From Darkness to Light: The Journey of Sanctification

Sanctification in other words is clearly not something which you receive as an experience you can't take sanctification by one act it is something which results from an outworking K of the truth so he presents it in the form of an argument he States the doctrine then he says now in the light of that surely he says you were sometimes Darkness but now are ye light in the Lord therefore walk as children of the light or as those who belong to the light. [00:02:47]

The difference between being Christian and non-Christian is the difference between being in the light and being in the dark now let us consider very hurriedly some of the terms which remind us of this take our Lord's own tone he said I am the light of the world or again he says I am come a light in the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life. [00:09:18]

The difference between the Christian and the non-Christian is perfectly clear the difference between the Christian and the non-Christian is indeed we can say an absolute one now here is something again that is emphasized repeatedly in the New Testament that there should be no different difficulty in telling the difference between the Christian and the nonr Christian all the terminology of the New Testament with regard to what a Christian is emphasizes this very thing. [00:14:01]

Ye were ye are ye were sometimes Darkness but now are ye or you are well what can I add to that that's just it you see you were you are you are not what you were and when you were you are you were not what you are now these are absolute terms and this is the way I say the New Testament puts this matter right through from the very beginning to the very end once upon a time you were there but you're no longer there you are. [00:16:02]

The Apostle is not concentrating on the way in which we have passed from Darkness to light or the exact time at which we did so many people are troubled by that they say you know I can't put my finger on a particular moment or on a particular text or a particular occasion and they're very troubled by that well now I say that that's not the point the question that the Apostle asks us is this not when or how exactly did you pass from what you were to what you are. [00:19:30]

The Apostle is very fond of working out this idea I read to you a portion of the first chapter of his epistle to the Romans last Sunday morning and we came across this striking statement why is the world as it is well this is it says Paul their foolish heart was darkened it wasn't simply that they were in the dark but their foolish heart was darkened their very Hearts became dark in and of themselves. [00:26:05]

The Christian is not merely a man who has the eyes of his understanding enlightened he has that but he has more his eye has been made single and therefore the logic follows if thine eye be single thy whole body also shall be full of light the Christian is a man who has been f filled with light now then why is this so important well it's important for these reasons it emphasizes again the radical difference between the non-Christian and the Christian. [00:31:39]

There is a false School of evangelism that believes and teach you something like this it says all you've got to do is to hold the truth before people they say men has got it in him to understand and to believe and to accept the truth so all we need do is to hold the truth before it present it logically clearly bring out your arguments put it as strongly as you can add your eloquence and so on but the great thing is to present the truth to him he's got the capacity and the power to believe it and to take it and that's all that evangelism really means and does giving people the truth in this way. [00:32:04]

The unbeliever is Darkness his difficulty is not merely that he needs to be shown light no no in addition to showing him the light you've got to lighten him he needs to be born again the Holy Spirit must do an operation in him the Apostle has said it all of course in the first epistle to the Corinthians chapter 2 where he says the natural men or the natural mind receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him. [00:34:35]

God who commanded the light to shine out of Darkness has shined in our hearts what for to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ you will find it running as a constant theme in the Epistles of this Apostle Paul but you've got it also in the writings of the Apostle Peter he says in his first epistle in the 2 chapter in the 9th verse ye he says that a chosen generation a royal priesthood and holy nation A peculiar people what for that he may show forth the Praises the excellencies of him who has called you out of Darkness Into His Marvelous Light. [00:11:24]

The Apostle is not concentrating on the way in which we have passed from Darkness to light or the exact time at which we did so many people are troubled by that they say you know I can't put my finger on a particular moment or on a particular text or a particular occasion and they're very troubled by that well now I say that that's not the point the question that the Apostle asks us is this not when or how exactly did you pass from what you were to what you are. [00:19:30]

The Apostle is very fond of working out this idea I read to you a portion of the first chapter of his epistle to the Romans last Sunday morning and we came across this striking statement why is the world as it is well this is it says Paul their foolish heart was darkened it wasn't simply that they were in the dark but their foolish heart was darkened their very Hearts became dark in and of themselves. [00:26:05]