Believers Are Sanctified

Martin Luther wrote, "There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow."

In Scripture, all true believers are sanctified in Christ. Sanctification is not the second blessing, coming as a distinctly separate stage in the Christian life. One who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is immediately justified and sanctified by the Spirit of God. 

We are "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:2). The blood of Jesus sanctifies every true believer in Christ. Believers are sanctified, set apart, as God's chosen people in Christ.

God sanctifies or sets us apart as the purchased possession of Christ. You are bought with the price of His blood shed at the cross. The cross work of Christ is applied to your life in justification as well as sanctification.

God sanctifies us by faith in the gospel, upon trusting Christ as your Lord and Savior. However, our sanctification is a continuing process of growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Sanctification leads to our glorification at the return of Christ. Until then, believers are sanctified in Christ.

Is God Your Joy?

Fellowship with God gives us joy. His joy is our strength for living. "Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you do rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). Believers experience joy in the presence of God. Words are not able to express it. Fellowship with God gives us joy as believers in Christ.

"Truly our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). Fellowship with God is through Bible reading, prayer and worship. When we are out of fellowship with God, we need to confess our sins (1 John 1:9). Then, your fellowship with God can be restored. Sin separates us from the joy of fellowship with God. 

Restored fellowship with God gives you joy. The barrier of sin is removed, as we confess it to God. The joy of your salvation is restored. You may pray, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation" (Psalm 51:12). Make fellowship with God a daily part of your life. Praise God through prayer and singing unto Him. Give thanks to God for His love, mercy and goodness in Christ for you. 

Let us ask God to bring to our attention any sins that we need to confess. Recognize that our fellowship with God gives us joy through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Then, we can truly sing, "what a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms." God is your joy.

Forgiven and Cleansed

God gave us a conscience. It tells us when we have done wrong. God made us that way not to make us feel guilty all the time. Conscience calls us to confession. That's how God forgives us and gives us a clean conscience. Confession of sin is simply agreeing with God that we have done wrong. God wants us to have a clean conscience. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Christ died for all of our sins. When you confess sin to God, all of your sins are forgiven. The Bible teaches that God cleanses us upon confession of our sins.  We are made clean before God through Jesus Christ. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). That's how God forgives us.

Why do some people refuse to confess their sin to God and receive cleansing through Christ? There are at least two reasons. First, they don't know the good news in Christ. Secondly, they don't really believe the good news. The believer's confession of sin brings immediate cleansing through Christ. You can have a clean conscience today.

Do you have a sin from the past that makes you feel guilty? Confess it to God. Believe the promise of His word. God will forgive you. That's how God forgives us. That's the reason Jesus died for all our sins. Thank God for cleansing you through Jesus Christ. God will forgive your sins and cleanse your conscience.

God Changes Hearts

In the Bible, the word heart is often a figure of speech for the mind, will, and emotions. God's work of grace is performed in your heart by the Holy Spirit. Through the gospel of Christ, God changes your heart. That is to say, God changes your mind, will, and emotions.

God changes your mind by the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1-2). Then we understand the power of the gospel (Romans 1:16). We repent and receive Jesus as our Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3). Repentance means a change of mind. That change is enabled by the Holy Spirit changing our hearts (Romans 2:28-29).

God changes your will with new desires. Once we had no desire for Christ. We were unwilling to receive Christ. Now, God has worked in our hearts with a desire for Christ (Philippians 2:13). That's the work of God in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Philippians 1:6).

God changes your emotions. Once we had no tender emotions toward Christ nor remorse for our sins. Now, we have godly sorrow for our sins, and emotions of love and gratitude toward Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 16:22; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10).

Salvation That's Real

John MacArthur wrote that "real salvation is not only justification. Salvation cannot be isolated from regeneration, sanctification, and ultimately glorification. Salvation is the work of God through which we are 'conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29).

Salvation is not by what we have done for God, but what he has done for us, and what he is doing in us through Christ Jesus our Lord. MacArthur summarized it in these words: "Salvation is the work of God." That's why we gladly proclaim that it's by God's grace in our Lord Jesus Christ.

As sinners, we could never justify ourselves. However, in Christ we are freely justified from all sin.  We could never regenerate nor sanctify ourselves. Yet, we are certainly regenerated by the Spirit of God, unto faith in Christ.  God's work of salvation is completed, when He glorifies us in that day unto the image of Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Salvation is God's work in Christ. Let us give God all the glory today, tomorrow, and forever! Glory to God the Father, who chose us with love in Christ (Ephesians 1:4-6). Glory to God the Son, who loved us and gave Himself for us at the cross. His blood saves us from sin and condemnation. His blood sets us apart as God's people, which is our sanctification. Glory to God the Holy Spirit who regenerated us unto new birth, and He shall glorify us into the image of Christ.

The Gospel in Power

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). The gospel comes not in word only, but through the power of the Holy Spirit. "For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance" (1 Thessalonians 1:5). As people hear the gospel, leave the results to the Holy Spirit.

The gospel in power is through the Holy Spirit. He bears witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. People are saved, when the gospel is heard in the Word and Spirit. Jesus said, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Evangelism saves people through the gospel of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pray that God will use you to share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Give all the glory to God for those who are saved. Recognize your total dependence upon the Holy Spirit. God will use you as a witness for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In his book Joy Unspeakable, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states, "Go through Acts and in every instance when we are told either that the Spirit came upon these men or that they were filled with the Spirit, you will find that it was in order to bear a witness and a testimony." That's the gospel in power.

God's Love Revealed

God's love is revealed through words in the Bible. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Whoever includes every nation, all races, and every ethnic group. Whoever includes you.

God's love is revealed at the cross of Jesus. God sent His Son to die for sinners like you and me (Romans 5:8). He died for our sins at the cross (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Look at God's love in Christ crucified. This is the greatest love story the world has ever known. Yes, God the Father's love for you is forever proven.

God's love is revealed through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit makes God's love real to believers. Upon confessing Jesus as Lord, the Holy Spirit does something beyond your ability to completely understand. He pours out the Father's love into your heart. Your life is changed by love divine.

God's love is revealed forever. As a believer in Jesus Christ, nothing can separate you from the infinite love of God. That includes trouble, persecution, suffering, and even death. God loves you now and forever. Everlasting life in Christ is the Father's everlasting love (Romans 8:37-38).