LWCA -- NEW BELIEVERS COURSE
Week #3 – SANCTIFICATION
Purification through the blood of Jesus, Holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit and sanctification through the Word of God.

This topic deals with Gods sanctifying work in the believer and His admonishment in scripture to live holy lives as a testament to our conversion. Synonyms: Purification, consecration, Holiness, devotion, separation, set apart.

SANCTIFICATION – is the aspect of salvation that has to do with conduct and behavioral changes in the life of the believer. It is God’s method by which He enables us to live holy. God desires that we pursue and walk in holiness and righteousness, which is made possible by the renewing of our minds through the word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our sanctification or cleansing was made possible in the atonement by the shed blood of Jesus.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. (Also Hebrews 13:11; 1Peter 1:2)

Christ gets the credit for our sanctification: 1 Corinthians 1:30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

THE NATURE OF SANCTIFICATION
The moment of conversion marks the beginning of sanctification as a result of regeneration (made new). The word “sanctification” also involves the idea of separation and dedication. A separation from that which pleases the flesh (the human Nature), and a dedication to God as we conform to the image of His son. Sanctification is the work of God’s Grace, wherin we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

4 Things we can pull out of this passage:

1. Now that we are sanctified, walking in holiness requires following God’s instructions . It requires understanding of what God’s will is and an effort on our part to align ourselves with His will and to obey His instruction from scripture. This is where the Bible plays a key role in shaping us as Christians.

John 17:16-18 [Jesus prayed]: 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse [the church] with the washing of water by the word,

2. God has called us to live a holy life. The bible is filled with instruction to be pure, to avoid sinful behavior and to walk the talk… to live holy as He is holy. It requires an act of our own will to walk in that.

Hebrews 12:14-15 Make every effort… to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God…

Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame…

1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so you be holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

HOLINESS IS FREEDOM FROM SIN AND SLAVERY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
Deliverance from sin: Sanctification involves total deliverance from the pollution of sin and the embarking upon a new life. It is not merely modifying the old with some new habits. It is total consecration of our temple unto God. Paul exhorts, “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Rom 13:4) “Let us purify ourselves from everything hat contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Cor 7:1) The use of the terms “Let us…” imply that we are obligated as believers to work this out by our own will.

Romans 6:16-22 For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore, what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

HOLINESS IS HAVING A HEALTHY REVERENCE FOR GOD (The Fear of the Lord).

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

3. We are instructed to control ourselves. One fruit of the Holy Spirit is self-control (temperance KJV).

Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Ephesians 4:23-24 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; …put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 4:21-23 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self (kill the old nature), which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Romans 6:5-14 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him (baptism), 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he lives, he lives unto God. 11Likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Colossians 3:2-10 For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God…. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these…

How do you kill the flesh? By starving it (Obedience). Don’t feed the gratuitous desires of the flesh which come from. We are to turn away from (repent of) anything that feeds the desires of the flesh (sinful nature). Not just the obvious things mentioned in the bible, but any addiction or defilement of the body, mind, soul or spirit. –

Even the little innocent pleasures can be sin…
Music & entertainment that promotes immorality or worldliness.
Smoking & alcoholism -- Why is smoking sin? Because it is doing what you want with your own life, it is self-gratification and an un-natural behavior that stems from an attitude of the heart.

The Sanctified life is all about Lordship, surrender, obedience to God, not doing what you desire, but pleasing God and conforming to His will.

Rom 12:1-2 I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

4. God has given us His Holy Spirit. The spirit within us is a HOLY Spirit and we must not grieve Him by entering into willful transgressions.

Matthew 3:10-12 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

This describes the way in which God burns away the chaff in our lives… the Holy Spirit is likened to a fire who desires to burn up anything in us that is sinful or a defilement of the believer. This is why we believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit which is secondary to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at conversion and regeneration. The holy Spirit works in us to convict us of sin and unrighteousness.

Now that we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we can live according to what the Spirit desires, not what our flesh desires.

Romans 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

The Holy Spirit of God works in us that God may present us Holy without blemish…

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

AVOIDING HYPOCRISY – The Leaven of the Pharisees.

Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. – Leaven is hypocrisy which is claiming to believe one thing but living contrary to it.

Matthew 23:26-28 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

1 Corinthians 5:6-7 Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.

NEXT WEEK: Hermeneutics – How to rightly divide the word of God and interpret scripture properly.