Bible
Sanctification
The
Call to Sanctification
What inspired
prayer sets the standard of the
Christian experience?
“May God himself,
the God of peace, sanctify you
through and through. May your
whole spirit, soul and body be kept
blameless at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23.
How
necessary is the experience of
sanctification?
“Make every
effort to live in peace with all men
and to be holy, without holiness
no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14.
What distinct
purpose did Christ have in giving
Himself for the church?
“Husbands, love
your wives, just as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her to
make her holy, cleansing her by
washing with water through the
word.” Ephesians 5:25,26.
What
kind of church would be thus be able
to present to Himself?
“And to present
her to himself as a radiant church, without
stain and wrinkle or any other
blemish, but holy and
blameless.” Verse 27.
Christ’s
Blood and Transformation
By
what is this cleansing from sin and
fitting for God’s service
accomplished?
“The blood of
goats and bulls and the ashes of a
heifer sprinkled on those who are
ceremonially unclean sanctify them so
that they will be outwardly clean.
How much more, then, will the blood
of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered himself
unblemished to God, cleanse our
consciousness from the acts that lead
to death, so that we may serve the
living God!” Hebrews 9: 13,14.
(See also Hebrews 10:29.)
What
change is thus brought about?
“Do not conform
any longer to the pattern of the
world, but be transformed by the
renewing of the mind. Then you
will be able to test and approve what
God’s will is – his good,
pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2.
What
encouragement is held out as an aid
in attaining this experience?
“It is
God’s will that you should
be sanctified: that you should avoid
sexual immorality.”
1 Thessalonians 4:3.
Sanctification a
Growth in Grace
In the experience
of sanctification, what attitude must
one assume toward the truth?
“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.
What
instruction shows that sanctification
is a progressive work?
“But grow in
the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him
be glory now and forever!” Amen.
2 Peter 3:18. (See 2 Peter 1:5-7.
What
experience of Paul is in harmony with
this?
“Brothers, I
do not consider myself yet to be
taken hold of it. But one thing I
do: Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I
press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13,14.
Can
anyone boast of sinlessness?
“If we claim to
be without sin, we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us.”
1 John 1:8.
“Seek the Lord,
all you humble of the land, you who
do what he commands. Seek
righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be sheltered on the
day of the Lord’s anger.”
Zephaniah 2:3.
In
whose name should everything be done?
“And whatever you
do, whether in word or deed, do it
all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father
through him.” Colossians 3:17.
In
all we do, whose glory should we have
in view?
“So whether you
eat or drink or whatever you do, do
it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31.
Shut
Out or Shut In
What classes of
persons are necessarily shut out of
the kingdom of God?
“For of this you
can be sure. No immoral, impure, or
greedy person – such a man is an
idolater – has any inheritance
in the kingdom of Christ and of
God.” Ephesians 5:5. “Do
you not know that the wicked will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Neither
the sexually immoral nor idolaters
nor adulterers nor male prostitutes
nor homosexual offenders nor thieves
nor the greedy nor drunkards nor
slanderers nor swindlers will inherit
the kingdom of God.” 1
Corinthians 6:9,10.
What
must be crucified and eliminated from
our lives if we would be holy?
“Put to death,
therefore, whatever belongs to the
earthly nature: sexual immorality,
impurity, lust, evil desires and
greed, which is idolatry. Because of
these, the wrath of God is
coming.” Colossians 3:5,6.
When purged from these
sins, in what condition is a man, and
for what is he prepared?
“If a man
cleanses himself from the latter, he
will be an instrument for nobler
purposes, made holy, useful to
the Master and prepared to do any
good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21.
An Anglican
Minister Speaks
“Sanctification
is the term used to describe the work
of God and the Holy Spirit upon the
character of those who are justified.
We are justified in order that we may
be sanctified, and we are sanctified
in order that we may be glorified.
“Whom He justified. Them He also
glorified.’ Romans 8:30. The
grace of God is given to make us
holy, and so to fit us for God’s
presence in eternity; for
‘without holiness no man shall
see the Lord.’ Hebrews
12:14.” Vernon Staley, The
Catholic Religion (Anglican), p.
327.
