Sanctification

I just had to write something about a moving sermon my pastor preached on Sunday night, March 25th. I have a copy of his notes and I've studied and highlighted it. I'll post a few Scriptures about sanctification before expanding on it.

19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. Romans 6:19, 22 NLT

1 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT

24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God -- truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:24 NLT

13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 NLT

 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 NLT

10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they know how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in holiness. 14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Hebrews 12:10, 14 NLT

     The above Scripture teaches us that the standard of life for the believer in Christ is holiness. Holiness by sanctification is the second work of grace where the first is when we believe on Jesus Christ and we are saved by grace through faith. The second work of grace is implied; it isn't listed as "second work of grace" anywhere in Scripture. We can also prove that it is the second work of grace because those who experience it, know it. It makes a difference to be sanctified.

It does. I know it. I know it makes a difference. I see things from a different light, through the eyes of God. The world is a nasty place. My own body is nasty. I am also but still a nasty, filthy rag in the eyes of a perfect God, but I am made perfect through the cleansing of the blood of Christ. God looks upon me through the filter of Jesus Christ and sees a perfect heart. And I relinquish control of myself to God. I don't want my own body or desires anymore. My struggles, my past, my future is all under the blood of Christ.

     Some say it isn't required to be sanctified to get to heaven. Being saved is enough. Perhaps that may be so when one is on the death bed or breathes a last breath of prayer of confession and asking forgiveness. Even the thief next to Jesus made it home to heaven with no chance of living a sanctified life. He simply believed on Jesus and who He was.

     It isn't about what is required to get to heaven, but rather about the will of God and what He calls us to do. That is what is required for us to get to heaven. When we are saved and before we are sanctified, we are to do the will of God and being sanctified, or separated from the world, is the will of God. It is the will of God for one to be saved AND sanctified. There is no getting around it, no compromise. One does not compromise with God. We may bargain with God, but we cannot compromise.

One doesn't compromise with God.

     If you have seen the sanctified life in someone else, don't you want it for yourself too? I get so tired of battling the desires of the world and the lusts of the flesh. It just wears me out. Feeling saved one day and feeling fallen the next day. Feelings are so fickle. Being saved puts you on a roller coaster. The devil plays so many tricks on you, discouraging you and pulling you in all directions, until you reach despair at times. The Holy Spirit does dwell in you, but you haven't given full control to Him. The worldly desires are still there. The lusts are still there. It's a battle after battle. At least it was for me. I wanted complete VICTORY!

     Alas! I have found the victory! I relinquish complete control to the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and God. It makes a difference! My walk with Jesus is that much easier. I'm no longer riding a roller coaster. There are a few bumps here and there and a few ups and downs, of course, but the spiritual life is more stable. The desires have changed and I want nothing of this world and more of the next. I want nothing more than to see more people won to Jesus. I want nothing more than to grow closer to God and to do the will of God. I want to be in His will. I realize that I have more work to do and I am determined to spend time in prayer and reading the Bible. I have this thing called pride. I feel that I still have it lurking around in me and it is preventing me from complete humility. I need to go to people and ask forgiveness, make amends, apologize, whatever it is that the Spirit nudges me to do but I am balking a little. Well, maybe not a little. It depends on who I have to go to. Some people, I could probably just walk up to them and just get it over with and be in the clear in my conscious, and others, it's not so easy. Why? I don't know. Pride prevents it. It's gonna need to be taken care of...I don't want to straddle my precious balls on the wire fence as shown below. It isn't without pain and Jesus Himself will spit out the lukewarm. That's painful. So, I gotta pick a side. Guess which one I pick.

    
     So it's all for God or not at all. It's either play with the fire of lukewarmness and get yourself hurt or use the fire in a good way and purify your life. Burn your desires for the world and what it offers. Fuel your desires for ministry and humble service for God.

I elect Jesus as Lord of me. I will answer to Him.

    

 *I understand that I may stumble, but God will be there to pick me up.

*I understand that I may find myself in a tempting situation, but I shall be strong.

If I do fail to be strong and I give in, I humbly ask God to forgive me and any hurting parties.

*I understand that grace flows freely, but it does not give me any excuse to sin.

*I understand that I am free from sin, not in sin. I am also free from the law.

*I understand that I am not my own, but God's. 

*I understand that He gave His creation to me and I will take care of it.

*I understand that there are many who need Him and it is my job to bring them to Him.

That, on my part, will take courage and humility. Like Jeremiah and Moses, I pray

God will work through me and speak through me. Plant the seeds.

*I understand that I am in a binding contract to fulfill my purpose here on earth and 

that His will be done here as it is in Heaven, my future home. 

*I understand that I would never have written these things a year ago and if I did, it

would have been all hot air from stifling embers.

*I understand that I am now accountable. I understand that anyone can read this

and that it is possible that I will see these people face to face. I do not want 

to fail to be an example or to fail, but it's possible. It's what grace is for

and that's where humility comes in. If I have failed, I shall ask for 

forgiveness and take hold of God's hand again. It's always there, outstretched.

*I understand that I must put in my effort to keep the fire blazing hot for God.

I DO NOT want to be spat out. 

Now, I understand that I need to close for now and go. I have had this open as a draft for a week. It's time to wrap it up!

Praise the Lord! Just in time for Easter! I can now truly, truly understand what God has done for me and what His Son gave Himself for. Me. All for me! 

Oh, and for YOU too. Isn't that wonderful? 

Come to Him.

Love you all.

Stanley

Aching hearts want something...more

*anything highlighted is clickable and will take you to the link
Our hearts, if not filled with the Holy Spirit, ache for something more and we look in all the wrong places for it. We make gods out of our material goods, hobbies, relationships, sex, masturbation, porn, TV, sports, sports figures, Hollywood, and Christian services. 

My heart wants something more. I want to be free of the desire of the things I have had or want. I know, I know I cannot fill the void I feel in my heart with any of these things. I must surrender to Jesus Christ and He will be glad to fill that void. Many a time, my relationship (which has never been stable or increasing in closeness) has been lukewarm and Christ says that He will spit out the lukewarm. Revelation 3:16 I've delved into consumerism, charity, and then Christian service in order to "feel good" and to "feel better." What good is it if it is not in line with God's will?? It isn't. My desire now is entire sanctification, to set myself apart, to chase after God's heart, and to let God use me. I do not want to miss out on the most that has been offered me, a home in Heaven, my own golden mansion and the privilege of worshiping the Most High for eternity.

The following are quotes and passages that I've come across in my readings that have to do with the aching heart:

"There is only One Being who can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ." -Oswald Chambers

"We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition [and religious effort] when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." 

- C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Detachment is the word used in spiritual traditions to describe freedom of desire. Not freedom from desire, but freedom of desire....An authentic spiritual understanding of the detachment devalues neither desire nor the objects of desire. Instead, it "aims at correcting one's own anxious grasping in order to free oneself for committed relationship to God." According to Meister Eckhart, detachment "enkindles the heart, awakens the spirit, stimulates our longings, and shows us where God is. " -Gerald May, Addiction and Grace

Yet dearly I love you and would be loved fain;

But am betrothed unto your enemy;

Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,

Take me to you, imprison me, for I, 

Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,

Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

-poem by John Donne, "Batter My Heart"

What indulgent lovers [of addictions and personal gods] have in common is the pursuit of transcendence through some gratification that is under their control. (emphasis added by me).

-Brent Curtis, Sacred Romance

If we try to gain transcendence through indulgence, soon enough familiarity breeds contempt and we are driven to search for mystery elsewhere. The man having an affair must have another and the man who is an alcoholic must drink more and more to find the window of feeling good.

-Brent Curtis, Sacred Romance

Addiction is the most powerful psychic enemy of humanity's desire for God. -Gerald May, Addiction and Grace

There are more, but I thought I'd end with one last quote from the Author Himself.

Face the awful sins you have done.

You are like a restless female camel desperately

searching for a mate.

You are like a wild donkey,

sniffing the wind at mating time.

Who can restrain her lust?

Those who desire her don't need to search,

for she goes running to them!

When will you stop panting after other gods?

But you say, 'Save your breath. I'm in love with these foreign gods,

and I can't stop loving them now!'

Jeremiah 2:23c-25 NLT

Like Israel, we have fed our desire. A desire that has been placed in our hearts by God Himself. Except only that we have fed our desire with the wrong things and we are quick to betray God and turn our backs to Him when we know what we truly desire, an intimate relationship with Him, as Adam and Eve had before the Fall. 

God Bless.