|
|
|
- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
|
|
SANCTIFICATION IS THE GOAL FOR THE SONS OF LIGHT 1Th 5:23-24 (9/4/11) Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. THE SCOPE OF SANCTIFICATION FOR THE SONS
OF LIGHT (23) A. The Basic Meaning of Sanctification is
Separation 1. The Greek verb for “sanctify” is hagiázō
comes from the root hagios which means sacred or holy. Sanctify (hagiázō)
then means to separate, consecrate, or make holy. Its OT equivalent is the
Hebrew word kadōsh which means holy but with the basic idea of
cut, divide, or separate. We can see the concept of separation and its usages
with reference to the believer. a) Separation of sacred from common. b) Separation of God’s holiness from sinful
creation. c) Separation of the believer’s sinful
status to holy status. d) Separation of the believer’s sinful
character to holy character. 2. Sanctification is the divine plan for all
believers whereby they are separated and made holy by the Holy Spirit through
the Word of God for God’s holy purposes. B. The Aspects of Sanctification for the
Believer 1. Positional Salvation - is when
salvation is received by faith and at that moment, the believer is placed in
a new position described by the phrase “in Christ.” It is entered into by
faith (Ep 2:8 - “having been saved” - perfect tense) and is a
permanent status (Ti 3:5 - “you were saved” - aorist tense) that
happens at a point in time. 2. Present Sanctification - is the
ongoing process whereby God is transforming the present condition of the
believer to be consistent with his positional status in the deliverance of
daily sin (1Co 1:18 - “being saved” - present tense; cp. Ro 6:14; 8:2)
and perseverance (He 7:25 – “being saved” – present tense; cp. Ph 1:6,
19; 2:12-13). 3. Perfect Sanctification - is the
future and ultimate salvation in heaven where the believer is totally
delivered from the presence of sin (1Jn 3:1-3; Re 21:4) and his salvation is
consummated, completed, and eternal (Ro 13:11; 1Pe 1:5). C. The Agent of Sanctification is God Himself
(1Th 5:23a) 1. God is described as the “God of peace”
who made peace between His own holiness and the sinfulness of man through the
sacrifice of Christ (Positional Sanctification). 2. God, Himself (emphatic use of autos)
is sovereignly and actively engaged in the ongoing process of sanctification,
i.e. making the believer holy (cp. Rom 8:28-29) (Present Sanctification). 3. Verse 23 could be described as a
benediction or prayer in that Paul uses the optative mood (“may”) to show his
personal desire for the sanctification of the Thessalonians. It is also God’s
desire for the believer though it is also dependent on the believer’s
participation. Phil 1:6) D. The Extent of Sanctification is the
Believer’s Entire Being (1Th 5:23b) 1. The believer’s “spirit” (pneúma), “soul” (psuchế), and “body” (sṓma) are mentioned not for the purpose of showing that man
is made up of three parts, but that sanctification involves man internally
and externally, i.e. his entire being (holotelê,s - “through and through”). 2. The believer was (Positional
Sanctification), is being (Present Sanctification), and will be (Permanent
Sanctification) sanctified completely (holoklêros - whole portion, cf. 1Jo
3:2-3). 3. The believer is to be presented to the
Lord “without blame” (a,memptos - Phil 2:15; 1Th 2:10; 3:13) by holy and faithful living. E. The Completion of Sanctification will be
at the Rapture (1Th 5:23c) 1. All believers of the Church Age, those
asleep and those remaining, will be permanently sanctified when the Lord
“comes” (parousía - presence
alongside) for His
Church (1Th 4:16-17). 2. Therefore, Perfect Sanctification for the
believer will be ultimately completed at the coming of Christ. F. The Correlation Between Coming of Christ
and Sanctification (1Th 5:23c) 1. At end of every chapter in First
Thessalonians, Paul has not failed to mention something about the coming (parousia
- presence alongside) of Christ. a) Believers are to wait for Christ from
heaven (Rapture - 1Th 1:10). b) Believers will be rewarded at the coming
of Christ (Rapture - 1Th 2:19). c) Believers are to be established at the
coming of Christ (Rapture - 1Th 3:13). d) Believers will be united with Christ and
loved ones at the coming of Christ (Rapture - 1Th 4:16-17). e) Believers are to be sanctified entirely
at the coming of Christ (1Th 5:23). 2. Since God’s program of sanctification
will conclude when the Lord returns, the coming of the Lord is connected with
the believer’s responsibility to cooperate with sanctification until He
comes. a) The Lord’s coming has a sanctifying effect
upon the believer in this life (1Jo 3:2-3). (1) The believer will be sanctified (1Jo 3:2b, “will
be like Him”) when He returns (1Jo 3:2b,”when He appears”). (2) Everyone who has this hope fixed on
Him purifies himself (1Jo 3:3). b) The Lord is preparing a place for believers (Joh 14:2-3) and is
presently preparing believers for that place (Rev 19:7). This holy union will
take place at the coming of the Lord. c) If the Lord is holy, then His children
should desire to cooperate, pursue, and seek to be “holy” even as He is
“holy” (1Pe 1:13-16, hagios used 4 times) until He comes. d) The believer ought to strive to be holy so
that He can be used by the Master and will hear those words of the Master
when He comes, “Well done, good and faithful slave” (Mat 25:21, 23). e) Paul prayed that when the Lord Jesus
Christ comes for believers He will find them faithfully pursuing the goal of
being as holy as their Lord and longing to receive the promised heavenly
perfection. (MAC in loc.) II. THE HOPE OF SANCTIFICATION FOR THE SONS OF
LIGHT (24) A. God is Faithful in His Effectual Call 1. God is identified as the One who
effectually calls believers. It is God who does the calling and the bringing
for the predestined sinner. Very little reveals the sovereignty of God more
than the concept of God’s calling. a) Believers are called according to God’s
purpose (Rom 8:28). b) Believers are “saints” through the
efficacious calling of God (1Co 1:9 cp. Mat 22:14). c) Believers, because they are called by a
sovereign God, are identified with the name, “the called” (Rom 1:6; 1Co 1:24;
Jude 1:1; Rev 17:14). d) Believers, who are called, are the ones
who God sovereignly and continually calls in the process of sanctification
(1Th 5:24a, lit. “the One who is calling you”). B. God is Faithful in His Fulfillment of His
Call a) Believers who are called have already been
foreknown and predestined before the foundation of the world (Rom 8:29 cp.
Eph 1:4). b) Believers who are called will also be
justified and glorified (Rom 8:30). c) Believers, who are called, are guaranteed
to be brought home (1Th 5:24, lit. “the One who is calling you is Faithful,
Who will also accomplish it.) d) Because God is the agent of calling and
sanctification, He is the divine Guarantor Who guarantees it all. |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
