SANCTIFICATION

                                                                    SANCTIFICATION


          The next step in the Biblical Order of Salvation is SANCTIFICATION.

          In a process that continues throughout life, God sets us apart to be more like
     Christ. Ideally, the believer is set apart by God to do only what God wants and to
     hate what God hates.
          "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;  for it is written:
     'Be holy, because I am holy" 1 Peter 1:15-16.
          "I am the LORD your God;  consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy"
     Leviticus 11:44.

                                          ************************************

          John MacArthur commented in the ESV Bible:  "Sanctification is accomplished by
     means of the truth, which is the revelation that the Son gave regarding all that the Father
     commanded him to communicate and is now contained in the Scriptures left by the apostles."

          "But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because
     from the beginning God chose you to be saved, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit
     and through belief in the truth"  2 Thessalonians 2:13.

          Jesus sanctified himself so that his people could truly be sanctified.
          (Jesus prayed to the Father), " Sanctify them by the truth;  your word is truth.  As you
     sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.  For them I sanctify myself, that
     they too may be truly sanctified"  John 17:17-18.

                                   ************************************

          Before God granted his saving grace to us, we were immoral and unrighteous, and
     without hope.
     "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not
     be deceived:  neither the sexually immoral, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor men who
     practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
     swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
     "And such were some of you.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were
     justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God"  1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

          "Washed" refers to the new life, through spiritual cleansing and regeneration.
          "Sanctified" means the believer is transformed from a sinful lifestyle to one of obedience
     and holiness.
          "Justified" refers to what God has done by imputing Christ's righteousness to us, and
     placing our sins on Him.
          This work is accomplished by the Holy Spirit.

                                     ***************************************

          God's word commands us to forsake our sinful ways, and follow Him.
     "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the
     implanted word, which is able to save your souls"  James 1:21.

                                   ****************************************

          Paul's letter to the believers in Colossae contains a guide for righteous and holy living.
    
          " If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is,
     seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that
     are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who
     is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
          "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:  sexuality immorality, impurity, passion,
     evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is
     coming.  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you must
     put them all away:  anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth."
          "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and
     have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
     Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,
     free;  but Christ is all, and in all."

          Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness,
     humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and if one has a complaint against
     another, forgiving each other;  as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And
     above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
          "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one
     body.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing
     one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in
     your hearts to God."
         "And whatever you do, in word in or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
     giving thanks to the God the Father through him"  Colossians 3:1-17.

                                                                       AMEN

                      ***************************************************

          Coming up:  The next step in the Biblical Order of Salvation - PERSEVERANCE.