers to wishful thinking. But biblical hope is a certainty. We do not merely have a wishful thought that Jesus may come again, we have a profound certainty that He will come again.

Our text indicates that our blessed hope is the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hiebert wrote, “For Christ himself, this awaited “glorious appearing” will vindicate his character as the Lord of glory. “Glorious appearing” is more literally “appearing of the glory” and points to his present glorification in heaven. Now unrecognized and disregarded by the world, his glory at his return will be manifested in all its splendor. Verse 11 spoke of his past epiphany in grace; v. 13, of his future epiphany in glory.” (D. Edmond Hiebert, “Titus,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 441.)

Do you sense Paul’s enthusiasm as he writes about the appearing of the glory of Christ? Let’s move on to consider

The Reason for Enthusiasm

Note that,

In View of Christ’s Work on the Cross, Believers are to Enthusiastically Serve Him

Look at verse 14.

Titus 2:14 ESV

who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

The opening words of this verse remind me a little of the phrase we focused on last week in

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Look at verse 14 again.

Titus 2:14 ESV

who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Because of His love, Christ willing gave Himself for us — He willingly died in our place — He willingly took upon Himself the penalty for our sin. In His death He redeemed us from all lawlessness. We have been redeemed from those things which we are to put to death. Sin no longer has mastery over us. And yet we often live as if it does. Even Paul struggled with that — if you want to read about his struggle, read Romans chapter 7.

What does it mean to be redeemed? MacArthur wrote, “Redeem is from lutroō, which refers to the releasing of someone held captive, such as a prisoner or a slave, on receipt of a ransom payment.” (John F. MacArthur Jr., Titus, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996), 121.)

Not only did Christ redeem us from lawlessness, He also purified us to be His people. And the concept of purifying something is related to the concept of our positional sanctification.

Look again at verse 14.

Titus 2:14 ESV

who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

That word “zealous” has the idea of being enthusiastic. I’ve known many believers who are so zealous, so enthusiastic about serving Christ, since Christ came to serve them and give Himself as a ransom for them.

Are you and I who are believers in Jesus Christ enthusiastic about serving the one who gave Himself for us? Are we progressing in our progressive sanctification? Or are we digressing?

My friend, perhaps you have never embraced the One who gave Himself for you. Without embracing Jesus, without relying on His Person and His work you will not have a standing before God on the day of judgment. And when that day comes, He will say “depart from Me for I never knew you,” and you will be cast into the Lake of Fire. The good news is that it is not too late to repent and believe the gospel. But you never know when you will take your last breath in this life. When you do take your last breath it will be too late. Don’t delay.

Let’s pray.

Father,

I come before You thanking You for the redemption we have in Christ Jesus — the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. The One who redeemed His people from lawlessness and purified us to be His special people. May we truly be enthusiastic about doing good works.

Father, I pray for any here who have yet to repent and believe the gospel, that this would be the day in which Your Spirit moves in their hearts to respond to Your call to be saved.

I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Closing Song: #239

Jesus is Coming Again vs. 1 & 3

Marvelous message we bring, Glorious carol we sing,

Wonderful word of the King — Jesus is coming again!

Coming again, coming again; Maybe morning, maybe noon, Maybe evening and maybe soon!

Coming again, coming again; Oh what a wonderful day it will be — Jesus is coming again!

Standing before Him at last, Trial and trouble all past,

Crowns at His feet we will cast — Jesus is coming again!

Coming again, coming again; Maybe morning, maybe noon, Maybe evening and maybe soon!

Coming again, coming again; Oh what a wonderful day it will be — Jesus is coming again!

John 14:1–3 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.