### Summary
Good morning, everyone. Today, we delve into the concept of "Blueprints" to understand how God wants us to live holy lives. Jesus often used earthly stories to illustrate heavenly truths, employing metaphors, parables, and similes. He used familiar examples from home life, nature, commerce, and farming to make divine principles relatable and understandable. These stories served as hooks to reel people in, helping them grasp God's work in their lives.
Our central theme today is from 1 Peter 1:15-16, which calls us to be holy because God is holy. This holiness, or sanctification, is a process that God equips us for. To illustrate this, I used the analogy of a polarized electrical plug, where one prong represents God's power and the other our responsibility. Just as a plug needs both prongs to function, we need to fulfill our part to receive the fullness of God's work in our lives.
The first aspect of our responsibility is consecration. In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices had to be perfect, without blemish, representing holiness. Today, God doesn't want our animals; He wants us. We are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This total consecration involves giving God our time, talents, thoughts, money, reputation, family, hopes, dreams, and future. Consecration precedes sanctification; it's our part in the process.
Sanctification is not for the casual Christian but for those serious about walking in holiness. It's a lifetime process, not a one-time event. God wants everyone to be sanctified, and it's available to every believer. Part-time Christianity won't cut it; we need to be full-time believers walking in holiness. Often, we get things backward, trying to please people and serve God when we should be pleasing God and serving people.
The second aspect is crucifixion. In ancient times, crucifixion was a familiar method of executing the unruly. Similarly, our old, unruly selves need to be put to death. Romans 6:6 tells us that our old self was crucified with Christ so that we are no longer slaves to sin. This is a powerful image of putting the old man to death, not just controlling or managing him. The old self must be rendered powerless, buried, and kept buried by daily sanctification.
The third aspect is cleansing. Ephesians 5:25-27 uses the analogy of a husband cleansing his wife to describe Christ's work in cleansing the church. Christ gave Himself for us to make us holy, cleansing us by the washing of water through the Word. This cleansing is complete, removing all impurities, making us holy and blameless. The Word of God is the detergent in the pool of His grace, cleansing us thoroughly.
Finally, we must be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 cautions against being drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery, and instead encourages us to be filled with the Spirit. Just as alcohol can control a person's actions, the Spirit should control us, leading us to holiness. This filling is not a one-time event but a continuous process, drawing us closer to God and pushing sin out of our lives.
In conclusion, our journey to holiness involves consecration, crucifixion, cleansing, and being filled with the Spirit. It's a partnership where we do our part, and God does His. By faith, we can live sanctified lives, pleasing to God.
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Key Takeaways
- 1. time event. God wants everyone to be sanctified, and it's available to every believer. Part-time Christianity won't cut it; we need to be full-time believers walking in holiness. [55:09]
3. Crucifixion of the Old Self: Our old, unruly selves need to be put to death. Romans 6:6 tells us that our old self was crucified with Christ so that we are no longer slaves to sin. This is a powerful image of putting the old man to death, not just controlling or managing him. The old self must be rendered powerless, buried, and kept buried by daily sanctification.
4. Cleansing by the Word: Ephesians 5:25-27 uses the analogy of a husband cleansing his wife to describe Christ's work in cleansing the church. Christ gave Himself for us to make us holy, cleansing us by the washing of water through the Word. This cleansing is complete, removing all impurities, making us holy and blameless. The Word of God is the detergent in the pool of His grace, cleansing us thoroughly.
5. Being Filled with the Spirit: Ephesians 5:18 cautions against being drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery, and instead encourages us to be filled with the Spirit. Just as alcohol can control a person's actions, the Spirit should control us, leading us to holiness. This filling is not a one-time event but a continuous process, drawing us closer to God and pushing sin out of our lives.
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