Embracing the Journey of Sanctification in Faith

 

Summary

In our journey of faith, one of the most pressing questions we often face is, "How can I know the will of God for my life?" This question, frequently asked by believers, points to a deeper yearning to align our lives with God's purpose. The answer lies not in seeking specific directives about our careers or relationships but in understanding the broader call to sanctification. Scripture clearly states, "This is the will of God for you, even your sanctification." Sanctification is the process of being made holy, a journey that begins with our conversion and continues throughout our lives. It is not an instantaneous transformation but a gradual progression towards Christlikeness.

The call to sanctification is a call to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. This does not imply earning our salvation through works but rather engaging in the diligent pursuit of holiness. The apostle Paul exhorts us to "work out your salvation" with a seriousness that reflects the importance of the task. Yet, many of us approach this call with a lackadaisical attitude, failing to recognize the gravity of becoming more like Christ.

Reflecting on my own life, I recall the dedication I once had for improving my golf game. I meticulously tracked my progress, identified weaknesses, and worked tirelessly to improve. This commitment to excellence in a hobby stands in stark contrast to the often-casual approach we take towards our spiritual growth. Jesus challenges us to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, who, despite their hypocrisy, were diligent in their religious practices. Our righteousness must be genuine, rooted in a deep relationship with Christ, who alone can purify and transform us.

Isaiah's encounter with God's holiness serves as a powerful reminder of our need for cleansing. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he was undone, recognizing his own unworthiness. Yet, God did not leave him in despair. Instead, He purified Isaiah, symbolized by the seraphim touching his lips with a live coal. This act of cleansing is a foreshadowing of Christ's work on the cross, where our sins are removed, and we are made righteous.

As we embrace this call to holiness, we are also called to action. God asks, "Whom shall I send?" and our response should be, "Here am I, send me." Our sanctification is not just for our benefit but for the world to see the transformative power of God's grace.

Key Takeaways:

- Understanding God's will begins with recognizing that His primary desire for us is sanctification, a lifelong process of becoming holy and Christlike. This journey requires a sober evaluation of our gifts and a commitment to align our lives with God's purpose. [01:46]

- Sanctification involves diligent effort, akin to working out our salvation with fear and trembling. This seriousness reflects the importance of our spiritual growth and the need to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. [05:32]

- The righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees is not about external compliance but an authentic transformation through Christ. Our pursuit of holiness must be genuine, rooted in a deep relationship with Jesus. [08:14]

- Isaiah's vision of God's holiness reveals our need for cleansing and transformation. Just as Isaiah was purified, we too are made righteous through Christ's sacrifice, which removes our guilt and reconciles us to God. [12:53]

- Our sanctification is not an end in itself but a call to action. As God cleanses and forgives us, He also commissions us to go into the world, sharing the message of His grace and mercy with others. [24:25]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:32] - The Most Asked Question
- [01:07] - Discovering God's Will
- [01:46] - The Call to Sanctification
- [02:30] - Understanding Holiness
- [03:18] - Saints and Sinfulness
- [03:56] - Working Out Salvation
- [05:32] - Fear and Trembling
- [06:14] - Prioritizing Righteousness
- [06:56] - Lessons from Golf
- [08:14] - Exceeding Pharisaic Righteousness
- [10:09] - The Pharisees' Zeal
- [11:16] - The Need for Christ's Righteousness
- [12:53] - Isaiah's Vision of Holiness
- [14:18] - Cleansing and Commissioning

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 - "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality."
2. Philippians 2:12-13 - "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
3. Isaiah 6:5-8 - "And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!' Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: 'Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.' And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'"

Observation Questions:
1. What does 1 Thessalonians 4:3 say is God's will for us, and how does this relate to the concept of sanctification? [01:46]
2. In Philippians 2:12-13, what does it mean to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"? How does this reflect the seriousness of our spiritual growth? [05:32]
3. Describe Isaiah's reaction upon seeing the holiness of God in Isaiah 6:5-8. How does this encounter lead to his cleansing and commissioning? [12:53]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the difference between the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees and the genuine transformation through Christ? [08:14]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon explain the process of sanctification as a lifelong journey rather than an instantaneous change? What implications does this have for believers? [02:30]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that believers often approach their spiritual growth with a lackadaisical attitude? How does this contrast with the diligence shown in other areas of life, such as hobbies? [06:14]
3. How does Isaiah's vision of God's holiness in the sermon serve as a reminder of our need for cleansing and transformation? What role does Christ's sacrifice play in this process? [12:53]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between sanctification and action, particularly in response to God's call to "send"? [24:25]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life. Are there areas where you approach spiritual growth with less seriousness than other pursuits, like hobbies or work? How can you change this? [06:14]
2. Consider the concept of "working out your salvation with fear and trembling." What practical steps can you take to prioritize your relationship with God and pursue holiness more diligently? [05:32]
3. Isaiah responded to God's call with "Here am I, send me." How can you be more open and willing to respond to God's call in your life? What might be holding you back? [24:25]
4. The sermon highlights the importance of genuine transformation through Christ. How can you ensure that your pursuit of righteousness is authentic and not just external compliance? [08:14]
5. Reflect on a time when you felt "undone" like Isaiah in the presence of God's holiness. How did that experience impact your spiritual journey, and how can you seek similar encounters with God? [12:53]
6. How can you actively share the message of God's grace and mercy with others, as part of your sanctification journey? Identify one person you can reach out to this week. [24:25]
7. The sermon mentions the need for a sober evaluation of our gifts and talents. How can you better align your life with God's purpose by using your unique gifts? [01:07]

Devotional

Day 1: God's Will is Our Sanctification
Understanding God's will begins with recognizing that His primary desire for us is sanctification, a lifelong process of becoming holy and Christlike. This journey requires a sober evaluation of our gifts and a commitment to align our lives with God's purpose. [01:46]

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor." (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: What specific area of your life do you feel God is calling you to grow in holiness? How can you take a step towards that today?


Day 2: Diligent Effort in Sanctification
Sanctification involves diligent effort, akin to working out our salvation with fear and trembling. This seriousness reflects the importance of our spiritual growth and the need to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. [05:32]

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one spiritual discipline you can commit to practicing more diligently this week. How will you incorporate it into your daily routine?


Day 3: Genuine Righteousness Through Christ
The righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees is not about external compliance but an authentic transformation through Christ. Our pursuit of holiness must be genuine, rooted in a deep relationship with Jesus. [08:14]

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you deepen your relationship with Christ to ensure your righteousness is genuine and not just external?


Day 4: Cleansing and Transformation
Isaiah's vision of God's holiness reveals our need for cleansing and transformation. Just as Isaiah was purified, we too are made righteous through Christ's sacrifice, which removes our guilt and reconciles us to God. [12:53]

"And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!' Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: 'Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.'" (Isaiah 6:5-7, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt unworthy before God. How did you experience His cleansing and forgiveness?


Day 5: Sanctification as a Call to Action
Our sanctification is not an end in itself but a call to action. As God cleanses and forgives us, He also commissions us to go into the world, sharing the message of His grace and mercy with others. [24:25]

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'" (Isaiah 6:8, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear about God's grace and mercy? How can you reach out to them this week with the love of Christ?

Quotes


If you really want to know the will of God for your life, the most important aspect of the will of God for your life, you can listen to what the Scripture says. The Scripture said, "This is the will of God for you, even your sanctification." [00:01:38]

When you become a Christian, you are not made instantly holy. One of the greatest difficulties we have as Christians is that when we become Christians we still sin. Our lives should change, and we should be growing and progressing towards our conformity to the image of Christ, and that process and that progress that takes time is what we call "sanctification." [00:02:44]

What does the apostle say when he writes to the Philippians? He says, "Work out your salvation." That doesn't mean work for your salvation. It's not that we are saved by our works; we're saved by the works of Christ, and the moment we have faith in Christ, God transfers to our account His righteousness and God considers us holy in His sight. [00:04:17]

That's the call that God makes on our lives: to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. What does that suggest to you? Have you ever approached any task in your life with fear and trembling, where you were nervous, where you were shaking? And why would you be nervous and shaking? Because you would realize that this particular task was supremely important and you wanted to do well, to please somebody, to please your friends, to please you parents, to please your teacher, to please somebody, to please your coach. [00:04:58]

But today it seems that our concern to become holy, to become righteous, if we have a concern at all is somewhat cavalier, isn't it? We don't get all that excited about it. So we're working out our Christian life, we're working out our salvation sort of in a lackadaisical, cool way. No sweat. But God calls us to make the seeking of His face, the seeking of His kingdom the main business of our lives. [00:06:00]

Jesus said to His contemporaries, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you'll never enter the kingdom of God." And we read that and we say, "Oh, big deal! It was the scribes and the Pharisees that killed Him. The scribes and Pharisees were nothing but hypocrites, so it shouldn't be any great task for us to exceed in righteousness the scribes and the Pharisees." [00:07:54]

The Pharisees were that group of people who made the main business of their life the keeping of the law of God. And what does Jesus say about them? He said, "You search the Scripture thinking that in the Scriptures you have life," but they were hypocrites. They were hypocrites, but at least they searched the Scripture. They were diligent in their study of the Word of God. [00:08:21]

Jesus rebuked them for their hypocrisy and their prayers, but they were diligent in their prayer lives. In other words, what I'm saying is they read the Scriptures daily, they prayed daily, they gave at least ten percent of their money to the work of God, they were committed to the life of the church, they were committed to evangelism, they were committed to mission. [00:10:52]

What Isaiah was experiencing when he had this vision of the holiness of God was the psychological process that we call "disintegration." Have you heard somebody say to you, "Well, that so and so there, he's got his act together. He's got it together. He's a whole person"? To have your act together, to have everything going for you means that every aspect of your life is knitted coherently together; it's integrated. When something disintegrates, it falls apart, and that's what Isaiah is saying when he cries out, "Woe is me, I am undone!" [00:12:53]

Here is Isaiah trembling before God, terrified. Talk about fear and trembling, if ever a human being was in a state of abject fear and trembling, it was Isaiah at this moment. And while he is crying and screaming this curse on him, God directs one of the angels, one of the seraphims to the altar where there they had the burning brazier, and it's filled with white hot coals. [00:14:52]

Your iniquity is removed, He's taken it away and the Bible says, "As far as the east is from the west, so God removes our transgressions from us." In the cross, we read in the New Testament that Christ performs a work of expiation, and what expiation means is the removal of our guilt. It's taken away. [00:18:20]

You know, I have noticed in Scripture that God never says, "Come unto Me," without saying to those who come unto Him, "Go ye." We come to Him, He heals us, He forgives us, and then He sends us. "Whom shall I send? Who will go for me?" And Isaiah says, "Here am I, send me. I'll go." Thank God! "If You're going to forgive me of all my sins, if You're going to cleanse me of my filthy mouth, if You're going to allow me to stand in Your presence even though I am not holy, I will crawl over glass to tell everybody I ever meet about Your mercy and about Your grace." [00:24:18]

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Transcript
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