Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Sanctified Living

[I am] looking forward to tonight. We have our video—a lot of footage, which [Pastor] Tony brought with him—of things that are, actually, new, things you haven’t seen, [which will] help us get a better understanding of all the facets of ministry going on in Africa. [It will be] an exciting time; [Pastor] Tony will be sharing, and bringing some updates; then, they have to head back really soon. They are going to go up to see his mother next week, to get a little more time of refreshing, and then start getting ready to go back. I always tell him, if we are out in a mall, or eating in a restaurant, or something, I say, "Just like Kakamega." So, he is heading back to reality. This is Fantasy Land. He will be heading back to reality and we are going to be holding him up in prayer, and just continuing to send them off in the intercession that is so necessary to sustain them, there, in the battle that is ongoing. I think you will hear from him, tonight, that, each time they return home, he admonishes everyone there to pray for us; because, the war that rages here, in the midst of all our abundance, is actually more than natural man can resist. It is going to be by the Spirit that we stand; it is going to be by grace and faith that we stand, and then, are able to continue to lift up their hands. It is a common war, just on different fronts that we battle.

Because we are going to be breaking [the order of teaching] up over the next couple of weeks, with Tony sharing on Africa, I want to get to the third aspect of [this teaching] we were getting into. We spoke on redemption, and the Lord spoke to us, and caused our hearts to rejoice in the great gift of God: "That while we were yet sinners [He loved us, and He] died for us" (Romans 5:8) praise God; we are redeemed by His blood. We saw that we were no longer our own because of that redemption; we have been bought with a price, and [are responsible] then to glorify God in our bodies (1 Corinthians 1:20). We then talked about regeneration, and the choice we each have. Redemption was universal: it was for all men. But Romans [3:22] says, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." We saw that regeneration is specific to each individual choosing the lordship of Jesus; each of us must choose daily to bow our hearts, take up our cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Regeneration is experienced at a time and a point in history; but, the fruit of it is the ongoing process of sanctification. Sanctification is not a separate work; sanctification is the consequence of regeneration. It is a process that causes us, then, to be made into the image of Jesus Christ, predestined to be conformed to His image. That process is working in our lives right now.

We want to talk a little bit about sanctification, and the fact that it is not something we can take or leave. Sanctification is not a superior form of Christianity: "The Sanctified Life." Sanctification is not for a superior or a more mature Christian. Sanctification is the natural process of true regeneration. It is occurring in every one of our lives; and, it is not only the will of God, but the commandment of God. It is not for us to choose: "Well, I think maybe I’ll go to thirty percent sanctification." "I’ll go to seventy percent sanctification." We have no control over that, because God is doing the sanctifying in us, and He is doing it at the rate that pleases Him. We are all growing at different rates, and are at different stages, but not because of choice; "[God] also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of [Jesus]" (Romans 8:29). He is working in us by the measure of faith in each of our lives, and He has us—at this moment—where we should be (Romans 12:3). Now, do not mistake what I am saying. I am not saying He is leaving some of us out. It is based upon our [recipience]. Hear me clearly: It is based on our [recipience] of the working in us—our receiving the grace of God—not based on our diligence. It is being worked in us; we are not working it. I want you to see that, this morning; and it is an important part.

Turn to 1 Thessalonians, and I will show you what I am talking about, and see if we can [clarify], even a little more, this process called sanctification, as we are being saved. "Be ye being" is what the original language implies. We are saved, and we are being saved, as this process of sanctification is occurring, which will ultimately end in glorification. We will see Him and we will be like Him, praise God (1 John 3:2). That is an exciting thing; we are looking forward to that. What is it that is taking place in our lives at this time? Turn to 1 Thessalonians, a passage we are familiar with; but, I want you to see it again, get it in your hearts, and in your notes. First Thessalonians 4:1: "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more." There is no place in our walk to become static. Christianity is a dynamic walk, it is ongoing, it is a process, and the dynamics of it are being worked in us. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). God is constantly working in our lives. How does He do it? Well, He does it positively, many times, by revelation as we are studying the Word of God; and, the Word becomes alive; and, one of the principles of the Word takes [root] in your heart; and, it begins to spring forth; and, it can cause us to come to a new realm of love and humility; and, we begin to serve in the body of Christ in a way we have never served. The visitation of God can cause the scales to fall from our eyes, so that we begin to really see around us a dying people, a hurting people, frightened people, instead of being disgusted (as we have talked, before) about some of these people that are covetous, and lascivious, and bound by the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, those who are worshiping Armani, and the different treasures of the world’s system, or those who are trying to drop out. We see these young people, and I always have to kind of laugh when I see some of them; but, you feel so sad for these young people, whether it’s the Goth attire, and their talk about darkness, and the devil, when they have no clue what that realm is about, or the down-and-out drug addicts, or a whole generation being sucked into the lie of alternative lifestyles, not wanting to retain God in their conscience (or, in their minds), so God turns them over to a reprobate mind, and they do those things that are not normal, becoming inventors of evil (Romans 1:22-32). God reveals that to our hearts sometimes, and it begins to motivate us for the lost; so, instead of being repulsed, when our lives are being sanctified and we have encountered God, our hearts are, in fact, broken for these people. We do not despise them: we pity them. What have we done to reach out? What have we done to touch the lost—the hurting? Sanctification is more than just abstaining from the world. Sanctification is a supernatural love for the world—the lost.

This sanctification process is more than my getting alone to pray. It is me, seeking those around us who are hurting, whose hands, which are hanging down, I can lift up, and comfort the feeble minded (Hebrews 12:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:13). Sanctification is not just studying more and praying more, it is bearing one another’s burdens. It is being longsuffering and gentle and kind. This process is being worked in us. Sometimes it is through revelation of the Word; our hearts are pricked, and we say, I am not sharing the gospel enough; I am not praying enough; I am not serving enough; and that illumination comes. Sometimes it is through trials; God puts pressure on us; and, He begins to refine us through the trials of life; and, we experience different adversities. I [have] found [that] one of the things that cause me to be aware of the [work of] sanctification waning in my life—that motivates me more than anything—is that I begin to sense the absence of the Holy Spirit, the peace that comes from the presence of God. Where is that familiar voice I am so used to hearing, and haven’t heard? It does not have to be associated with some grave sin, like David’s, but the same heart’s cry comes out: "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me!" (Psalm 51:11). Amen? We seek, then, His presence.

I just want you to see that there are a lot of ways in which God reveals Himself to us, and a lot of ways that God challenges us in this process. Paul says, "The thing that I want you to see is that there is nothing static about it. I want you to abound (say it) more and more." So where are we this morning? Can you say, in the process of sanctification, "I am right [with God], now. I am being renewed; I am going forward; praise God. There is more evidence of the lordship of Jesus—of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit—in my life than I have ever known." It that your testimony, this morning? Because, the apostle says here, by the Spirit, "[I want you to realize that this is] how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know [he goes on to say in verse 2], what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God [say it with me], even your sanctification. That you should abstain from fornication [both spiritual and natural]: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification, and honor." He is calling us to the awareness of the personal responsibility for what we do with this vessel. We are the vessels of God. We are the vessels of the Holy Spirit who indwells us. The glory of God, the Scripture says, in these earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:6-7), the process that is working in us, the illumination that is taking place in our lives by the internal and external working of the Spirit of God. This is the will of God: that you might know how to honor Him with your vessels, presenting your bodies as living sacrifices—holy, acceptable unto God—which is the reasonable service He has called us to (Romans 12:1). Sanctification, then, is the will of God; it is the order of the day for us.

What does it mean to live sanctified for the Lord? We know what the word sanctification means; we’ve been taught, and understand that sanctification is that which has been set apart exclusively for God. Now, the thing we have to wrestle with, a lot of times, is when we begin to try to get exact parallels of the many things God speaks of as being sanctified. We see the priesthood as sanctified: they are set apart wholly for God. Many of the different implements of worship in the temple—which we have talked about before as having been sanctified—could not be used for anything else. You could not use that table to [hold a lamp], and then put the shewbread on it. It was only to hold the shewbread. It was only to hold that which was emblematic of the broken body of Jesus Christ. Well, that is great, but you have to go to work tomorrow, don’t you? Yet, He calls us to sanctification. We have to go out into the world but He is admonishing. Sanctification cannot be an exclusivity as it pertains to the observable or to the natural; so, then, it has to be an exclusivity of the (what?) spiritual—our hearts wholly set aside for God; our minds wholly set aside for God. We then learn how to be in the world, but not of it; that is what sanctification is all about. Many of us think that, to be sanctified, we have to run and hide in a monastery, we need to spend time up here, and be involved in full-time ministry. That would be great if that is what God called you to do, but it does not make you any more sanctified than being able to be the light of the world, and the salt of the earth, where He has placed you. Sanctification is a life of obedience, a will set aside exclusively to the lordship of Jesus. It is about His will being worked in us, His working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure: that is sanctification. It can be [done] on the job; it can be [done] in the daily activities that we [perform]—our involvement in the mundane—but, in the midst of all that, is our testimony clear? Do they know in which kingdom we serve? Sanctification is a life that leaves no question in anybody’s mind as to which kingdom we serve in, and who the Lord of our lives is.

I can work for you, here at GM, but you are not my lord. Some of us have not yet made that clear on our jobs. We are intimidated by the big corporations, and all of the things—that you are going to get fired if you speak of the name of Jesus. Some of us are fearful of that. The boss wants us to sell our souls out, as far as the scheduling and the time involved [are concerned]. Some of you have been confronted with that; and those of you who were sanctified made it very clear to your employer, "I work for you; I serve Jesus. You do not own me; I have been bought with a price: the precious blood of Jesus." [Do you see], it is all part of making clear which kingdom we serve in? Sanctified living makes distinct the kingdom in which we are operating. So, let me show you a couple of things. Let’s turn to John 17; I am trying to make sanctification practical to us. We seem to think that it is just quoting verses, or abstaining from lascivious living. Sanctification is being able to, in the midst of the world which we are living in, make it very clear to the king that we will not bow down and serve his image (Daniel 3:17-18). "Our trust—our hope—is in God. He will deliver us, and even if He does not, we will not bow to you." That is practical sanctification, beloved. That is a life that is set apart, wholly trusting in the Lord.

The Scripture speaking to us here and in John 17, we [ask], "Then what is it that is going to begin to work this in us? How do we get this practical sanctification, the abounding more and more, the dynamics of it, working in our lives? Because, you see, there are two different aspects to sanctification. There is legal sanctification: the work that has been done once for all by Jesus. The practical [sanctification] is the ongoing process that you and I experience. We have talked about it before: the good day/bad day [scenario]. "I am doing better. I am witnessing, praise God! My prayers are being [answered]. I just cannot wait to study the Word of God." Then, somewhere in the cycle (hopefully, it isn’t hourly; hopefully, it’s not even daily), there are those down times. [Does] anybody know what I am talking about? [Has] anybody ever had one? That is when the enemy comes as the accuser of the brethren and tries to condemn us. You are just as sanctified then as [you are] when you are [at] your best, because sanctification is a finished work (as we are going to see) in Jesus. Practically, it expresses itself in this dynamic called "walking in the spirit," and we all know what the weak link is in this thing, don’t we? Self, selfishness, pride. There is only one way to deal with this, and God has told us very clearly: it is reprogramming. I beseech ye therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice [Romans 12:1-2], holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to the world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind [a reprogramming] that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." The renewal process; it is very obvious; we all know what it is: the Word of God, the Word of God.

I think the problem—and we all know this—is that we get into an obligatory relationship with the Word of God through devotions. Our goal is to get so many verses read, so many chapters read, we seem to think. Do not mistake what I am saying—the systematic feeding of ourselves with the Word of God is very necessary—but do not get caught up in the process. You have not had your devotions until you have heard from God. Amen? Just because you read the daily devotional, [your] devotions are not over. The renewal process has to occur, that we might abound more and more. There has to be the renewal. There has to be the infusion of the Rhema: the Word of God that creates faith in us. When Jesus says, here, in the seventeenth chapter, verse 17: "Sanctify them through Thy truth, Thy Word is truth," He is not saying that sanctification takes place because we did our devotions. "For you will know the truth and the truth will make you free (John 8:32). Know: gnosko [in the Greek], experiential knowledge. All we have are facts—head knowledge. [There is] nothing wrong with that, but sanctification comes when we have experienced illumination in our hearts, when we have heard the rhema of God, when we have been spoken to momentarily: "This is the way; walk ye in it" (Isaiah 20:31). What am I saying? In all of this turmoil, in all of our schedules—"we scheduled 15 minutes for devotions"—do not lock yourselves into any window. Do not lock yourself into a method. Do not lock yourselves into X number of verses. If God speaks to you on the second word of the first verse, stop there; and your devotions will be done. "Yes, but I am reading the Bible through in a year." Meditate upon these things, and let Him continue this process in us; because, beloved, sanctification is unattainable without daily illumination from the Word of God to our hearts. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet" (Psalm 119:105). This Word, which we partake of, which creates in us this joy, is our strength (praise God!): "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart" (Jeremiah 15:16).

In a day when we are being lied to by the god of this world, by all the philosophy of "me," as we war against secularism on a continually basis, how can we stand if we do not have a daily truth, a renewing of the wisdom of God (which is foolishness to man) by which He is going to confound the wise? What am I saying? Do you have Word to stand on for the day? "Yes, we have the Word." Do you have a word? Are we just going into the day randomly, or is there a renewing of what God is speaking to us for the day, whether in evangelism, whether in practical serving, whatever it might be, but [always] the fact that we have been set apart for God. This day is not about the secular; it is not about all the things the job is requiring of me. "I am so caught up. I have so much to do." I know you have a job to do, but I want to tell you something, beloved: That is all vanity. "You think it is vanity? If I don’t do it, I’ll get fired." Well, if we don’t live sanctified lives, we will really get fired. Amen? Choose which fire you want. But we need to understand that all of these things— "It seems so natural; it is the course of life; this is reality." No! This Word is truth. The kingdom of God is truth; and, this world’s system is coming down. Now, what are we going to sell our lives to? What occupies? Beloved, do not misunderstand what I am saying. I know you have to work, I know the responsibilities, but that is not reality; this is reality! "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but [His] words shall not pass away" (Mark 13:31). Well, Pastor, how [can I]? I do not know exactly—in your case—how, but I do know this: The Spirit of God will lead us into all truth (John 16:13). He will show you how to live this life of eternal priorities, as it pertains to your daily walk. But, the one thing we have to understand is this: We are not serving in this world. This kingdom is not our kingdom. As much as they say you need them, God meets all of our needs according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

We begin to see this process. Look at Ephesians 5; again, the apostle is reiterating this to us. I want you to see how this process begins everyday with the Word of God. These Scriptures are very basic to us; we are all very familiar with them, but they have to be looked at as you look at the topic. Ephesians 5:26: His bride; His body; His church; the admonition that we would abound more and more in this vocation unto which we have been called. It says in Ephesians 5 that, His will being expressed, His relationship, His intimacy with us as His bride, His care for us as His body, His oversight as His lordship to His church is affected, and we are sanctified—set apart, marked exclusively for—by the Word of God. "That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word." This constant cleansing—not only are we clean, we are refreshed. I don’t know about you, but when you come in from a day like yesterday, and it is all muggy, and nasty, and we were out doing some things, and you come in, and you get in the shower, don’t you hate being grubby like that? You are just nasty, grubby, sticky from the humidity, and you get in the shower. The fact that you get clean is one thing; but it is the refreshing, the renewing, the invigorating, that comes. You can be tired, and you come out clean and refreshed. Isn’t that what happens to you with the Word of God? You know, we are being influenced by all of the vexation of Sodom, in which we live, and only one thing can clean you, beloved. Only one thing can cast down those evil imaginations, those thoughts of the world, and all of its primary purpose, those things that begin to influence, ideologies. All of the things that are perceived in this day: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life—all that’s in the world. And we are being vexed, and being vexed. "How do I get these things out of my mind? How do I re-establish priorities? Do you know what I need? I need a vacation. I need to go partake of the world at a slower pace." Nothing can refresh us but the Word of God. Amen? Do you run to it, this high tower of God? God and His Word are one. Do you run to that high tower and hide in the Word of God that reminds us that we are not of them, that reminds us that He is for us and, therefore, nobody can be against us, that reminds us that the psalmist said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread (Psalm 37:25)? The rhema that comes and says, "[He took our sickness and pain on His body;] and with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24). The promise that says, "I go to prepare a place for you, and…I will come again, and receive you unto myself" (John 14:2-3).

Sanctified living is living free from the oppression of the world, "the thief [who] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: [but] I am come that [you] might have life, and have it [what?] more abundantly" (John 10:10). Sanctified living is having an abundant life. Are you happy? Are you at peace? Are you living free from the power of sin that used to dominate you? Are you able to serve one another? How about humbling yourself: are you able to walk in a humility that you have never been able to walk in before? That is the fruit of sanctification. It is not abstaining just from lascivious behavior. ("We don’t smoke, and we don’t chew, and we don’t run with girls that do.") It is being separated to God, putting off the old man (as we saw in our last session), and putting on the new man, which is renewed after the image of Him (amen?) Who has bought us, Who has called us. Look at Ephesians—or are we already there? I want you to see, if you look back to Chapter 4, verse 22: "That ye put off concerning the former [lifestyle] the old man [and we studied this last session], which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed [reprogrammed, refreshed] in the spirit of your mind." Sanctification is the renewing process, the spirit dominating the mind, the spirit man dominating volition, emotion, will, "…and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

This process that the Word of God is effecting in our lives: ongoing; dynamic; the renewing of the mind; constantly, the spiritual process. What is true holiness? There is a feigned holiness, which is the holiness of the Pharisees. This renewing of the mind, or the inner man, the putting on of the new man, true sanctification is, really, only known by us. Those who are observing us see one thing; we know the reality. As much as most of us would like to deny it, we all portray a different image to others than we have and know of ourselves. For some of us, we think of ourselves more highly than we ought; and some, actually, from the other perspective. In a false humility, and a condemnation, we are beat up, and do not realize; so, we portray weakness in a feigned humility, and are suppressing what God is capable of doing in our lives. Sanctification is a life set apart for God and if God be for us, nobody can be against us (Romans 8:31). Let Him work His will in us. Do not be afraid of what people think. Do not try to portray yourself as other than what God has declared you are. For the meek: become as bold as a lion. For the hypocrite: step back, and begin to be vulnerable, and let people see what you really are; and, for the first time, in many of your lives, know the love of God, and know the love of the body of Christ, that you are accepted in the beloved—not because of your performance, not because of an image—and be free. That is sanctified living. Sanctification is being free to let God work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Sanctification is the faith and the boldness to know that He has positionally provided it for us. We are sanctified. We are saved, and we are being saved. It is an exciting process, and many of us retard it from one perspective or the other because of pride, because of fear, because of image, because of selfishness.

Turn to 2 Timothy; let me show one other thing in this process. This is a different teaching on sanctification than we have ever done, because we are always talking about just abstaining from the world, and the lust of the world, and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of things. I want you to see sanctification as the ability to [simply] be alive in the spirit of God and, as part of the community, let each one of us begin to strengthen each other in faith; and, having the same care one for another, grow up into Christ, as the Scripture tells us. Sanctification then is coming to the reality of where we really are in the process, and not being afraid of it, or ashamed, because God is working in me to will and to do of His good pleasure. Amen? He is working. "You don’t look like you’re doing a very good job." Hey! God is working in me. Amen? Now, we will talk about the responsibility we have, here, in Second Timothy. "If any man therefore purge himself…" (2 Timothy 2:21). Yes, we are to be involved in this; it is a work of God, but we are to be involved in it. What is our involvement? "If any man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto [say it] every good work." Yes, there are to be good works in our life. Yes, we are to be involved in this, and we are to purge ourselves. Now, the purging takes place how? By you and me going to the Word of God. An appetite for—a discipline to—the study of the Word. "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15), coming to the understanding of the once for all work: I am sanctified, and God is working sanctification in me. It is by the blood of Jesus, beloved; it is not by your works; it is not by your effort. Many of us think we are saved by grace and faith, and then sanctified by works. But we are sanctified by the same grace, and the same faith, [by which] we were saved. Look at Hebrews; let me show you something. In Hebrews 13:12 it says, "Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, [He was the cast off one; He was the one who] suffered without the gate." He was the one Who paid the price for us. It is not by your works; sanctification has been purchased by the blood of Jesus. It is working in us, and we now purge ourselves by faith in that finished work. We cleanse ourselves by the Word of God. We are not obtaining sanctification; it is not something that is being obtained. It is already working in us; we are now beginning to express sanctification as God works in us to will and to do it. It is something that is working in us. We are not after it. I am not trying to be sanctified; I am sanctified. And now, through the renewing and the washing of the water of the Word, and the renewing of the mind, it begins to be expressed. I am walking in the spirit, now; I am not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.

Peter might say it better. Turn to 1 Peter; I think this might be something that can help us as we wind down for this morning. Holiness is an interesting thing. Holiness and sanctification: they are pretty much synonymous. The Peter passage, talking about the finished work of Jesus in Chapter 1, verse 2—I do not want to bog down in this, because you can get into a real theological quagmire. But, when you talk about divine election, the foreknowledge of God, predestination; when you see it from God’s perspective, we know that there is no time or space—Peter, then, speaking toward this says that we are the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Then, he makes an interesting statement. First of all, look at what precedes this. It says, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification…" So, our election is through sanctification by foreknowledge. What am I saying? Before you were saved, before you were born, you were sanctified. It is a finished work in the Lamb who was slain before the foundations of the world; and God, in His foreknowledge, has chosen those of us who would be obedient. "…through the sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." What am I saying? Through the obedience of Jesus, and our faith in His obedience, we have been made obedient. Through His sanctification, we have been sanctified. Stop worrying about it. Stop trying so hard, and just go into the Word of God, and begin to fellowship with Him, and say, "What do you have for me today? What do you want me to do today? Not tomorrow. I am not worried about the future. You have already determined my election; You have predestined that I be conformed to the image of Jesus. It is going to happen, but I do not want to mess up today. I want to be all that I can be, for You, today. At this moment what, in my life, can bring You the most glory in my thought processes, in the words that I speak, in the deeds that I do? I do not have to try to earn Your pleasure; I am accepted in the beloved. I am not going to get cast off because I fail in some way. I am not afraid of the denial of Your love, but I am compelled now, because of the full awareness of the price that’s been paid, the love that You have expressed, that I want to serve You. I am looking forward to honoring You." Sanctification comes because of the appreciation of the work done in Jesus, because we are debtors. We are not trying to pay Him back; we are saying, "Thank You." The sanctified life is the expression of thanksgiving from a thankful heart. It is not works; it is thanksgiving. Let’s end with this one, for this morning; I think it is interesting. Second Corinthians 7. We will see if we can pull up with this: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Perfecting, maturing, sanctifying, holiness in the (what?) fear of God. Sanctification, as we said, is the expression of thanksgiving for the finished work of Jesus. How separate we are reveals the reverence, the fear, and the thankfulness we have for God, the uniqueness, and the holiness, of God. "Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). As we close, ask yourself this question: How unique am I in this world’s system? Are those who are around me completely aware of my dependency on [Christ], my allegiance to [Christ], my love for [Christ], as we follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)?

Father, as we meditate upon these verses, this morning, and ask for Your visitation to us each one in his spirit, because we are all at different places in this process, You have said that it is Your will that we should be sanctified. Then there is the mandate: "Be holy; for I am holy," and the admonishment that, without holiness, we would not see the Lord. So, this is not optional. We cannot say, "Well, I want Jesus as Savior, but I don’t want to go overboard, I don’t want to be a fanatic." Beloved, you’re called to fanaticism. "I don’t want to be extreme in my faith." There is no other kind of faith than extreme faith. "I don’t want to be peculiar in my holy living and life." We are a peculiar people, set off by boundaries. We are unique. We are different. We are not of this world. Are those boundaries clear to those with whom we come in contact? The sanctified life, and its dependence on God, and its fear of God, become very obvious; and, we do not have to try to be light, we are the light of the world. And men prefer darkness, because their deeds are evil. We do not have to rebuke them, necessarily, we just do not partake. "No, I don’t do that; I’m a Christian." "No, I won’t bow my knee to that idol, because it is written: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods.’" How naturally does the Word of God come out of your heart in your daily arena? How common is it to speak the Word of God when everyone else speaks the language of the world? You see, a lot of people have made millions by taking biblical principles and incorporating them into secular business, and use them as motivation, and establish principles. When is the last time, in the boardroom, somebody stood up and said, "The Word of God says this; and the Lord said, ‘If we would do this, then He will do that.’" "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). "[It is] in Him we live, and move, and have our [very] being (Acts 17:28). When we fail to confess Him before men, He will not confess us before the Father (Luke 12:8-9). The sanctified life gives all the glory to God, and rests in eternal promises that are "yea and, in Him, amen."

Let’s stand together this morning. Father, we thank You for the Word of God, and we just ask that somehow we would assimilate that which was revealed to us this morning. Sanctification is not just abstaining, it is dependence on You. It is an exaltation of You. It is a declaration of You in our lives. We are not ashamed of that name of Jesus, and our faith in that name, by which we are saved. We are not impressed with the world’s methods and apparent successes, because all that man has built will be judged, and purged with fire. You are coming soon, and You are coming for a bride without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Preparation for that coming is the purging, the washing of the water of the Word, hearing Your will, and doing it. Grant it to us, we ask, Father, in Jesus’ name; amen.

As Katie plays for us, and we take just a moment this morning, resting in what the Spirit of God has said to us: sanctification, serving one another, edifying one another, resting in the peace of God. The sanctified life is one that is content with where it is, not having, through hypocrisy, to project itself as something it is not. You are sanctified when you realize where you really are and say, "Here is where I am, and that is where I am going; praise God! I am going to be like Him." The man who thinks he is sanctified is the one who clings to the image. The man who is really sanctified comes to grips with where he is and says, "God is not through yet, praise God! He is keeping that which I have committed to Him against that day. I am predestined to the image of Jesus. Oh yes; I am going to have to present my body. Yes, I am going to have to purge myself from these things." The natural mind would say, "Because of slothfulness, because of my carnality, that I have retarded the will of God, and the working of God, and, because of that, I am five years behind where I should be." You are exactly where God wants you. "Yes, but I could have been so much farther." Yes, but you are not. So, are we going to make it about you, or about the election of God, the foreknowledge of God? Yes, like you, I lament the wasted years, the wasted time, the wasted hours. I survey my own life and think, "Dear God! What would I be if I had not consumed so much on myself?" Then, I realize, "I could have been proud—or, I should say, prouder. I am where God wants me." Sanctification rests in God’s lordship of the process. Make that real to us, we ask, Father, in Jesus’ name.

Let’s sing this together, and just honor Him for what He is doing in our lives. He is not through yet, praise God. Thank Him for it. Oh, we worship You, Lord. Oh, hallelujah! Sing it one more time; just bless Him. Oh, we thank You, Jesus. We thank You, Jesus. For that, Father, we give You all the praise and all the honor, in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah! Thank You for where You have brought us, and thank You for where You are taking us, in Jesus’ name; amen.

Turn to somebody next to you and say, "God is not through yet, praise God!" Amen; go in peace; God’s love go with you.

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