WHAT IS BIBLICAL SANCTIFICATION?

John 17:17 says "Sanctify them through your truth, your word is truth."

In the mercy and grace of GOD we are forgiven of our sins. We are set apart for the holy purpose of GOD. Jesus Christ, the eternal word of GOD, became flesh and lived a perfect life and then offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.

By faith we believe the good news of the gospel that Jesus paid our sin debt so that we could be delivered from the curse of sin, which is death. We were separated from GOD, dead in sins, having no hope and without GOD in this world. We were in a desperate situation.

But GOD who is rich in mercy made a way for us to be delivered from our lost condition by convicting us of our sin and drawing us to Christ by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. When we believed we were declared righteous by GOD in the court room of heaven. This is called justification. We are justified by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nothing can be added to it. It is by faith alone plus nothing else.

Not only are we justified by faith alone, we are also set apart for GOD'S Holy purpose.This is called positional santification. It is our legal standing before GOD, In Christ. We are consecrated to GOD. We are declared holy by GOD. We can never lose our salvation. We are eternally secured in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Praise GOD.

There is also a practical santification that is being developed in each believer's life.GOD is at work creating GODLY character in our life.This is the HOLY SPIRIT taking the word of GOD and creating in the believer a life of personal holiness.

This is personal and experiential holiness. This is being changed into the image of GOD in the inner man. This entails our thought life, motives, purity of heart, attitudes, spoken words, and all actions both inwardly and externally. This is a life time process. We are never perfect in this effort, but GOD is at work in our lives perfecting personal holiness.

John 17:17 says " Sanctify them through your truth, your word is truth." 2nd. Corinthians 3:18 says "But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." May the Lord bless this message to your heart.

by Clois Clark, Elder

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