May the God of peace Himself
sanctify you completely… —1 Thessalonians 5:23
“When we pray, asking God to
sanctify us, are we prepared to measure up to what that really means? […] Are
we prepared to pay the cost of sanctification? The cost will be a deep
restriction of all our earthly concerns, and an extensive cultivation of all
our godly concerns. Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God’s point
of view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body, soul, and
spirit for God’s purpose alone. Are we really prepared for God to perform in us
everything for which He separated us? […] Sanctification means being made one
with Jesus so that the nature that controlled Him will control us. Are we
really prepared for what that will cost? It will cost absolutely everything in
us which is not of God.[…] Jesus prayed that we might be one with Him, just as
He is one with the Father (see John 17:21-23). The resounding evidence of the
Holy Spirit in a person’s life is the unmistakable family likeness to Jesus
Christ, and the freedom from everything which is not like Him.” CHAMBERS
There are two parts of
sanctification. The first is at the
point of salvation, when you are sanctified – “set apart – declared holy ” by
the work of the Spirit and your faith in Jesus.
Both aspects of sanctification require your submission to God. The first was the point where you confessed
Jesus as Lord and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the
dead. The second is a daily progression
of yielding your will to God’s will.
Becoming one with Jesus. Choosing
obedience to the Father’s will and rejecting the will of your flesh –
your old nature. Satan would have you
focus on your failures and not your faith.
Convince you that you will never overcome the demons that haunt your
life. That you will never be the person
that you know you should be – that you want to be. The truth of the matter is that you can’t be
that person by trying more – but by trying less. You were first sanctified by faith, not by
works. You are called to live by faith
and not by sight (or works).
Sanctification is a supernatural phenomenon. You yield your life and the Spirit does the
work. You could not be righteous through
self-effort before you were born again and you cannot be more righteous through
self-effort now. ELGIN
“Purify My Heart”
Maranatha Music
Purify my heart Touch me with
Your cleansing fire Take me to the cross Your holiness is my desire
Breathe Your life in me Kindle
a love That flows from Your throne Oh purify my heart Purify my heart
Charley
Elgin
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