Understanding the Process of Sanctification in Salvation

Devotional

Day 1: Set Apart for God’s Purpose

Sanctification is a profound journey of being set apart for God, involving a deliberate separation from sin and a dedication to His service. It is not merely about receiving forgiveness but about embodying the righteousness of Christ within us. This process calls for a transformation that reflects Christ's righteousness, urging believers to live lives that are distinct from worldly influences. As we engage in this journey, we are invited to become vessels fit for the Master's use, embodying holiness and purity in our daily lives. [01:00]

"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life." (Romans 6:22, ESV)

Reflection: In what specific ways can you dedicate your daily actions and decisions to reflect being set apart for God’s purpose today?

Day 2: Cooperative Work of Sanctification

The work of sanctification is primarily God's, involving the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, yet it requires our active participation. This cooperative process is where divine grace meets human effort, calling us to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. It is a journey that demands our obedience to God's commands and a conscious effort to abstain from sin. As we engage in this divine partnership, we are transformed into vessels that reflect God's holiness and righteousness. [02:23]

"Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace." (2 Peter 3:14, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can actively work with God to cleanse yourself from sin today?

Day 3: Continuous Process of Sanctification

Sanctification is not a one-time experience or something to be received in a single act. It is a continuous process that requires our active participation and obedience to God's commands. This journey is about growing in grace and knowledge, advancing steadily in our spiritual walk, and being transformed from glory to glory. It is not about achieving sinless perfection in a moment but about a gradual transformation into the image of Christ. [23:15]

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

Reflection: How can you commit to a daily practice that fosters your continuous growth in sanctification?

Day 4: Experiences as Aids in Sanctification

While experiences can provide encouragement and fresh stimuli, they are not sanctification itself. Sanctification is a condition, a state of being in a right relationship with God, and involves a gradual transformation into Christ's image. Experiences can aid in this process by offering new insights and encouragement, but the essence of sanctification lies in the ongoing journey of being transformed into Christ's likeness. [37:12]

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." (James 1:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent experience that challenged your faith. How can you use this experience to aid your journey of sanctification?

Day 5: Growth and Development in Sanctification

The process of sanctification is akin to the growth of a crop, requiring time, nourishment, and the right conditions to flourish. It is about growing in grace and knowledge, advancing steadily in our spiritual walk, and being transformed from glory to glory. This journey requires patience and perseverance, as we allow God to work in us, shaping us into His image. [36:42]

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take today to ensure you are providing the right conditions for your spiritual growth and development in sanctification?

Sermon Summary

Sanctification is a vital aspect of our salvation, a process that involves being set apart for God and His service. It is not merely about being forgiven or justified; it is about becoming more righteous, reflecting the righteousness of Christ imparted to us. Sanctification means being separated from sin and the world, and being dedicated to God. This process requires us to be clean and holy, vessels fit for the Master's use. It is primarily the work of God, involving the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but we also have a role to play. We are called to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness, both of the flesh and spirit.

The method of sanctification has been a point of controversy, with some suggesting it is something to be received in a single act, similar to justification. However, this view is challenged by the understanding that sanctification is a continuous process, not a one-time event. It involves our active participation, as emphasized in numerous scriptures that call us to abstain from fleshly lusts and to cleanse our hands. Sanctification is not merely an experience or a sudden event; it is a condition, a state of being in a right relationship with God.

Experiences can aid in sanctification, providing fresh stimuli and encouragement, but they are not sanctification itself. Sanctification is a gradual process, akin to the growth of a crop, which requires time, nourishment, and the right conditions to flourish. It is a journey of being transformed into the image of Christ from glory to glory. This process is not about achieving sinless perfection in a moment but about growing in grace and knowledge, advancing steadily in our spiritual walk.

Key Takeaways

1. Sanctification is a process of being set apart for God, involving separation from sin and dedication to His service. It is not just about forgiveness but about becoming more righteous, reflecting Christ's righteousness in us. [01:00]
2. The work of sanctification is primarily God's, involving the Trinity, but we have a role in actively cleansing ourselves and abstaining from sin. It is a cooperative process where divine grace and human effort meet. [02:23]
3. Sanctification is not a one-time experience or something to be received in a single act. It is a continuous process that requires our active participation and obedience to God's commands. [23:15]
4. Experiences can aid in sanctification, providing encouragement and fresh stimuli, but they are not sanctification itself. Sanctification is a condition, a state of being in a right relationship with God, and involves a gradual transformation into Christ's image. [37:12]
5. The process of sanctification is akin to the growth of a crop, requiring time, nourishment, and the right conditions to flourish. It is about growing in grace and knowledge, advancing steadily in our spiritual walk, and being transformed from glory to glory. [36:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:12] - Introduction to Sanctification
[01:00] - Definition of Sanctification
[02:08] - The Role of the Trinity
[03:45] - Method of Sanctification
[04:50] - Sanctification as a Process
[06:12] - Scriptural Interpretations
[09:14] - Walking in Fellowship
[11:45] - Romans 8:2 Explained
[15:20] - Freedom from Sin
[18:25] - Union with Christ
[23:15] - Our Role in Sanctification
[26:21] - Sanctification and Experience
[31:49] - Principles of Deliverance
[36:42] - Growth and Development in Sanctification
[43:29] - Conclusion and Prayer

Sermon Clips

Sanctification means being set apart for God and his service, which means obviously that we must be separated from sin from the world which is opposed to God and separated to God and obviously we cannot function and be used in God's service unless we are clean and holy and that is sanctification. [00:01:03]

Primarily the agent is God himself indeed the three blessed persons in the Trinity take part in it the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit but it is of course specifically the work of the Holy Spirit it is God's will that we be Sanctified the whole end and object of salvation is that we should truly be separated unto God and be made a people for God's possession. [00:02:10]

We have our part to play and we ended last time by quoting a large number of scriptures which put their emphasis Upon Our activity ending with one of the most striking of all namely the first verse in the seventh chapter of Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians where he tells us to cleanse ourselves we are to cleanse our ourselves our spirits and so on from all filthiness and likewise our flesh. [00:03:08]

Sanctification is not something which is to Beed we saw last time did we not that great emphasis on our part what you and I have got to do why my dear friends what is the value and the point of all these great exhibitions of Doctrine in these new testament Epistles in sanctification is something that I am to receive what's the point of these Mighty arguments of this great Apostle and the other Apostles why do they exhort us to do things. [00:23:15]

Sanctification is not an experience it is a condition it is my condition in my relationship to God there it is I say again in 2 Corinthians 3:18 I am changed into the same image of Jesus Christ from glory to glory sanctification involves experiences sanctification is helped by experiences but sanctification itself is not an experience. [00:34:38]

Sanctification itself is that life that process of growth and development which starts the moment we are saved the moment we are Justified the moment we are regenerated sanctification starts the moment life enters and it keeps on or there may be times when it's very small and you can't see any difference and no change but then you get some blessed experience. [00:36:42]

Experiences can aid in sanctification, providing encouragement and fresh stimuli, but they are not sanctification itself. Sanctification is a condition, a state of being in a right relationship with God, and involves a gradual transformation into Christ's image. [00:37:12]

Sanctification is a question of my total relationship to God so that I may be delivered from certain sins and yet oh my sanctification may be very small and very immature it's my total relationship to God indeed this other teaching which we've been considering involves Us in this position that at one moment I may be Sanctified completely and then by one act of sin I lose my sanctification. [00:33:08]

The teaching of the scripture is this isn't it that we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory it's an advance it's a growth it's a development it's a going forward. [00:34:01]

Sanctification is obviously and clearly not something that happens suddenly what are the scripture terms there are these you are born again you are a baby in Christ that's what Paul says to the Corinthians you are yet babes John talks about children young men men old men these are the scriptural terms this growth and uh you don't suddenly jump from birth to adult manhood. [00:40:11]

The children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt once and forever and the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea but would you like to tell me that the Troubles of the egypti of of the Israelites ended at that point not at all they were even taken right into Canaan had their troubles ended then no they're in the Sanctified position but they've got their enemies to fight there they've got their problems and their difficulties it's like that in the Christian life. [00:41:02]

God's method of sanctification as we see and as I hope to show still more clearly next week is this process which starts from the moment of regeneration and it goes on and on every experience we get stimulates it and we are changed from Glory into Glory we are advancing and developing we ought to be more Sanctified tonight than we were a year ago and it'll go on and on until finally in glory we shall be perfect and without spot and without blemish. [00:43:29]

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