TOPICALLY-Sanctify Links-A Call to Holy Living -A Holy Life -Christian Behaviour -Christian Cautions -Enoch Walked With God -Holiness -Others May-You May Not -Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards -Sin in Thought -The Heavenly Footman -The Lesson of Self-Denial -What Kind of Perfection is Attainable |
Sanctify
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.The point of justification is the beginning for the Christian, not the end. Once saved, the majority of the rest of their life will be spent in the realm of sanctification. To understand what is meant by sanctification we must know that it is at least two-fold. In the first sense, once one is justified, they are 'sanctified in Christ Jesus' which means they are saved, as in 1 Corinthians 1:2 and Hebrews 10:10. In the second sense the saved person undergoes a process of sanctification (growth in practical holiness) throughout the rest of their earthly journey as in 1 Thessalonians 4:2-7 and 2 Corinthians 7:1. The real battle with sin only begins when one is saved, until that point most people prefer sin, and for the ones who think they don't, it is only the consequences of sin that trouble them. Once saved, Christians have new thoughts towards sin, specifically they hate sin for sin's sake. The saved person understands that sin is the transgression of the law of God, that sin is an offence against the Most High God, and that out of a desire to glorify God they want no part of it. The problem is that along with the new nature imparted in Christ, the old sin nature will still reside until they die, and must be put to death daily. Open sin can normally be put away relatively easily by the new believer, but the battle must be concentrated on the slaying of sin in the mind. Sin originates in the mind, and if slayed there at the very root of its rising, it will not be allowed to go any further. For those who differ, just ask yourself how much sin have you thought out without actually ever having acted it out? Knowing that, it is the slaying of sin at its root that this section will be the most concerned with. When sending an e-mail, to help me deal with spam, please include the words "Christ is risen" in the subject line Return to Home Page |