|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Site designed and maintained by Gary W Cavendish, Webmaster. ©2008 by Gary W Cavendish. All rights to original content reserved.
|
He Bridged the Gap Between God and Man What's NewOn our home page, a new poem called Praise to the Lamb. Full-length Hymn Midis These are distinct from the midis included with the hymn lyrics files, which are quite short. What Christians Believe A series of articles about the basics of our faith. ==========================
|
What is Sanctification?The Bible's Answers to Man's QuestionsKey Verses: 1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: Hebrews 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. The word translated as "sanctify" means to make holy, purify, or consecrate. In turn, "holy" means to be blameless, fit for God's use. To be sanctified, then, means to be cleansed or purified of any thought, action, or motive not consistent with God's character. The example given in Thessalonians is to abstain from fornication, or sex outside marriage, but it could apply equally to greed, hatred, idolatry, or a multitude of other kinds of behavior. As opposed to salvation, which is an event, sanctification is a process. Though God sees the completed process in us because of Christ in us, our flesh is not perfect as our glorified body will be. Paul said "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31), and the death of the flesh promised when we are born again is a certain hope, but not manifested until our old bodies rest in the ground. The battle between the flesh and the spirit that Paul describes so vividly in Romans 7 is what sanctification is about. It is not self-improvement, not about achieving some state of perfection through our own efforts. The moving force of sanctification is the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, in our day to day walk as believers. Sanctification is the end product of Christian growth, if we proceed to the point of spiritual maturity described as being "fathers" in 1 John (1 John 2:12-14). It remains a goal, though, the goal of becoming like Christ. That will only be attained when we join Christ at his appearing (1 John 3:2). That certainly doesn't mean we don't begin the process because we can't complete it now. We will never attain to our promised reward, nor fulfill God's plan for our lives, unless we exercise the faith we are given to reach toward the goal. How do we become "sanctified"? By allowing the Holy Spirit to do his work in our lives. We do that through the fellowship of prayer, and through daily feeding on the Word. The Holy Spirit is our instructor and counselor, but he also does his counseling through his people, and through his pastors. Christ is our anchor, but prayer is the power that moves us forward and makes changes in our lives. It is through the Word that we are made "seaworthy", to extend the analogy, but sailing a ship is possible only because the whole crew works together. Our spiritual "fathers" are not just wise for their own sake, but so that they can provide counsel and advice to others. The "young men" and young women of the church, who have matured beyond their spiritual childhood, can serve as mentors and guides to new Christians. The Word and the counsel of other believers can show us what we should be; the power of prayer and of the Spirit can move the reality of our lives toward what we know we should be. To the extent we have progressed toward sanctification, God can use us for his purposes. |
|
Site designed and maintained by Gary W Cavendish, Webmaster. ©2008 by Gary W Cavendish. All rights to original content reserved. |