Truth Matters from Pastor Dean, June 12th 2023

What does “sanctification” mean?  In a nutshell...it means Jesus Christ is taking over more and more of your thinking, your priorities, your social interactions, your goals...essentially, your whole life.  The ultimate end of your sanctification is “glorification”...that is, God’s final removal of sin from the life of the saints (i.e., everyone who is saved).  It goes without saying that we struggle in the process of sanctification.  The world, the flesh, and the devil are all constant impediments to our sanctification. 

When we read of the "world" in the New Testament, it most often refers to the people who live on the earth, which functions apart from God. Satan is the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 16:11; 1 John 5:19). World refers to a world system ruled by Satan. 

The flesh is a built-in law of failure. It is a compulsive inner force inherited from man’s fall, which expresses itself in general and specific rebellion against God and His righteousness. The flesh can never be reformed or improved. The only hope for escape from the law of the flesh is its total execution and replacement by a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ.

These (the world, the flesh, and the devil) are all formidable challenges to our sanctification and result in paralyzing the process.   Today’s My Utmost for His Highest paints a realistic picture of our struggle to be sanctified:

“God writes our new name only on those places in our lives where He has erased our pride, self-sufficiency, and self-interest. Some of us have our new name written only in certain spots, like spiritual measles. And in those areas of our lives we look all right. When we are in our best spiritual mood, you would think we were the highest quality saints. But don’t dare look at us when we are not in that mood. A true disciple is one who has his new name written all over him— self-interest, pride, and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.

Pride is the sin of making “self” our god.  For you to say, “Oh, I’m no saint,” is acceptable by human standards of pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. You defy God to make you a saint, as if to say, “I am too weak and hopeless and outside the reach of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.” Why aren’t you a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe that God can make you into one. Put no conditions on your life— let Jesus be everything to you, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but for eternity.”

Here is the “summum bonum” of why our sanctification process slows down or becomes stagnant...”It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe that God can make you into one.”  The Word of God tells us: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”  (Philippians 2:12-13) 

My prayer for you and me this day is this:  Lord, we want to become like our Lord Jesus Christ.  You know how much we must battle against the world, the flesh, and Satan.  We ask for strengthening from God the Holy Spirit to be more and more conforming to Jesus Christ.  Many will walk away from the process, but we will not.  We will cry out to You until Christ is formed in us.  Amen

We sang this song at church yesterday.  It should be our heart’s cry:

Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy.
Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from my sin, deep within.

Refiner's fire,
My heart's one desire
Is to be... holy;
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be... holy;
Set apart for You, my Master,
Ready to do Your will.

Walk with the King today and be a blessing.