Lights in the World

Since Christ is our Lord we agree with God by obedience, have the attitude of saints, being anchored in the Scriptures.

by obedience, have the attitude of God’s children, and be anchored in the Scriptures.

Agree with God in Sanctification

Work out your salvation - carry it to completion by obedience to the Lord.

The three phases of our salvation: Past, present, and future.

Our past - we have been justified by grace through faith.

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Our present - we are being sanctified by the Spirit unto obedience.

1 Peter 1:1–2 NASB95

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

1 Peter 1:2 ESV

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

:5-

2 Peter 1:5–9 ESV

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Our future - we will receive glorification

1 Peter 1:4–5 ESV

to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

There are two sides of sanctification. God is at work and will complete his work in your life. We are called to cooperate with his work in our lives.

Not quietism - the belief that I just “let go and let God” do everything, with no

2 Peter 1:5–9 NKJV

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Not quietism - the belief that I just “let go and let God” do everything, with no effort of our own in the Christian life. Not pietism - all our work in sanctification with no recognition of God’s enabling power. Rather, Paul speaks of both our role and God’s work in the process of sanctification.

Not pietism - all our work in sanctification with no recognition of God’s enabling power.

Rather, Paul speaks of both our role and God’s work in the process of sanctification.

We are to work it out with fear and trembling, the fear of the Lord.

God is at work in us to give both the desire and energeo (operative power, work) his good pleasure. Cooperate with his work in your life.

HOW?

Have the Attitude of Saints (God’s Children)

Thanksgiving is the unique identifier of God’s people. A people that do not complain in the face of adversity, but rejoice in the hope of eternal life demonstrate that they are children of God.

What

Stop Complaining - young monk, 10 years silence, two words, “Bed hard.” 10 years, “Food bad!” 10 years, “I quit!” Head monk, “I knew this was coming. You’ve done nothing but complain for the past 30 years!”

The captivity of complaining - Arthur Bundrage in 2012 robbed a bank demanding $20,000 in cash. The teller at first refused then gave him a bit of money, calling the police after he left. When Arthur discovered that he didn’t have the full $20,000 he returned to complain and demand the rest of “his” money. Officers found him banging on the front door trying to get back in and arrested him.

Grumbling (gongusmon) - complaining and speaking evil against the Lord or His leaders. It leads to captivity and barrenness.

- We grumble and complain when we forget God’s blessings and think we deserve more than He has given. The people murmured against God’ provision.

- the people murmured against God’s appointed leaders.

Ungratefulness is the first sign of turning away from the Lord.

Romans 1:21–22 ESV

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

Rom. 1:1

A New Year’s resolution - make this a year of Thanksgiving to the Lord.

Psalm 100 ESV

A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Be Anchored in the Scriptures

The second way that we cooperate with God in sanctification is by being grounded in the Scripture.

It’s by the word that we grow. “As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow.”

It’s by the word that we are sanctified. “Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.”