With right and privilege comes responsibility. Sanctification is the doctrine that outlines the believer’s position and or responsibilities in Christ. We will follow the pattern of earlier lessons by answering the following: Why do we need sanctification? What is Sanctification? How does it affect us?

Why do we need sanctification?

By being a part of the body of Christ, we are seated with him at the right hand of the Father. “ I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” – Eph. 1:18-21 Can there be anything greater than sitting with the King of Kings?

Being seated with Christ requires cleanness of mind, body, and spirit. God cannot bear any sin in His presence. We must work to bring our lives in line with the position Jesus has purchased for us. Nothing less will do.

What is Sanctification?

Sanctification is the process that changes our lives from one of sinfulness to one that is pleasing to God.

Sanctification means to make holy through consecration or to set apart. Sanctification allows us to make ourselves free from sin. We gain respect (of God, men and the devil) through being set apart, free from sin. Sanctification causes us to be separated from uncleanness. It acts a bit like scotch-guard. Sin doesn’t stick!

The Old Testament primarily speaks of sanctification as a separation because they did not then have the Holy Spirit and the Grace of God to help them in their cleansing or in staying clean. God never commands something without enabling the commanded to carryout the command.

Today Jesus is our sanctification. Through him we are cleaned of the stains of sin. The grace of God through Jesus’ blood, keeps us free of those stains.

Many might consider the process of sanctification as one in which all the fun is taken out of our lives. This is not the case at all. Jesus was often invited to and attended “parties”. Jesus first public miracle took place at a wedding feast where he turned water into wine.

God is not against having fun. He is much more concerned with the motives behind our actions than he is with the acts themselves. For example: there are certain words that are just not said in polite society, yet there are a host of “acceptable” words that substitute for the exact same emotion. It is the underlying emotion that matters, not the words.

How does sanctification affect us?

God has granted us a place in his kingdom through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Once we accept that position, it is sanctification that keeps us there, and in right standing. Moving away from our position causes us to become as Paul once said, most miserable. Our conscience will not let rest when our connection with God is less than optimal. When we go against what God has planned for us, our connection with him is like watching TV with rabbit ears. You can still see the picture, but it’s fuzzy with a lot of static. Staying in tune with where God wants us is like a giant screen HDTV. We can know we are staying within our position when we bear fruit.

John 15:1-8 says, “ 1I am the true vine, and my Father in the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Let’s look into this passage further:

1I am the true vine, and my Father in the gardener. – Remember, there are a lot of “plants” out there. Some even seem to look like the true vine. Check the root and the caretaker.

2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. – God is sometimes a hard taskmaster. It is necessary for God to prune the unfruitful to insure the health of the plant. Gardeners are familiar with the practice of cutting out the “suckers”. Suckers don’t start off as unique branches. They start from the connection of another branch. They are unfruitful and take away from the vital nutrients that allow the fruitful branches to flourish. The key in the process is to not be a sucker!

3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – We start our journey the same as any other branch with a unique, personal connection with Jesus. No one else can procure your position for you. You are not a part of the vine just because your parents are. We cannot do this alone. That is why Jesus wants us to stay connected to him. Without him we are powerless. Fortunately, we are not alone.

6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. – The consequences of allowing our connection to degrade to the point of disconnect is harsh. We can keep our connection fresh by reading and applying God’s Word (Jn 1:1-14). Don’t get burned.

7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” – The benefits of remaining connected to God … whatever you wish! All we have to do is show ourselves to the world as Jesus disciples. That’s not nearly as hard as it was for the Christians of the first through the third centuries, who were martyred for their beliefs, or those in other countries who would be killed, even today, for going against the state religion. Why, then are we so afraid, in this country of religious freedom, to allow people to know we are Christian?

Loving others (through actions) will bring great joy and that joy will give you the strength to continue. – Neh 8:9-12

The purpose of this lesson is to understand God’s plan to bring the World back to Himself. We will explore what it is, how it effects us, and it’s benefits.

 

What is redemption?

 

According to Webster’s Dictionary – 1. the act of redeeming; the state of being redeemed; ransom; release; deliverance; rescue; repurchase.  2. something that redeems.  3. in commerce, repurchase by the issuer of notes, bills, bonds, or other evidence of debt, by paying their value in money to the holders.  4. in law, the liberation or freeing of an estate from mortgage; the repurchase of the right to re-enter upon an estate on performance of the terms or conditions on which it was conveyed; the right of redeeming and re-entering into possession.  5. in theology, the purchase of God’s favor by the death and sufferings of Christ; the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God’s violated law. In whom we have redemption through His blood. – Eph 1:7-8 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

 

What this means to us is that God has paid the price necessary to bring us back to Himself. The fall of Adam & Eve destroyed the direct connection with God for all of mankind. The death and resurrection of Jesus paid the cost of restoring that link. (1Cor 6:19-20)

 

Through the work of redemption, we are purchased from the kingdom of sin, for and by the King of kings. Because of this, we are free from the requirement to follow the ways of the world. Addiction and depravation can be overcome. God’s wish for us is much greater than that of the world! (1Cor 6:19-20; Rom 6:16-18)

 

How does redemption affect my life? Why would I need it?

 

Because of the fall of Adam & Eve, all of us are under the “curse of death”. This is an interesting concept in that we are eternal beings. How can we die if we are eternal? This curse then by definition must be something other than the “normal” understanding of life. Typically we view death as the absence of life in a body. However, the concept of death in scripture goes beyond this to more properly defined as separation from God. Therefore we can’t be truly alive without the presence of God in our lives. We can’t have the presence of God without the acceptance of the payment made by Jesus to restore our connection.

 

What are the benefits of redemption? What’s in it for me?

 

Without redemption there is no place in the Kingdom of God that exists outside the realm of what we know through our senses. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins – Col 1:13-14

 

Our release frees us from sins that would overpower and cause us grief. That which we choose to serve becomes our master and we, its’ slave. As slaves we cannot partake of the resources of the “family”. All we can hope for are the crumbs that fall our way. (John 8:34-36; Rom 6:19-24)

 

1Cor 10:13 says, “No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” From this we see that the redeemed are promised deliverance from temptation. Also see Job 5:19 & Ps 91:2.

 

We are promised a place with God. Jn 14:2-3

 

Redemption affords us health. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1Pet 2:24

 

Prosperity – “I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3Jn2

 

God has granted us a position of authority – Rom 5:17; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 5:10; 20:6; 22:5

 

All these things are ours through the blood of Jesus, that he shed on the cross.  Col 1:14; 1Pet 1:19; Acts 20:28; 1Jn 1:9; Jn 19

 

How can I be redeemed?

 

The first step toward redemption is to realize you need it! What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. – Rom 3:9-10 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Rom 6:23

 

Next, recognize that the only payment for your redemption is Jesus. Rom 5:6-8 says: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  In John 14:5-6 “Thomas said to him, ‘Lord we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered: “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

 

Finally, Accept Jesus Payment for your sins through faith, confessing Jesus as your Lord and savior. Rom 10:6-13 – But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

The attributes of God give us insight to His character. The first of these attributes is spirit. John 4:24 tells us that God is a spirit and those who would worship Him must do so in spirit. This means that God cannot be seen with natural eyes. Therefore our worship of Him must go beyond the natural realm.

 

God is infinite, touching all of time and space. (1Ki 8:27; Ex 15:18; De 33:27; Neh 9:5; Ps 90:2; Jer 10:10; Rev 4:8-10) God is bigger than all our circumstances.

 

God is one (Ex 20:3; De 4:35, 39; 1Tim 1:17). From the use of the plural Elohim in De 6:4 (translated “Our God”) we can conclude that a compound unity may be inferred.

 

Omnipotent (Gen 1:1; 17:1; 18:14; Ex 15:7; De 3:2; 32:39; 1Chr 16:25; Mt 26; Rev 15:3; 19:6) – God has the freedom & power to do all that is consistent with his nature. Only God is all-powerful!

 

Omnipresent – God is always present with His creatures. (Gen 28:15-16; PS 139:7-10; Pr 15:3; Jer 23:23-24; Ac 7:48-49; Eph 1:23)

 

God knows all things – Omniscient (Gen 18:18-19; Ps 94:9; Lu 16:15; Rom 8:27; 2Tim 2:19; 1Jn 3:10)

 

He is Sovereign. He has absolute right to govern & dispose as He pleases (Dan 4:35; Mt 20:15; Ro 9:21)

 

What is the Trinity?

 

As noted above, God is a compound unity. That unity consists of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. All three are called God (Rom 1:7; Mt 1:23; Acts 5:3-4) and spoken of together (Lu 1:35; Mt 1:20-21,23; 1Tim 3:16; Lu 3:21-22; Tit 3:4-6). Yet each has their own function. The Father is the source of all things (Jn 1:18; 3:34; 8:16; 12:44-45), the Son is the manifestation (Mt 1:23; Jn 1:14,18; 2Cor 5:19; Ph’p 2:5-9; Col 2:9; 1Tim 3:36), and the Holy Spirit provides the energy (Gen 1:1-2; Rom 8:10-11; 15:19; 1Cor 2:4; 1Thes 1:5)

 

Where is God?

 

God is everywhere (omnipresent), but is described in scripture as occupying 2 locations. God’s abode is in heaven (De 26:15; 1Ki 8:30; 2Chr 30:27; Job 22”12; Ps 73:25; 123:1; Isa 66:1; Lu 11:2; Acts7:49). At the same time He dwells and operates within the believer (Jn 14:20; 17:23; Rom 8:10; Ga 2:20; Eph 3:17-19; Col 1:27; 1Jn 3:24; Rev 3:20)

 

What effect does God have on the world today?

 

He changes the hearts & lives of individuals. Psychologists try in vain to change people’s lives and in frustration turn to justification to relieve guilt, usually by transferring guilt to someone or something else. God justifies through Jesus thereby eliminating the guilt (Rom 5:1; 8:1; Ph’p 3:9; Heb 10:38). He controls the Universe. God has a plan for mankind that will be completed with the soon coming return of Jesus

 

What is God? What is He like? Where can we find God? Ever ask any of these questions? In this installment we will try to address some of the complex issues these questions raise. I must, however start off with a disclaimer: It is not possible to fully understand the complexity of God and this discourse does not claim to fully define Him.

 

Here is a definition of God, just so we have a place to start. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.

 

To understand how that definition fits into our lives, we need to understand the nature of God. God has, and does interact with us and has revealed Himself to mankind over the ages and we have described what was revealed through names. We will find His nature in those names.

 

He is called:

Elohim, God, the all-powerful one. – If He had the power to create the universe, don’t you think He probably has the power to handle the situation you find yourself in? (Gen 1:1)

 

Jehovah, Lord, the God who reveals himself. If we are open we can see the handiwork of God in our lives and in the world around us. He is revealed in the complexity of nature and its beauty.

 

Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord that heals. God is able to repair any damage that has been caused to us, whether physical, mental, or spiritual. (Ex 15:26)

 

Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord our banner. He is the rally point and defensive shield that is central to our battle to overcome evil. (Ex 17:8-15)

 

Jehovah-Shalom, the Lord our peace. In the midst of struggle, when chaos seems to be the order of the day, God is our safe harbor in the storm. (Judges 6:11-24)

 

Jehovah-Ra’ah, the Lord my shepherd. It is the function of a shepherd to care for, provide for, and defend the sheep. God has said he will do all three for us. (Psalm 23:1)

 

Jehovah-Stickmen, the Lord our righteousness. This will be covered in more depth later, but for now, just realize that God is willing to stand in our stead and give us “right standing” in the judgment to come. (Jer 23:4-6)

 

Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord who provides. Every thing that we have is because of His provision. He made us so that we could learn, and utilize the world around us, to prosper, even when it appears all is lost. (Gen 22:1-14)

 

Jehovah-Shammah, the Lord is there. (Eze 48:35) Can this be said of your life, your situation? If not, are you keeping Him out? Or are you just not seeing how He is working on your behalf? This is probably one of the most important aspects of God today and yet it is one of the most overlooked. Let God reveal Himself to you today.

In a previous post we discussed the nature & veracity of the Bible. Some, however, might question the relevance of an ancient manuscript. So, how does the Word of God become relative to the 21^st century?

 

The Word of God is not limited to a book. It also has been manifested in the person of Jesus, who for our sake, became the living Word. We find reference to this in: Jn 1:1-14; 1Jn 1:1; 5:7; Rev 19:13.

 

The effect that Jesus (the living Word) has on the World began when He made it! (Jn 1:3; 1Cor 8:6; Eph 3:9; Col 2:16; Heb 2:17) Without Jesus the world would not exist.

 

Through his sacrifice, He took away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). Because of the death of Jesus, sin no longer has power over humanity. This is not to say that there is no more “sinning” going on. But, sin is no longer the thing that causes us to be separated from God. Jesus has knocked down that barrier. We will go into this deeper at a later time. Suffice it to say that sin is not an unassailable obstacle.

 

John 16:33 tells us that Jesus has overcome the world. He is the victor in all situations and through him we can be victorious, too. Quite often, that which we need victory over, is the aortion of the “world” that we created. If we will only accept what He has done for us He can and will save us from ourselves. (Jn 3:16-17; 4:42; 1Jn 4:14)

 

Today, in the 21^st century, the Word is alive and well. The world doesn’t have to rely totally on the events of 2000 years ago. God has placed His emphasis for today on the word of reconciliation. (2Cor 5:18-20; Eph 2:16; Col 1:20; Heb 2:17) The responsibility for the word of reconciliation falls on believers. It is our purpose to spread the word (Ro 5:10; 2Cor 5:19). “Preaching” is not the most effective means for sharing God with the world. It has been said that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. By the same token, all the words in the world will not affect one person unless the life of the speaker shares the message louder than the words. We are the only “Bible” many will ever read! (2Cor 3:2)

In these next series of blogs, I will begin to lay a foundation of beliefs that are essential to an understanding of Christianity. It is not enough to believe. In today’s society one must also know why they believe.

 

The following series of blogs will come from a Home Bible Study on Foundations that I wrote several years ago. The entire study outline is available on request.

 

The first question in our journey toward a sustainable belief system, must address the source of that belief system. The primary source of information concerning the Christian Faith is the Bible. We, as Christians, must be able to defend our use of a book that many of today’s secular humanists would call an anthology of “fairy tales”. So…why the Bible? Why not some other writings that are accepted by other religions as their belief system?

 

The Bible is the recorded word of God. It is, in essence, an instruction manual for mankind. Its tenets apply to all aspects of the human existence. A “Biblical” life (one in which Biblical tenets are applied) will be a successful life.

 

The Bible was written between 1600BC & 96AD by more than 30 authors. It is the consistency of those authors that lends credence to its authority. The “inspiration of the Holy Spirit” (spoken of in Heb 1:1; Jer 36:2; Eze 1:3; Acts 1:16; 2Tim 3:16; 2Pet 1:21; Rev 14:13) is evident by the consistency of the Bible.

 

But, is the Bible believable & reliable? The Bible is proven through:

 

1. Experience – There is a wealth of anecdotal evidence that application of Biblical tenets works!
2. The Bible speaks of its own veracity (2Tim 3:15-17; 2Pet 1:19-21; Lu 16:17; 24:25-27; Mk 13:14; Jn 15:25)
3. History is proclaimed before archeological evidence – Ruins of Tower of Babel in the fertile crescent (Gen 11:9). Prophesies of Micah 5:2 & Isaiah 7:14 were fulfilled. Daniel said the Messiah would be cut off (crucified) 69 weeks (483 years) after the rebuilding of Israel (Daniel 9:24-27)
4. Science proves it – Isaiah 40:21-22 talks of “circle of the earth” (=earth is round) long before Columbus. Job 38:35 talks of lightning speaking; could this be radio? The earth having a molten core was also talked of in Job 28:5, long before science knew of the earth’s internal nature

 

 

More to come……….