Author Topic: SANCTIFICATION  (Read 7985 times)

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Liane H

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SANCTIFICATION
« on: March 17, 2001, 06:23:00 AM »
In the church I am finding that the word "Sanctification" seems like a bad word. Justification is the in word. So I decided to do a study of this bad word.

According to the dictionary:

Sanctification: Growing in holiness

According to my concordance: Hagiasmos

purification, the state of purity

comes from: Hagiazo

to make holy, to purify or consecrate, to venerate, to be holy, to sanctify

Who or what does this sanctification to us:

1 Thes 5:23 GOD:

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.

Heb 2:11 CHRIST:

For both he that sanctifieth and them who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.

1 Pet 1:2 HOLY SPRIT:

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

John 17:17 TRUTH

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Here is a sum up:

2 The 2:13

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through SANCTIFICATION of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

In the book of John, Chapter 17, I am going to write to you more of what is said there because it is one of the greatest words of Jesus prayer for His own:

1. Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son. That thy Son also may glorify thee.
2. As thou has given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast give 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.

Then starting with verse 17:

17. Sanctify them through they truth: thy word is truth.
18. As though 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 has loved me.

Therefore my conclusion of the matter of sanctification is: It is a process that the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and truth bring in us that we grow in holiness to be like Jesus.

What is being like Jesus is? What does this sanctification do to us?

Jesus said it clearly: "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."

The work that Jesus did was the salvation of souls to the glory of the Father that they might have eternal life.

This is our work! Bringing souls to Jesus, so that they might have eternal life. The more we let Jesus grow in us the fruit of holiness, the more we become like him. And the more we become like him, the more we feel the burden to bring others to Christ. And
Christ words, truth, teaches them of the Father.

Let us remember the words again from 1 Peter 1:2,

"Through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience."  

2 The 2:13,

"Chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and of the truth."

The Holy Spirit teaches us obedience through the process of sanctification, the growing process of holiness.

Those of us that have been chosen to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and Truth, the growing process of holiness.

It is not something "we" do to ourselves, but something that is done by the Power of the Godhead and His words that causes us to grow in holiness. For without this growing into holiness our Christian walk is a sham.

What a wonderful word Sanctification. The very spirit of the word Evangelism. And evangelism is telling the world of Jesus. Whatever gifts that the Godhead has given us, we must use to tell the world of this wonderful experience known as SANCTIFICATION.

Now I am going to quote from the pen of inspiration, let us see if what has been said by Ellen G. White is consistent with and my understanding from the Bible:

Maranatha, page 89: Bible Sanctification Defined

"Here is Bible sanctification. It is not merely a show or outside work. It is sanctification received through the channel of truth. It is truth received in the heart, and practically carried out in the life."

The Faith I live By, page 116: God's Remedy for Sin

"There is no such thing as instantaneous sanctification. True sanctification is a daily work, continuing as long as life shall last."

Faith and Works, page 53: A warning Against Counterfeit Sanctification

True sanctification will be evidenced by a conscientious regard for all the commandments of God, by a careful improvement of every talent, by a circumspect conversation,  by revealing in every act the meekness of Christ.

My Life Today, page 250: A Sanctified Life

"'The law of the Lord is perfect,' converting the soul, Through obedience comes sanctification of body, soul and spirit. This sanctification is a progressive work, and an advance from one stage of perfection to another."

S.D.A. Bible Commentary, Volume 7, page 947: 2 Peter

"There is no Bible sanctification for those who cast part of truth behind them. Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, or a day. It is a continual growth in grace. We know one day how strong will be our conflict the next. Satan lives, and is active, and every day we need to earnestly cry to God for help and strenth to resist him. As long as Satan reigns we shall have self to subdue, besetments to overcome, and there is no stopping place. There is no point to which we can come and say we have fully attained."

Now in closing, the most important words from inspiration is the clear understanding of Justification and Sanctification.

S.D.A. Bible Commentary, Volume 7, page 908: 1 Thessalonians

"Justification means the saving of a soul from perdition, that he may obtain sanctification, and through sanctification, the life of heaven. Justification means that the conscience, purged from dead works, is placed where it can receive the blessings of sanctification.


Liane

 

[This message has been edited by liane (edited 03-17-2001).]

[This message has been edited by liane (edited 04-01-2001).]

Liane, the Zoo Mama
Romans 8:19   For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

WendyForsyth

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« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2001, 01:02:00 PM »
Amen Liane!!! Oh I wish so many could understand this. It is so sad how their eyes are blinded to this simple yet beautiful truth. Thank you.

WendyF

I have no doubt that God considers you to be one of His friends; otherwise He would not trust you with so many crosses, sufferings and humiliations. Crosses are God's means of drawing souls closer to Himself.

Fenelon


Wendy

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SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2001, 01:20:00 PM »
Hi Liane,

I was just getting ready to post a really neat section from Ministry of Healing that I like to think of as 'righteousness by faith in a nutshell'. It tells us in as few words as possible how we can walk on water (in other words live the Christian life). I'll go ahead and put it here.  :)

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The Power of the Will

The tempted one needs to understand the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man—the power of decision, of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. Desires for goodness and purity are right, so far as they go; but if we stop here they avail nothing. Many will go down to ruin while hoping and desiring to overcome their evil propensities. They do not yield the will to God. They do not CHOOSE to serve Him.

God has given us the power of choice; it is ours to exercise. We cannot change our hearts, we cannot control our thoughts, our impulses, our affections. We cannot make ourselves pure, fit for God’s service. But we can CHOOSE to serve God, we can give Him our will; then He will work in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus our whole nature will be brought under the control of Christ.

Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in the life. By yielding up the will to Christ, we ally ourselves with divine power. We receive strength from above to hold us steadfast. A pure and noble life, a life of victory over appetite and lust, is possible to everyone who will unite his weak wavering human will to the omnipotent, unwavering will of God.

Ministry of Healing pgs 176

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WendyL ~ Maranatha!:)

WendyL ~ Maranatha!:)

Liane H

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SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2001, 02:43:00 PM »
Want to thank my two dear Wendy's for your posts. It is indeed true that with our will we can do nothing and nothing that we do with our own will is worth anything, but comes from selfish desires.

When we take our will and link it with His Power, we then have WILLPOWER that is beyond belief. With Him all things become possible that believe in Him.

He wants to give us so much, and yet we still hold back thinking that we will lose something in the process. For whatever it may be worth to them, it is not enough for me, for knowing that power in my life, I know what heaven is going to be like. What a taste for the tastebuds.

Liane

Liane, the Zoo Mama
Romans 8:19   For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Wendy

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SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2001, 01:39:00 PM »
Liane~

I like your thought.

Will + God = willpower.

I hadn't thought of it quite like that.  :) That's a good way to remember it.

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WendyL ~ Maranatha!:)

WendyL ~ Maranatha!:)

Richard Myers

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SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2001, 09:21:00 PM »
 :)

I am up too late, but wanted to encourage all in this wonderful topic. Such a message to give to those struggling with sin.

May I add one more little thought.  It is not an easy thing to put our will on God's side. When the temptation comes and we are not abiding in Christ, we are in trouble. Let me add this caution. We need to be in Christ continually so that when the temptation comes we may have power. We must pray without ceasing and we must feed upon Christ, then we shall maintain this relationship. Then we shall have power to overcome.  We may come to Jesus just as we are, but what does this mean "come to Jesus?" Does it not mean to take our dirty rags to Him, to learn of Him? It is a process this learning to trust Him. It is a great battle. The good news is that it began long ago. He has been wooing us all for a long time. Let us quickly flee to Christ. Let us learn of Him and in doing this we are choosing to give Him our wills.  :)

In His love and grace,   Richard

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Wendy

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SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2001, 02:09:00 PM »
Hi Richard,      :)

You're right, this is such an important topic. Ellen White continually called for more instruction on practical godliness, the 'how to' of living the sanctified life.

And you're right about the importance of prayer and Bible study too. I like some of the analogies that the "Amazing Facts" ministry magazine made.

Prayer is as necessary to the survival of the spiritual 'body' as breath is to the survival of the physical body.

Bible study is the nutrition or bread with which we feed our spiritual 'body'. In order to be strong physically we need to eat good food at least 2 or 3 times a day. To remain spiritually strong we need to eat the word daily.

There is no exact formula that God uses to bring us into union with Him but the things  mentioned (like prayer) are important. To begin with -though-God reaches us first because living down here, wallowing in our sins and darkness we can't even want to repent unless His Spirit has softened our hearts(we love Him because He first loved us). That's why the Bible and Sister White say we must come to Him just as we are, because we can't change ourselves, He is the one who changes us.

Just a general note; we know that the phrase that Sister White uses goes something like "We must come to Christ just as we are" but evangelicals  prefer to change that to.."Christ accepts us as we are". He does take us just as we are but they are using the word 'accepts' in a different way.It sounds the same but it really means something completely different. The first statement says that Christ will take us with all our sins and flaws and purify us. The second statement says that Christ will accept our sins along with us rather then accepting the sinner and then cleansing us of all unrighteousness.

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WendyL ~ Maranatha!    :)

[This message has been edited by Wendy (edited 03-20-2001).]

WendyL ~ Maranatha!:)

colporteur

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Re: SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2017, 08:46:48 AM »

"This goody goody religion that makes light of sin and that is forever dwelling upon the love of God to the sinner, encourages the sinner to believe that God will save him while he continues in sin and he knows it to be sin. This is the way that many are doing who profess to believe present truth. The truth is kept apart from their life, and that is the reason it has no more power to convict and convert the soul. There must be a straining of every nerve and spirit and muscle to leave the world, its customs, its practices, and its fashions. . . . {6MR 12.2}

 Will those who claim to be children of the Most High elevate the standard, not for a day, not simply while assembled in your meeting, but as long as time shall last? Will they not be on the Lord's side and serve him with full purpose of heart? . . . If you put away sin and exercise living faith, the riches of heaven's blessing will be yours.--Letter 53, 1887,
It's easier to slow a fast horse down than to get a dead one going.

Richard Myers

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Re: SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2017, 05:43:41 AM »
Amen, cp. And this "sanctification" comes into the life at the time of conversion. We are sanctified, past tense, when we are converted. Sanctified because Christ indwells the heart through His representative, the Holy Spirit. We will walk in the light we have been given, and we will manifest every one of the fruits of the Spirit, not one will be missing.

The good tree will produce good fruit. If the fruit is unpalatable and worthless, the tree is evil. So the fruit borne in the life testifies as to the condition of the heart and the excellence of the character. Good works can never purchase salvation, but they are an evidence of the faith that acts by love and purifies the soul. And though the eternal reward is not bestowed because of our merit, yet it will be in proportion to the work that has been done through the grace of Christ. DA 314.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

rahab

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Re: SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2021, 09:57:28 AM »
 I see this is an old post but hopefully it is okay to revive it.  ;)  The topic at hand is still relevant today.

  ;D promise/divine nature  ;D
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Richard Myers

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Re: SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2021, 07:01:52 AM »
Amen rahab!  That is the important part. We can do no good thing until we  become partakers of His divine nature. This happens when we are truly converted and we will remain partakers of His nature as long as we remain fully surrendered. When we love God with the whole heart, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. When the third Person of the godhead indwells our hearts, then we are truly converted and have two natures as Christ had two natures. We do not believe in holy flesh. We will go to the grave or meet Jesus at His second coming with sinful fallen, evil flesh. But, this is not an excuse for sin. Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet He never sinned, setting an example for us. When by God's grace we meet Jesus, He will give us glorified bodies that are indeed holy flesh. Until then we may receive and retain a holy, clean heart. His grace will cleanse the heart of all repentant sinners whiter than fresh fallen snow even though it be as scarlet.

All who have confessed and forsaken their sin through the grace of God will be sanctified and holy as long as they die daily to self. There is no condemnation to all who are in Christ Jesus. How shall we know who is in Christ Jesus. All who are filled with the Holy Spirit and walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh (Romans 8:1). All who are partakers of God's divine nature will be filled with the Holy Spirit and manifest all of the fruits of His Spirit, not one missing (Desire of Ages, 676).
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

rahab

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Re: SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2021, 07:09:56 PM »
Ever wondered about those scales/balances?

I have seen an angel standing with scales in his hands weighing the thoughts and interest of the people of God, especially the young. In one scale were the thoughts and interest tending heavenward; in the other were the thoughts and interest tending to earth. And in this scale were thrown all the reading of storybooks, thoughts of dress and show, vanity, pride, etc. Oh, what a solemn moment! the angels of God standing with scales, weighing the thoughts of His professed children—those who claim to be dead to the world and alive to God. The scale filled with thoughts of earth, vanity, and pride quickly went down, notwithstanding weight after weight rolled from the scale. The one with the thoughts and interest tending to heaven went quickly up as  the other went down, and oh, how light it was! I can relate this as I saw it; but never can I give the solemn and vivid impression stamped upon my mind, as I saw the angel with the scales weighing the thoughts and interest of the people of God. Said the angel: “Can such enter heaven? No, no, never. Tell them the hope they now possess is vain, and unless they speedily repent, and obtain salvation, they must perish.”  . 1T 124.2

Richard Myers

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Re: SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2021, 06:21:14 AM »
rahab, thanks for sharing.

When viewing the object lesson, it surely is persuasive that we can know where we stand. It is the trend of the life that reveals how much time we spend on self compared with how much time we spend with Jesus.  It is the trend of the life that tells us about character. This ought to encourage us that one sin, while it must be repented of in order to regain justification (salvation), is not going to undo our character. Neither ought we judge someone by an occasional wrong deed or an occasional good deed. It is the trend of the life that reveals character, not salvation.  This truth is often perverted to excuse sin. There is no excuse for sin, God has provided a remedy in His Son.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

rahab

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Re: SANCTIFICATION
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2021, 12:07:08 PM »
rahab, thanks for sharing.

When viewing the object lesson, it surely is persuasive that we can know where we stand. It is the trend of the life that reveals how much time we spend on self compared with how much time we spend with Jesus.  It is the trend of the life that tells us about character. This ought to encourage us that one sin, while it must be repented of in order to regain justification (salvation), is not going to undo our character. Neither ought we judge someone by an occasional wrong deed or an occasional good deed. It is the trend of the life that reveals character, not salvation.  This truth is often perverted to excuse sin. There is no excuse for sin, God has provided a remedy in His Son.
amen.  :) so true.  :)

Pray the promises of God over your lives, pray for the gold, white raiment, and eyesalve!  :D