Love Matured: Sanctification
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Sanctification is a Process
Sanctification is a Process
The Bible depicts the Christian life as a Holy war that must be waged incessantly. Last time I taught our author mentioned how Satan doesn’t randomly attack us, it isn’t as he put it a drive by shooting, Satan carefully plots to get us each individually.
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 10:
what does sanctify mean? to make Holy or dedicate to set apart
sanctification has clear moral and ethical dimensions. our book says in short that sanctification is the process of growing more in love with that which is truly worthy of love.
There are two aspects of sanctification. Divine Action and Human Action.
In its primary sense it is the work of God.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.
11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
“to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus....”
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
These verses tell us that we are sanctified through Christ and the Spirit. But that doesn’t mean we don’t play a role. we have a job to do as well. Judgement wouldn’t be possible if sanctification was only the job of the godhead. God has extended a option. we all have free will to choose. Does God know how we will choose, yes, does he force us? NO.
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews
we must strive for holiness. meaning it doesnt come easy. it is a command, we arent given holiness we must work.
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
How do I become Holy?
God has given us the tools, he never commands something without giving us the ability to do it. Our tool chest has many things but the most fundamental in living a sanctified life is God’s word.
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
we cannot lead where we do not go, we can not teach what we do not know. we cannot be holy if we are not in contact daily with the holy word.
it would be like building a house without a blueprint.
Another tool in our spiritual tool chest is faith.
Acts
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.’
How do I become Holy?
How do we have faith?
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
it all comes back to the word. If we develop a true love for the words that God has left us we will be on the path to sanctification.
we must realize that christianity isnt a checklist. sometimes we act like it is.
Just being exposed to the word doesnt mean we are sanctified. we must allow the word to sink deep into our hearts to have full effect. Holiness is the result of living a more thoughtful life. We know what God wants from us, we are aware of the needs of those around us and we act.
we cannot simply memorize verses or prayers to quote. Jesus addresses this in the sermon on the mount.
1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:
In this passage he addresses a lot of religious acts that they were doing with the wrong motives.
practicing righteousness to be seen.
giving to the needy to be seen
praying in front of others just to be seen
praying empty phrases because it sounds good
they fast to be seen
our book says that many churches approach this with the wrong mindsets.
They are more concerned with principles than particulars. They play loose and fast with God’s Word. They are weak and anemic because their faith lacks the sacred structure and spiritual sustenance to maintain a vigorous, healthy love.
Scrupulously investigate God’s word but lose sight of its over arching purpose. This can result in either cold institutionalism or cruel intimidation. They are traditionalists and terrorists, religious bureaucrats and bullies.
God’s desire for His church is to bear the image of His son by bearing the burdens of others.
BALANCE
We must give respect to both God’s promises and His commands.
The job of a preacher is difficult. You study the Word constantly learning and try to just preach what God says in the manner he says to do it, in love. Does that mean we have to hear difficult lessons, certainly. The Bible is filled with difficult lessons and we must learn those, but just as many hard lessons there are heart warming lessons. Those are important as well. But we are ministers, every one of us. What are we preaching, when we speak to people do we have balance?
We can’t be a church that only talks about negativity, that isn't Christian.
We must have balance, souls need to be supported not just scolded. Most generally we find it easier to scold and harder to be supportive in the church. In my opinion that is because the world is the other extreme and we dont want to be like the world. But we are told to not go to the right or to the left.
6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
We are to remove the bad from our lives and add the good. Its all about balance.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
This passage gives us a list of the bad we need to remove and the good we should have, note it is fruit not plural. we cannot pick and choose what we want to demonstrate in our lives.
We are not meant to live half lives, to only endure trials, we are meant to live full joyful lives.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
If we arent living joyful lives it isnt becuase we cannot as Christians. Its a choice.
Sanctification is the maturing of love.
it occurs when christians turn their hearts from the love and practice of sin to the love and service of God. we must determine to love God more and love more like God does.
Th