of Christian Faith - PowerPoint Presentation

of Christian Faith V. Sanctification

Presented by: Lost Sheep Ministries Prepared By: Jimmy Stanfield

This chapter alone will clear up much confusion among certain groups who have erred greatly about this point. V. Sanctification This is and always has been a point of contention and misunderstanding and when misunderstood leads to the complete overthrow of the doctrine of salvation. This doctrine is anything but complicated and is seldom taught in any detail correctly .

Sanctification consists of two parts: 1) Our position in Christ once and for all at conversion when set apart by the Holy Spirit. 2) Our day to day walk as a Christian with successes and failure as long as we are in the flesh.

Consecration The Apostle Paul says in Romans 12:1 that to present our bodies a living sacrifice is merely reasonable on our part.

Perhaps Paul was thinking of Leviticus 27:9 where Moses refers to the practice of offering something of value to the Lord; In this case, as was fitting for an agrarian society, livestock. “All that any man giveth of such unto the Lord shall be holy.” Holiness consists of 1) Something given by man to God and 2) Something accepted (therefore acceptable) by God.

The sacrifice a man brought to the Lord had to be perfect. The sacrifice had to be costly, and valuable, which is why it was called a sacrifice . Nothing consecrated to God could be used for common or profane purposes and in like manner, the Christian who has dedicated his life to Christ cannot back out and return to the world and its sinful ways.

Separation There is absolutely no equality between the saved and the unsaved! This is why Paul tells us to “Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord; touch not the unclean things and I will receive you.” When God brought the children of Israel out of the Egyptian bondage, He promised to “ Set My tabernacle among you; and My Soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and be your God, and ye shall be my people.”

We mostly skip over how incredible this promise is: That God Himself will walk among His people! God will only walk in the midst of a holy people and demands of them, “ be ye holy, as I am holy”

Never forget that the world is not holy; that the world is sinful in not just obvious but in subtle ways to. There is a perennial danger of subtle worldly values creeping into the church. For example, at a time not too far back in history white Christains and black Christians could not fellowship together because for the most part the Christians of that day accepted the worlds’s racist value system!Worldly Entertainment! Pre-marital living together! Divorce! Homosexuality! Abortion!

Moral Purity “ Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God .” (2 Corinthians 7:1) Paul transitions from the second part of the definition of holiness; Separation, to the third part. As with everything else cleansing ourselves from the filth of the flesh involves not merely the outward refraining from sin but also requires us to be sexually pure in our inner man; our thought life.

The Lord observed in Matthew 5:27-28, to look on a woman with lust is to incur the same moral guilt as to commit the actual act of adultery! “Blessed are the pure – in – heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8)

Proximity Every Christian has experienced the feeling of not being as close to the Lord as they would like, or perhaps not as close at this time as they used to be. We have all heard of a person who had a great relationship with God and of whom it is said that they really walked close to the Lord, or they had a closeness to him. These are all valid expressions of the fairly obvious truth that every Christian has a proximity, either nearer or farther to the Lord. I have to be very careful here lest someone should mistake my meaning. As Christians we are in Christ and he is in us, so he can't really get any closer to us than that. The proximity I'm referring to here is in our faith; it is in feeling as close to God or walking in faith as close to God as we would like to. It is the same that the apostle James was referring to when he said to "Draw nigh to God... (James 4:8) If there's a nearness then there is also a farther away and the apostle tells us to draw near.

James 4:8

Short of completely rejecting and walking away from Christ our legal position in Christ is always the same for a true born-again believer after we are justified, that is not affected by our daily walk. But as Paul put it, " This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh ." And again " If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. " (Galatians 5:16 & 25).

In Paul's idiom walking in the Spirit is something Christians have to consciously strive to accomplish while living in the Spirit is how he describes anyone, backslider or on fire with zeal, who has been born-again. Paul was saying that born-again believers can and sometimes do walk in the flesh rather than the spirit. This is not a reference to some specific sin we have slipped into but simply the spiritual condition of not being in step and in close fellowship with the Lord at any given time. What he was saying was that since we live in the Spirit, let us go on and live it fully, let us throw off that carnal nature of the flesh and walk in the Spirit just as we already live in the Spirit. This is something like what I mean by proximity - yes, you have been born-again and you are in Christ but would it not be better to walk as close to God as we possibly can? This spiritual problem is aptly represented in the Old Testament by a few things, which it may be to our edification to look into.

The pattern first given in the Pentateuch and then later in the book of the prophet Ezekiel for the Old Testament worship show the differences in degrees of outward holiness requirements among the Israelite people. Though all Israelites were equally accepted in the sight of God as his own, the Levites, because they were chosen to come nearer to the tabernacle which contained the very presence of God among them, were required to undergo more holiness regulations than the common Israelite. For example though the whole nation of Israel was called out from the rest of the nations to be a holy people, a peculiar people unto God, not all Israelites were called to be ministers of the sanctuary but only the tribe of Levi .

The Tabernacle

In the book of Numbers we read of the tribe of Levi, which was the tribe charged with performance of the ministerial functions. LEVITES:

As those who tended to the tabernacle, packing and unpacking the holy vessels whenever the tabernacle was moved, and serving as ministers to the High Priest, the Levites were an hereditary clergy, a sort of deaconry to the priests, which were the descendants of Aaron. " But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all the things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall ENCAMP ROUND ABOUT THE TABERNACLE. “ “And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger who cometh nigh shall be put to death." (Numbers 1:50-51)

Even the virgin Mary had to be assured to " Fear not." When sinful flesh, even in those who have been sanctified, comes into the close proximity of the holiest it cannot but tremble and fear even while we should love and trust. The stranger referred to here is the foreigner who often traveled with, did business with, or just generally mixed with the people of God. Not being consecrated in the first place by conversion to the God of Israel the stranger could not presume to intrude his/her sinful presence into the immediate vicinity of holiness itself without the gravest of consequences. This is somewhat similar to what God told Moses when he said that no man shall look upon me and live. It is not without significance that in every heavenly visitation in the Bible the recipient was so stricken with an awesome fear and reverence for God that they fell down before him, often trembling. Stranger:

Just as the Levites were required to fulfill more stringent holiness regulations so the priests had even greater ceremonial and moral obligations to perform. For example, in Numbers 4 we read of how the sons of Aaron (priests not Levites) were to go in and cover the vessels of the sanctuary before the Levites could come and actually pick them up to move them to another location.  PRIESTS:

Notice that only the priests could actually cover the holy vessels; the Levites, as sanctified as they were to come nearer to God than the ordinary Israelite, were still not allowed to come as close as the sons of Aaron. " And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward;

After that, the sons of Kohath ( Levites) shall come to bear it: BUT THEY SHALL NOT TOUCH ANY HOLY THING, LEST THEY DIE. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath the tabernacle of the congregation." (Numbers 4:15)

So the Levites were more sanctified than the common people and yet the sons of Aaron were even more sanctified than the average Levite. This was so serious that the Lord threatened them with the consequences if they should be careless and casual about the things of God. " But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them everyone to his service and to his burden." (Numbers 4:19-20) “and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. “ Exodus 19:6

And to take it to its conclusion, the high priest who alone could enter into the holy of holies on only one day of the year; the day of atonement, and was under even more holiness requirements than the other sons of Aaron. HIGH PRIEST:

JESUS: OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST But amazingly in Christ all these degrees of proximity are done away with and we have access into the very holy of holies as everyone knows, and not just on one special day either but all who come to God by Christ are allowed access to their heavenly father anytime through him. Oh if we could only truly appreciate this great truth. If only we believed that how different would we act? How we would want to live holy rather than feel like we have to!

No we are given an even greater privilege than the sons of Aaron; the priests. And still further we have a greater privilege than the very High Priest himself, who after all could only enter into the holiest place on that one day of the year, So we are not just called out from the sinners to be a part of God's congregation, like the average Israelite. Nor are we just Levites who can approach unto the holy things but not look upon them. WE ARE NOW PRIESTS! for in Christ we are given access to the very presence of God whenever we come in faith, in the name of Jesus. As it is written " Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." (Hebrews 10:19)

Do you not appreciate this more now that you see that access into the presence of God is not a right but a privilege for which we should be grateful in humility? Again, in Numbers 1:53 we see that "the Levites shall encamp round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of testimony."

In other words God, symbolized by the tabernacle, was in the middle; the Levites then pitched their tents in a circle around him and the common people set up camp outside of them, the sanctified tribe of the Levites coming between themselves and God. And to carry it even further the sanctified people of Israel coming between God and the rest of humanity. But mark why the more sanctified are between God and the rest of humanity-that there be no wrath upon the congregation! What a wonderful truth is illustrated here; that the people of God- the church, are all that stand between unsanctified mankind and the wrath of God!

GOD HIGH PRIEST PRIESTS LEVITES ISRAELITES STRANGERS Old Covenant

GOD Christians are PRIESTS New Covenant

One has to do with the relationship of sinners to God and the other has to do with the proximity, or how close a person already in the camp of God's people (an already saved person) can walk in relation to God. The point for the person already in the church is that by cleaning up our lives and putting from us the garments defiled by contact with the world we can come into an even closer walk with God. We don't have to be born into a priestly tribe. So there are two applications of this truth; And of course, lest some blockhead say that we are putting differences in degrees of salvation between Christians let me remind everyone of the great overarching truth of the doctrine of sanctification- that it has nothing to do with your salvation.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (which restores our Fellowship) GOD When We Become a Christian, We are RELATED to GOD as His child and We enjoy Fellowship with Him just like ideal Parents and their Children relate and fellowship with each other If we sin we break our Fellowship but not our Relationship RELATIONSHIP FELLOWSHIP

Sanctification is a result of salvation not even remotely a contributing factor to it. It has to do with our relationship with the Lord, how close we walk with him in this life, nothing else. But to apply it to the contemporary Christian look at what the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:19-21

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and fit for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." "... let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

No, that would be taking us out from under the covenant of grace and putting us back under the covenant of law or works. Now, was he saying that unless a Christian should purge himself from all sins he would lose his salvation? Like the finest china used when some great person comes to dine with us instead of a vessel of dishonor, say a plastic tray which may serve a very useful and necessary purpose but is not held in the same regard as the fine china. Both vessels were in the master's house, both were in the church, just one was more fit for honorable use than the other. He was not rejecting Christ for trying to keep the law or religious rules he was merely saying that when we put forth the effort to divest ourselves of the ungodly world and the flesh, then we can be like the vessels of honor.

DEALING PROPERLY WITH SIN AND GUILTY FEELINGS Teaching about holiness without dealing with the central problem of humanity, SIN, would be like teaching about Jesus and forgetting to mention the crucifixion!

As Christians we are called into a life of holiness but because most people do not fully appreciate the doctrine of Salvation it is easy for us to think that our holiness work in this life is the contributing factor to our salvation. We all sin and will continue to do so while we are in this body, if this were not so the Lord would not have taught us to pray: “ give us this day our DAILY bread, and forgive us our sins “

Just as we need our daily bread for our continued health and even survival, so also we need to apply daily God’s remedy for our sins if we are to ensure spiritual health. Nothing would be more natural than for us to turn the whole doctrine of sanctification into a form of salvation by works; this is exactly what happened to many different denominations throughout church history! Some never understood or appreciated that sanctification is not what we do to keep saved. Holiness is a result of salvation not a cause of it.!

Responsibility with Being Holy As with everything else, with great privileges belong greater responsibilities. As scripture says, “ For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required; and to whom men have committed much, of him will they ask more.” (Luke 12:48) How much more could be given to men than the privilege of being forgiven of our sins and of walking in close proximity with God? As Christians we are holy. We have been sanctified and set apart for God. Our bodies are the temple of God’s Holy Spirit, therefore we are no longer to live to please ourselves or the sinful tendencies of the flesh but must bear the responsibilities that go with being called.

Profaning a hallowed thing is when we put a holy thing to common or profane use. If the priests deliberately ignored that prohibition and treated the hallowed or holy thing like it was just another thing, then he would be guilty of not showing any distinction between the sacred and the profane. To make a sinful human holy is not a thing to be passed over lightly because ultimately it cost the Lord his very lifeblood, so it is important to keep this distinction in our minds.