God's Will for You

(Article for publication week of 1-29- AD 2015)

 

"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 honour;" (I Thessalonians 4:3-4).

Dear Reader, do you desire to know God's will for you? Well, I can tell you what God's will is for you. God's will for you is that you be sanctified, that is that you be holy. You see, we may know the will of God without any extraordinary revelation, for He has given us a more sure word of prophecy, that is His Word ( II Peter 1:19).

God has clearly commanded us to "be ye holy", as He is Holy (I Peter 1:15-16). We are also told in Hebrews 12:14 that we shall not see God without holiness. Dear Reader, do you see something of the vital importance of sanctification, i.e., holiness? (Holiness and sanctification are virtually synonymous; both words in our Translation are translated from the same Greek word "hagiosmos.") Unless you become pure in life, including thought and deed, you will never see God in peace. Be sure the only people that God will allow into heaven are holy people, for He is of purer Eyes than to behold iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13). It is God's Eternal Purpose to have a people who are "holy and without blame before Him"(Ephesians 1:4). We must be both "without blame", and "holy." "Without blame" would be our justification, which gives us a good record with God, and "holiness" is our sanctification, which gives us a nature like God.

So what does it mean to be sanctified, or holy? Well, our text this week gives us a starting point. Sanctification means purity, and the Apostle calls us to sexual purity in particular. Of course our sanctification includes much more than sexual purity, but the Apostle mentions this first because licentiousness was so rampant in the Greco-Roman culture, as it is in our American culture. Although there is much more to sanctification than sexual purity (which we will be showing in following articles), it is a vital and necessary part of our sanctification. The fact is no one will ever see God in peace without purity of life, including sexual purity. Sanctification, or holiness means to love what God loves, and hate what God hates. It means to think as He would have you think. It means to behave as He would have you behave. It means to be set apart from the world; to be radically different from the world; and not to love the world (I John 2:15). It means to be like Christ and conformed to His Image. This is God's will for you dear Reader, even your sanctification.

This truth of sanctification should influence and motivate us in every area of our lives. We should make this a vital and urgent consideration in every decision before us. When we are considering a course of action, there are two chief concerns for a Christian. The first is the glory of God. That is our chief end to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever." When we are praying about God's will in a particular matter, we may first ask ourselves, "how will this promote God's Glory?" The second consideration is, "How will this promote my sanctification?" For you see dear reader, you will not enjoy God now, or forever unless you are sanctified, that is holy. This is the will of God, your sanctification.

More on Sanctification

(Article for publication week of 1-22- AD 2015)

 

"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 honour;" (I Thessalonians 4:3-4).

Last week we began a series of articles on the doctrine of sanctification. Sanctification means "purification." The Greek word that is translated "sanctification" (hagiasmos) is also translated "holiness" in other places in our English translations. One of the best theological definitions of sanctification is given us in our Baptist Catechism (yes, Baptists do have a catechism) in answer to question #38 , ("what is sanctification?") we read, "sanctification is the work of God's free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness." Our Presbyterian brethren will find  this same definition  in the Shorter Catechism question and answer #35.

I want to give our readers another good introduction to the doctrine of sanctification from the Second London Confession of Faith, the historic creed of the Baptists. We refer you to Chapter thirteen ("Of Sanctification" ) with the scripture proofs:

"1. They who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, are also farther sanctified, really and personally, through the same virtue, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Acts 20:32; Romans 6:5,6; John 17:17; Ephesians 3: 16-19; I Thessalonians 5:21-23; Romans 6:14, Galatians 5:24; Colossians 1:11; II Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14).

"2. This sanctification is throughout the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh (I Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 7:18; Galatians 5:17; I Peter 2:11).

"3. In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome; and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after an heavenly life, in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ as Head and King, in His word hath prescribed them (Romans 7:23; Romans 6:14; Ephesians 4:15, 16; II Corinthians 3:18, 7:1)."

Lord willing we will be explaining and applying this glorious truth of sanctification in the coming weeks and probably months. If any of you would like a copy of the Baptist Catechism and the Confession of faith I will (D.V.) see that you get one. Just call me at 601-927-5070. Until next week, my prayer for all my readers is that the very God of peace may sanctify you wholly.

Sanctification

(Article for publication week of 1-15- AD 2015)

 

"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 honour;" (I Thessalonians 4:3-4).

This week we begin a planned series of articles on the doctrine of sanctification. Those of you who are regular readers of the Narrow Way may remember that we wrote on the doctrine of justification from March 14, 2012 through November 13 of last year. We laboured to show you that justification is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ Alone. Justification is the "heart of the gospel", to quote my dear Brother in Christ and co-labourer, Elder Jimmy Barber. Justification is, as Martin Luther said, the article of faith upon which the Church stands or falls. Without a clear understanding of the doctrine of  justification, we in reality have no gospel to preach. But next in importance is the doctrine of sanctification.

I shall begin by giving you a concise definition of sanctification. The Greek word that is generally translated "sanctification", is "hagiasmos", and literally means "purification." It is translated "holiness" in other places in the New Testament. Noah Webster, who was an excellent theologian as well as lexicographer (you would do well to obtain his original 1828 dictionary), defined sanctification thusly "1) in a general sense, to cleanse, purify, or make holy; 2) to separate, set apart, or appoint to a holy, sacred, or religious use; 5) to cleanse from corruption; to purify from sin; to make holy by detaching the affections from the world and its defilements, and exalting them to a supreme love to God." The Baptist Catechism gives us this definition of sanctification, "sanctification is the work of God's free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness." The original Articles of Faith of the Mississippi Baptist Association (1806) says in article 6, "we believe all those chosen in Christ, before the foundation of the world, are in time effectually called, regenerated, converted, and sanctified; and are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation." Our Presbyterian Brethren may consult chapter 13 of the Westminster Confession, which is essentially the same as the Baptist Confession, for a concise doctrinal statement on sanctification.

So what we will be writing on in this series is the necessity of a holy life in those who claim to be justified by free grace. The fact is the scriptures nowhere say that a justified person may be unsanctified. By the same token, the scriptures nowhere indicate that a sinner may be sanctified without first being justified. Justification may be compared to the structure of a building, while sanctification is the finishes. Justification takes care of our bad record, while sanctification takes care of our bad heart. No one will ever get to heaven without a good record with God, and the only way any sinner may have a good record with God is by the imputed righteous of Christ as we have laboured to show you for nearly two years. Nor will anyone ever get to heaven without a good heart, and the only way you will ever have a good heart is by the sanctifying work of God's grace within you. You must be sanctified as well as justified in order to see God in peace.

It is God's will that you be holy. My text says so. It is God's will that you be pure in heart, affections, life and actions. Dear reader, are you being sanctified by God's grace?

The Sinner's Sin Discovered

(Article for publication week of 1-8-2015)

 

"But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23). Sinner, be sure your sin will find you out!

Though you may have hidden your sin from the eyes of man, you have not hidden your sin from God. There is some wretched adulterer out there who has hidden his sin from his wife, but he has not hidden his sin from God. There is some young person out there who thinks they have hidden their sin from their parents, but they definitely have not hidden their sin from God. There is some crooked politician out there who thinks they have done a good "cover up job" and hidden their sin, but they have not hidden their sin from God. Though you have covered up your sin from the eyes of men, be sure your sin will find you out!

There are some of you who have become accustomed to your sin, and have continued long in it, and your conscience has been seared as with a hot iron, and now you can sin without any pangs of conscience. But though you no longer feel remorse in your conscience, it is still sin and your sin will find you out! Though your sin does not bother you, a Thrice Holy God hates your sin with hot vengeance!

Then there are many of you who are involved in sin of which the decadent culture around you no longer calls sin. I am amazed at the folks who now live together without marriage and have no shame whatever. People who are shacking up say they are "engaged", and if you ask them when is the wedding date, they reply, "oh, we have not set a date yet"! What they generally mean is that they are cohabitating without getting married. My lost friend, I say to you, though you are not ashamed of your sin, and the community does not call it sin, and perhaps the "church" doesn't even call it sin, be sure your sin will find you out. There are some of you out there who got divorced without Biblical grounds and then took another person's spouse, and you are an adulterer whether the courts call it adultery or not, and even though the "church" has given you their endorsement, you are an  adulterer and your sin will find you out! Our culture and commonwealth has become so decadent that even sodomy is no longer condemned, and some "churches" have received the filthy perverts with open arms, but the pervert's sin will find him out!

And then there are some of you who have un-confessed and unrepentant sin you committed so long ago, you have almost forgotten it. Somehow you think a few decades and a little respectability has atoned for your sin. But I tell you, nothing will ever atone for your sin but the blood of Christ! The passage of time has not erased your sin. Be sure your sin will find you out!

Now poor sinner, if the message this week has awakened your conscience, and perhaps the Holy Spirit is working conviction in your soul, I have a word of hope for you. There is no sin so small that it does not deserve eternal damnation, but there is no sin so great that it will not be forgiven those who truly repent and come to Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is just and faithful to forgive those who will confess and forsake their sin. But mark it down sinner, if you refuse to confess your sin and forsake it; if you refuse to believe in the only Saviour of sinners; if you refuse to repent before God, there is only one thing for you and that is eternity in hell! Be sure your sin will find you out!