Christ our Sanctifier

INTRODUCTION:

Last week we talked about Jesus our Coming King. This week we take another part of what we are calling the fourfold Gospel. Jesus our savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King.

“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30) NKJV

The Bible teaches three tenses of salvation:

• I have been saved: Justification

• I am being saved: Sanctification

• I will be saved: Glorification

Last week we talked about the Coming KING. Jesus is coming and he is coming as KING. If you have come into a personal relationship with Jesus you are part of that Kingdom. Your future glorification in that kingdom is secured because of the kingship of Jesus. Yours and mine future glorification is secured because of the King. If we die before he comes again in the clouds we are GLORIFIED. If we are alive when he come again as KING we are GLORIFIED.

This week we will focus on the SANCTIFICATION tense of salvation:

What doe sanctification mean?

Sanctification means separation.

Separation from sin: “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.'” 1 Peter 1:15-16.

Separation to God: “(He) has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father” Revelation 1:6.

How does this work?

We read in John 1:29, 33 is

29 The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 33 I did not recognize [a]Him, but He who sent me to baptize [b]in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes [c]in the Holy Spirit.’

Jesus is:

• “the one who is taking away the sin of the world”

• “the one who is baptizing with the Holy Spirit.”

Two realities—two experiences.

All Christians understand the first promise. But many Christians do not understand the experience of the second.

It is the experience of Christ’s sanctifying work in a believer’s life. For those who neither understand nor allow for the Spirit’s control in their lives, the results will have profound effect.

Ongoing and unsuccessful struggle against sin and a lack of power in life and ministry frustrates the believer. Doubts creep in about the assurance of salvation; there is a lack of joy in the walk with Christ.

Pneumatology “101.” In the context of the following Scriptures, the Greek word for Spirit is pneuma.

• Every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9).

• Many Christians are not (and never have been) filled with the Holy Spirit. “be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18).

Two realities—two experiences.

With the decision to believe Christ is Savior, the One who was sacrificed for the sin of the world, the believer is immediately indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

The believer who forsakes the flesh, allowing the Spirit’s infilling, experiences victory and deliverance not only from the penalty of sin because Christ’s righteousness is imputed to him. The Christian who is filled with the Christ’s Spirit knows deliverance from the power of sin as Christ’s righteousness is imparted to him.

Not only does the follower of Christ experience freedom from eternal death because Jesus lives in him but also freedom to live an abundant life in the present because Jesus lives through him. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit he is equipped to fight the temptations of the future.