&
Every
Such Thing
whatever happened to the doctrine of
sanctification & god’s answer to the real lord’s prayer?
-3-
The subject of sanctification is very
dear to my heart, because the older I get, the more aware I am of my need for God to work both in & on my
life. Paul says, ‘Wherefore, my beloved, as
ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). I haven’t even reached the
standard that the believers at Philippi had; I
have not always obeyed. Yet this apostolic admonition stands. Our
salvation has to be worked out,
with fear & trembling. In the same manner, we are
exhorted to perfect holiness in
the fear of God (2nd
Corinthians 7:1) This is an extremely tall order, but something that only The Lord can accomplish in us. ‘And
the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;
and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and
body be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful
is he that calleth you, who also will
do it.’. (1st Thessalonians 5:23-24). It’s
quite a thing.
15 Whereof the Holy Ghost
also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This
is the covenant that I will make
with them after those days, saith
the Lord, I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And
their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now
where remission of these is, there
is no more offering for sin. 19 Having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the
holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And
having an high priest over the
house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true
heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed
with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised;) (Hebrews
10:15-23).
In our last meeting we saw how some lift verses 10 & 14 out of
their setting in Hebrews 10, in a vain attempt to make the case
that we are already sanctified & holy. We need nothing further.
Therefore we simply allow these qualities to somehow manifest themselves in our
lives. As stated previously, this is a half-truth. In our
sanctification, we are separated from something as well as to
something. We see here in Hebrews 10, that The Lord’s initial
work in saving us is a Divine
undertaking; only He can do this. Beyond our salvation,
He continues
to work & this is superior to anything & everything
available under The Law. Liberty & legality are secondary
considerations.
The libertarians need to come down from the chandeliers, which won’t
hold their weight. They are busy rejoicing about who they are in Christ
& what they can do, while failing to consider Who
Christ is in them & what He is endeavouring to do.
The legalists need to stop wearing sack cloth & ashes & learn from The
Lord how to truly reflect the beauty of holiness. Again, The Lord has saved us
from our
sins & now works to save us from our sinfulness. He has
saved us out of the world & now works to save us from our
worldliness. This is a matter of the
heart. I trust you’re getting the picture from Scripture, instead of the
nonsense you hear spouted by those ridiculous & unscrupulous faith
peddlers.
11 Wherefore also we pray always for
you, that our God would count you worthy
of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: 12 That the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ may be glorified in you,
and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (2nd Thessalonians 1:11-12).
Paul says, ‘Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The
Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let everyone that nameth the
name of Christ depart from iniquity. But
in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of
wood and of earth; and some to honour,
and some to dishonour. If
a man therefore purge himself from these,
he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified,
and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also
youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity,
peace, with them that call on the Lord out
of a pure heart (2nd Timothy 2:19-22).
John says, ‘Beloved, now are we the
sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what
we shall be: but we know
that, when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him as
he is. And every man that hath this hope
in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure (1st
John 3:2-3). Our sanctification, or separation, is active. It is not passive.
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who
needeth not daily, as those high
priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the
people's: for this he did once,
when he offered up himself. 28 For
the law maketh men high priests which
have infirmity; but the word of
the oath, which was since the law, maketh
the Son, who is consecrated for evermore (Hebrews 7:26-28).
For some, their spiritual lives are like the Gruel scene from the
musical Oliver. Begging God for more, even though they hate every mouthful.
Sometimes folk are
so hungry that they will consume absolutely anything, whether it’s beneficial
to them or not. Even poisonous false doctrine.
If it tastes bad, it must be good for you, right? For others, their
lives are one big rip curl. They’re riding high on the crest of a wave, not
realising that sooner or later they’ll end up beached. Both need to come to the
feet of the only One who can
truly sanctify; The Lord Jesus Christ. So, with that being said,
let’s view His masterclass.
1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and
said, Father, the hour is come; glorify
thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As
thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And
this is life eternal, that they might
know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I
have glorified thee on the earth:
I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the
glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6 I
have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world:
thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and
they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou
hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou
gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have
believed that thou didst send me. 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world,
but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And
all mine are thine, and thine are mine;
and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no
more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom
thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While
I was with them in the world, I kept them
in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have
kept, and none of them is lost, but
the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And
now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have
my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the
world hath hated them, because they are
not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I
pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that
thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They
are not of the world, even as I am
not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As
thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the
world. 19 And
for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through
the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these
alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word; 21 That
they all may be one; as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent
me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have
given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I
in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in
one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them,
as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me
where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou
lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O
righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And
I have declared unto them thy
name, and will declare it: that
the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them (John 17:1-26).
I do hope that you actually read this chapter, instead of casually
skipping over it as some do. Right here, we see exactly
what The Lord wants for His Church & hear precisely how He will
accomplish it. Read the text again & again. Legality will never embrace the
grace that brings us into the sanctified life & liberty will never see it.
Remember the words of Paul, as he left the elders at Ephesus; ‘And
now, brethren, I commend you to
God, and to the word of his grace,
which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.’ (Acts
20:32). Again, in his defence before Agrippa, Paul reiterates this as he
quotes the words of The Lord Jesus to the ruler; ‘To open their eyes, and to turn
them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan unto God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins,
and inheritance among them which
are sanctified by faith that is in me.’ (Acts 26:18). It is the
sanctifying grace of God in & upon our lives, that will deal with our spots,
our wrinkles & every such thing. The Lord Jesus wants The Church
to be glorious
(Ephesians 5:27). We must welcome the Person & presence of the
truth of The Word in our daily lives.
Peter says that we are ‘Elect according to the foreknowledge of God
the Father, through sanctification of the
Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ..’.
(1st Peter 1:2). He
continues. ‘To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved
in heaven for you, Who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time.’ (1st Peter
1:4-5) & ‘Wherefore gird
up the loins of your mind, be sober,
and hope to the end for the grace that is
to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient
children, not fashioning yourselves
according to the former lusts in
your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be
ye holy in all manner of
conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.’ (1st Peter
1:13-16). I could go on & on. Instead, let’s allow The Scriptures to
have the last word.
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the
blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good
work to do his will, working in
you that which is wellpleasing
in his sight, through Jesus Christ;
to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
11 For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this
present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who
gave himself for us, that he might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of
good works (Titus 2:11-14).
copyright © by David Samuel Parkins mmxxv all rights reserved.
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