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September 2016 Printable .pdf (275 KB)

The August article discussed understanding our rights as sons and daughters of God. This understanding is vital to walking with the greatness of the power of God. In August, we focused on two of our Sonship rights - Justification and Righteousness. Justification is our God-given liberty from the consequence of sin, and righteousness is our God-given freedom from sin. Justification is a judicial (legal) act of God in which He publicly declares on the grounds of the finished work of Jesus Christ that all the requirements of the Law with regards to the sinner are fulfilled. The sinner, having accepted Jesus Christ as his substitute, is no longer subject to the penalty of the Law.

In John 17:17, Jesus Christ showed where we can look for the truth. In a prayer to his heavenly Father, he said:

sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. God's Word is truth and is our standard for truth.

We are set apart by the truth, which is God's Word! If we say what God's Word says, then we are speaking the truth. If we say things that are contradictory to God's Word, then we are not speaking the truth, no matter how sincere we are.

This month's teaching will focus on our Sonship right of Sanctification that we have in Christ.

What is Sanctification? In the Young's Analytical Concordance to The Bible, Newly Revised and Corrected, sanctification is defined as "Separation, a setting apart" (pg. 834). The Greek Word for Sanctification is "hagiasmos." This same Greek Word is also translated "holiness."

The truth of God's Word is the information center resource, or dictionary, or encyclopedia on life that we can use to gain answers to questions. The Word gives vision for our lives and direction for our feet on any topic in life. God is the author of life. He loved us enough to give us a written manual on how to live life more than abundantly. II Timothy 3:16-17 tells us:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Let's expound on II Timothy 3:16-17. How was scripture given? "By inspiration of God" (which means God breathed).

What is the scripture profitable for? It is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction.

Scriptures are instruction in what? Righteousness.

What is the purpose of the scriptures? That the man (man or woman that speaks for God) of God may be perfect (mature) and thoroughly (from the inside out) furnished (equipped) unto all good works. The man or woman that walk for God must be born of His Spirit.

Before we read God's Word on the sanctification, we must be aware of two things, Flesh and Spirit (for the teaching on capitalizing or not capitalizing the word "spirit," see March 2016). Let's look at John 3:6:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

In the Bible, flesh will always be flesh and Spirit will always be Spirit. They never overlap. If you overlap these two, you will never rightly divide God's Word. I was born of the flesh; you were born of the flesh. I have a fleshly father and mother. They named me and I have rights as a son in my family. I will be their son until the day I die. In the Word of God, this fleshly birth is called natural man (for the teaching on natural man see the February 2016). Let's look at I Corinthians 2:14 to understand about the "natural man:"

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

So, we are born into this world as natural man and woman - with body and soul. It is by being born-again of God's spirit that we receive the things of the Spirit of God. I Corinthians 2:14 tells us without being born-again:

the things of the Spirit of God. . .are foolishness to you: neither can you know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

John 6:63 tells us we are made alive by the spirit of God that is in us.

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

How much does the flesh, body and soul, profits? Nothing.
The word "quickeneth" means to make alive. The words that I speak to you, they are what? Spirit. The words are what? Life. The word "life" means life in all of its manifestations. We can enjoy blessing in every facet of life as we continue to walk after the Word of God.

If you walk by the body and soul man or woman, you will mind the things of the flesh. Look at Romans 8:5:

For they that are after the flesh [body and soul] do mind the things of the flesh [body and soul]; but they that are after the Spirit [the revealed Word of God] the things of the Spirit [the revealed Word of God].

Ladies and Gentlemen - there are two types of the walk here. We can walk after the flesh, body and soul, using our five senses to live by. Or we can walk after the truth of God's Word!

Which part are we sanctified in? Flesh or Spirit? It's the Spirit people!

How do we get sanctification? When we comply with Romans 10: 9-10, God creates His Spirit in us and we are sanctified, set apart, as His sons and daughters. Romans 10:9-10:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Once we are born-again, we are sanctified or set apart by the spirit of God that is in us. Colossians 1:27 tells us:

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

We are heaven-bound and there is nothing the devil can do to stop us! God's Word is truth people!

Christ Jesus was made unto us sanctification! Let's look at I Corinthians 1:30-31:

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God 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.

Who made Christ Jesus to us sanctification? God did. He set us apart by His spirit in us! We did not work for it. God made Christ Jesus to us sanctification. God has sanctified us in Christ Jesus. Then are we sanctified? Yes!

God set us apart in Christ Jesus, so then are we set apart! Let us glory in whom? The Lord. I Thessalonians 4:3-4: tell us:

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor.

Whose Will is this? God's Will, people!

So many people say to me, how do you know what the Will God is? I respond - His Word is His Will! His Will is His Word. God from the beginning chose us through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Look at II Thessalonians 2:13:

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit [the new birth] and belief of the truth.

Our heart has to always be one of thankfulness to God for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Beloved of who? The Lord.

God from the beginning did what? Chose you!

We can thank God always for our brothers and sisters and for their belief in the truth. It is so wonderful to have others who love God and believe in His Word.

God in his foreknowledge knew who would believe His Word and would be set apart by His Spirit. There is no beginning and ending with God. He sees everything. I Peter 1:2 tells us:

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

God already knows beforehand who will have believed His Word, and who will be born-again of His Spirit, and set apart as His sons and daughters!
Let's look at some scriptures from the same Greek Word "hagiasmos" translated "holiness." Romans 6:19 & 22:

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness [hagiasmos].

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness [hagiasmos], and the end everlasting life.

Now, because we have been made free from sin by Jesus Christ, we have fruit to holiness and in the end everlasting life. People that's fantastic, that's wonderful! You see God has called us to holiness. I Thessalonians 4:7:

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness [hagiasmos].

For God has not called us to what? Uncleanness. But to what? Holiness.

A believing woman born-again of God's spirit is set apart with holiness and sobriety. Look at I Timothy 2:15:

Notwithstanding she shall be saved [made whole] in childbearing [child-raising], if they continue in faith [believing] and charity [love] and holiness [hagiasmos] with sobriety [soundness of mind, discretion, prudence, which controls all inordinate desires, and exercises a dignified restraint on all actions.]

Hebrews 12:14 tell us that we are to follow after peace and holiness.

Follow peace with all men, and holiness [hagiasmos], without which no man shall see the Lord.

We pursue after peace. Part of enjoying peace is remembering that we are set apart by the spirit of God that is in us. We are sanctified! We let the peace of God rule in our hearts. God will keep us in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Him, because we trust in God.

In summary, understanding our rights as sons and daughters of God is essential to walking with the greatness of the power of God. We have focused on one of our Sonship rights - sanctification. We defined and discussed sanctification, which means to be set apart by God's spirit that is in each born-again believer.

Next month's teaching will focus on the renewing of your mind to say what God's Word says.

In the Lord,

Ministry of Reconciliation
Son of God through Jesus Christ
Ambassador for Christ

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