Grace - Justification - Sanctification
Not about the Sanctuary Study, but part of the thought paper--- 2000 May XXXIII 5(00) -- (By William Grotheer)
Two Parables --
In the Gospel of Luke there are two parables of Jesus recorded unique to his Gospel.
The significance and meaning of one is obvious. We shall note it first.
Jesus said:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. (Luke 18:10-14)
The message comes through clear and distinct.
Justification is the free gift of God bestowed in answer to the prayer of faith which recognizes one's sinful condition.
The question then follows, does the forgiven sinner return to his house to live as he lived before?
The answer is, obviously not if he truly loathes the sin he confessed and appreciates the mercy of God which freed him from its guilt.
The unmerited favor of God elicits a love that fulfils the law. But the question is: Does this endeavor to keep the law because of love constitute work merit toward one's salvation? In other words, is sanctification merely the extension of justification, being the contribution of man to his justification?
Here is where the second parable of Jesus enters the picture. He asked:
Which of you, have a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? (But) will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. [NKJV - "I think not"] So likewise, when ye have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:7-10)
This is sanctification - doing that which it is our duty to do.
Does this accrue merit? Never, because even in doing that which it is our duty to do, there is so much of self woven into our every act, due to the encumbering of our fallen nature, that we can only confess, we are still "unprofitable servants." Servants, yes, but sustained by the grace and mercy of God through the redemption in Christ Jesus we become sons of God.
This is the gospel given to Paul by the risen Lord the proclaim. In the Ephesian letter, Paul not only wrote: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (2:8-9).
But he also follows these verses with these words:
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (v.10).
We are no longer to walk after the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof, but after the Spirit to seek "the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14). This is sanctification - "a work of a lifetime" for one who has been justified by the grace of God. He has been "set apart," consecrated to God, which is the meaning of the word used in the Greek text.
All that is in the world ... is not of the Father" (I John 2:16). But of those whom Jesus intercedes, He prays - "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." For these He sanctified Himself "that they also might be sanctified through the truth" (John 17:16, 19). Is their life then filled with "meritorious works"? No, just the things "which (is) our duty to do."
We are still in this "vile body" awaiting the final redemptive act of our Saviour who shall give us a body, "fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:21). He is "the Alpha and Omega" of salvation. He is "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (I Cor.1:30-31).
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AMEN AMEN AMEN
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1/3/10
Listening to a Bible lecture the other day I came across this -
'When you sin what are you saying?
I don't want to do His will, His law.
But the law is the basis of His government.
The sinning is trying to pull down the government of God. Right?
Sin is trying to destroy, pull down the government God has set up.
Sin is the will to destroy God.'
We don't like to think about sin that way. We think of it more as a harmless little hurt, a pinprick that God barely feels. He's God, right? Nothing can hurt Him. Nothing can destroy Him. When I sin I don't imagine I'm trying to destroy God that's just ludicrous. Why is sin so abhorrent to God then? In our own lives we sometimes acquire enemies. No, not everyone can say they have someone out there wanting to destroy them, but most people do find people in their lives that are less than happy to watch them succeed. As children it's very common to get on the wrong side of a school yard bully- it could be something as simple as a cross-eyed look at a bully and you're in their sites. When we're young it doesn't seem to matter what might set things off so much. Once a bully gets you in their sites they want to push you about, call you names, take you to the school yard and put you in your place. As we grow up sometimes that sort of thing continues on into high school but not so often as the childishness of things begins to give way to adulthood. The destroying of another that we perceive as a threat when we're older comes about in other ways. We use the law sometimes, other times we break the law to get back at another. Mostly we just learn to live with someone were not fond of and merely talk badly about them to prove to others how bad that person is so they don't befriend them. In some circles someone business men are at each others throats corporately trying to tear one another down in order to succeed. Corporate spies are common place and they're set in motion to gain information that can be used to hurt a company while benefitting another. Not all of the will to destroy another is fictional, though we do see some of it glorified in movies and books. Even on a grand scale- nation against nation - there is the *good guys* and the *bad guys* and of course it depends on which side you're on as to who is who. Certainly to our perceived bad guys we are the bad ones. We have wars going on right now and yes, killing going on right now, as we try to destroy an enemies whose values or lack there of are detrimental to ours. Kill or be killed they say. Destroy or be destroyed.
How many people out there actively try to destroy God? Impossible you say, He's not a *REAL* person. No one can point a gun at God and end His life. You're right and yet people actively hurt God more often than they even realize because they don't equate their actions with anything to do with God. Yet God is our creator and has an active interest in all we do, good or bad.
God is a spirit incapable of dying. Angels are spirits that under normal circumstance do not die, yet can be killed by God in the long run as a result of their rebellion. Satan is one such angel who has led a multitude of angels to defy God, to turn from God's ways seeking to destroy God and all He stands for.
We DON'T want to make that a reality in our minds, in our lives. We want that to be a fictional story. As long as God and Satan and the war between them is a fiction tale then we don't have to realize our own part in it all. When we realize that it isn't a tall tale but real life we have to realize that it is because of Satan seducing Eve into sin that we are all a part of this battle between God and Satan. We know who has won, but that doesn't stop the loser from wanting to take as many of us down with Him as He can- hurting God until the very last moment it's possible for Him to do so. God on the other hand is long suffering wanting as many as will to come to Him. He's set a time in the grand scale of things when it will all be decided one way or another and when that time comes we will either be on God's side or Satan's. So you see, it's very, very important for us to realize that our sins are our futile attempt to destroy God, to defy Him, to make His government, His laws, His ways of none effect. OUR SINS. Is it no wonder our sins caused the death of God's Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus became lowly human flesh in order to save us- proving once and for all that God's law, God's government, God's ways on earth are just.
'Sin is the will to destroy God.' Again, I have to emphasize, we don't believe that our sins, our petty little wrong doings and such are truly us trying to destroy God. Sin is the transgression of God's law. When we sin we are hurting God, we are hurting our fellow man and God's law says to honor and worship Him and to have respect to our fellow man- love God and love man- this is the whole law.
Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Our sins great or small break one of these two laws, or both. We don't want to believe that but it's true. We call our sins harmless and yet isn't that just what Satan wants? As long as we believe our sins are harmless and hurt no one, least of all God then we're fine.
We have to wake up and realize before it's too late that it is our sins that if left un-confessed and un-repented of that will ultimately kill us eternally. That it is our sins that are an admission of being in defiance of God. We can proclaim our Christianity until the day we die, but unless we realize that on a personal level each sin we commit is a strike against God, we are only fooling ourselves and letting ourselves be lulled into a false sense of security.
May God open our hearts and minds to the truth of His word. May we seek to understand and believe the truth that our sins are hurtful to God - big or small. By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior may we seek forgiveness so that we may be at one with God through Him and not fighting against Him and His love.
Amen.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
What a statement!
It's great that we believe- but even devils believe!
It isn't enough to simply believe. People love to believe that it is enough to simply believe. They take a verse from the Bible here and another there and then they ignore so many others just to keep their precious belief that they do NOT have to do anything other than have faith. Their lives do not have to reflect Christ's, their belief can be a secret belief. They can do as they please, live as they please and as long as they believe Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior then they will be His. People REALLY believe this.
Yes, it is true that without faith we cannot please God.
Yes, it is true that faith is super important.
It's is faith that has us believe in God, but our belief in God must result in actions that God exhorts us through His word to undertake. Devils believe! Devils have faith that Jesus is the Savior, they KNOW He is, the DEVIL himself knows that Jesus is the Savior of mankind. They believe, in fact they believe more than a lot of humans truly believe.
We are told here that it is GOOD that we believe in God, that God exists.
is one.G1520 G1510.2.3
G1510
- Transliteration: Eimi
- Phonetic: i-mee'
- Definition:
1. to be, to exist, to happen, to be present
- Origin: the first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb
- TDNT entry: 08:38,2
- Part(s) of speech: Verb
- Strong's: First person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist (used only when emphatic): - am have been X it is I was. See also G1488 G1498 G1511 G1527 G2258 G2071 G2070 G2075 G2076 G2771 G2468 G5600.
This is more than God is one, this is saying that God exists in a very real way.
We are told that it is good that God exists and yet we are told that devils believe, and NOT only do devils believe they tremble.
That work for tremble--
G5425
- Transliteration: Phrisso
- Phonetic: fris'-so
- Definition:
1. to bristle, stiffen stand up
2. to shudder, to be struck with extreme fear, to be horrified
They are horrified, they are fill with fear, they KNOW what it means that God exists! They know what it means that God is real and this means they have a fate that is decided, they will perish! We will share that fate if we only believe as the devils believe. If our belief isn't a reality in our lives, if our Savior isn't a reality to us in all we do then we are in danger.
Time and time again I bring the following verses up…
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
So many believe they are prophesying in Jesus' name.
So many believe they are casting out devils in Jesus' name.
So many believe they are doing many wonderful works in Jesus' name.
So many believe … just as devils believe only the devils aren't deluding themselves with their belief, they fear because they know the power of Jesus and what it means for their future.
Please Lord, help us to believe and from that belief do the works YOU would have us do, please!
Forgive us our unworthiness Lord, help us to know You and please KNOW US.
In Your love!
Amen.