Sanctification By Truth

The greatest need in the Christian church today I believe is that of sanctification as was discussed in the previous post.  This sanctification is the process of being set apart from the world and growing in Christlikeness.  It is a growth in faith that changes or transforms us from being in the flesh to walking in the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit can transform us from our sinful nature in faith and obedience through our hearts.  Yet it takes our minds to be engaged in the Scriptures to discover its truth and power for us to be transformed into the image or nature of Christ.

Sanctification is multifaceted in that it comes through faith and it is also by truth.  We see from John 17:17 that Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth."  This is his high priestly prayer to the Father before his trial and crucifixion for his immediate disciples and for those of us who would follow later.  Depending on the translation of the Bible we see it is rendered "by your truth" or "in your truth," but either way, it comes from the truth of Scripture.  Our sanctification is also enabled by something outside of us, from the Holy Spirit as we find in the Bible.  Jesus promised the Holy Spirit in John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."  We have a teacher and a helper to understand the Scriptures.

In John 17 we see that Jesus is first concerned with the glory of God, and then he is concerned that his disciples would be protected from the influence of the world.  Jesus prays in v. 15-16, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."  In the same way, we too need to be set apart from the world even though we are to be in the world.  Because of our brokenness, we need to be reminded constantly of his truth and to follow after him through the Word of God.  We need to be set apart both Spiritually and mentally so that we are able to think outside of our culture, and so we will also seek to do all things to the glory of God.

From the world's perspective, there are many teachings of Jesus that do not make sense.  Both the Jews and the Romans did not understand who he was.  And even his disciples often did not understand his purposes, as he was seeking to glorify his Father.  When Jesus was on trial before Pilate he declared in John 18:37, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."  This led to Pilate's great question, "What is truth?"  Jesus gave him no answer, probably because he was the Truth and he was standing right before him.

Yet we see that those who are of the truth listen to Jesus' voice, to his words, to his testimony, and to the Word of truth.  All through the Scriptures, we see that to grow in Christlikeness it takes both our heads and our hearts, our minds must be open to discovering the truth in Scripture.  Paul teaches us in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."  This transformation of our mind from the ways of the world to the truth of Scripture is the key to sanctification.  Here we can learn how to think biblically and gain a Christian worldview.

In Colossians 3:1-2 Paul also describes, "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."  We are called to think 'vertically' or 'theocentrically' about the truth of Christ so as to live in faith in the constantly changing world.  Paul gives a reason why we should set our minds on things above because that's where we find the greatest reality.  We see in vs. 3-4, "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."  This ultimate reality in heaven is the truth that can sanctify all of our lives even in our everyday struggles in the here and now.

We are called to be set apart from the world so that we can grow Spiritually, and so we can bring the truth of Christ into the world as the Light is brought into the darkness.  We first need to acknowledge the Scriptures as Truth, and then be inspired and strengthened by the Word of God to know God personally.  Through the truth of Scripture, we can know God in our hearts and minds and live in his Spirit and walk in Christlikeness.  Knowing God and living for Christ transforms us from the brokenness of this world into Spiritual maturity, fruitfulness, and peace.  In this sanctification by truth, we discover a true Spiritual life and become new people in Christ, which also glorifies God.

FAITH TODAY:  John 17:3, "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

Sanctification By Faith

One of the most overlooked teachings in the Christian faith is the doctrine of sanctification.  As a Protestant, Reformed Evangelical I've heard many messages about justification as our heritage is inseparably tied to the sixteenth-century Reformation.  At that time there were two primary aspects of the protest in the "formal debate" and the "material debate" with the Roman church.  The formal debate was that of "Sola Scriptura," that the Bible is the ultimate authority of all church and faith issues.  The material debate was that of "Justification By Faith Alone."  The Reformers believed that the Bible was key and that we are saved or justified before God by faith, as a gift by grace from God in Christ alone.  There are no good works that contribute to our justification.

With this framework the Reformed Christian faith still emphasizes both the centrality of Scripture and the justification by faith alone.  But these are not the only doctrines of Scripture, and to maintain faithfulness to the formal debate of "Sola Scriptura" we need to always be going back to the Bible to understand all its truth and applications to our lives.  Sanctification is one of the key doctrines that the modern Christian church needs more than anything else because of the highly secularistic world we live in, and our Spiritual growth is greatly enhanced by studying the Bible.  Sanctification through the Scriptures can bring great blessings to our lives.

Sanctification is the process of being set apart from sin for our growth in godliness.  Paul speaks about this process of Spiritual growth in Romans 8, beginning with v.1 as he first pronounces that there is no condemnation for those "in Christ."  Here we see that we are first set free in Christ by the law of the "Spirit of life" from the law of "sin and death."  In v.6 we also see that there is action to take in our new Spiritual life, "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."  In Christ, we must begin to set our minds, hearts, and souls on the truth we find in Scripture.

The chapter develops a comparison of having our minds set on the Spirit or on the flesh.  In v.9 we see Paul pronounce that we are not "in the flesh" but "in the Spirit" if "in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you."  He then describes in v.12-14, that, "we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."  We can be set apart and filled with the Holy Spirit when we turn away from the sins of the flesh and set our hearts on Christ to walk in faith.

Paul continues in v. 26-27 and we see, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."  The Holy Spirit helps us in our prayers as we need to be strengthened in our hearts to trust him.  We can trust God that all things work together for the good of those who love him, (v.28).  God is working in a masterful way to bring all things together for his glory.

Further in v.29, we see that those God "foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son."  This 'conformity' is the process of sanctification, of being set apart unto God, and being changed from our sinful nature to the Spirit-filled nature by faith.  And further in v.30, we read, "those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."  God is directing his people from predestination to justification and then to glorification.  It is the Holy Spirit who is working in us and through us as we follow his prompting from Scripture.  The life of faith is also filled with the good works that come from grace as we are "led by the Spirit of God."

Our sanctification follows our justification, therefore, and our Spiritual lives should grow into Christlikeness.  It is not unlike a child that is born and then begins to grow physically.  But in Spiritual ways, it is not always automatic, and we must remember from Romans 8:12 that "we are debtors" to God to live by faith.  Sometimes this requires great sacrifice, yet we will always grow Spiritually when we follow Christ in faith.  The great blessing to us, and to our families and friends, is that we will be transformed more and more into the image of Christ.  And this in turn will bring glory to God.

FAITH TODAY:  Romans 8:12-13, "So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."