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A foundation of what the experience of ‘sanctification’ is in the Christian life, has been laid in a previous posting on this blog. As a refresher, sanctification is the second work of the grace of God. The first work of grace is salvation. Sanctification in addition is the killer of ‘Self.’ ‘Self’ or flesh is a person’s ego, inbred sin and the demand for “I” and “Me.” Self inspires man to desire sinful things which are not in accordance with the word of God. After one has accepted the gift of salvation, ‘self’ and its desires must be rooted out of the person so that they can live daily in the light of God’s word without murmuring.
When ‘Self’ has not been dealt with, there arises a battle between the Savior and Self. As Jesus wants to establish His divine abode in the Christian’s life, simultaneously, ‘Self’ resists Him as it also demands its carnal position in the life of the precious newly born-again. This is where sanctification must come into the situation. Sanctification is the master solution of the battle between Self and the Savior. Sanctification when panteth for through prayer, will bulldoze and utterly uproot stubborn ‘Self’ from one’s life so as to permit the Savior to fully abide in His rightful place – the center of the individual’s heart!
We live in a world where 2 Timothy 3:2 which reads “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” is literally fulfilled before our eyes. In and outside of the church many have become lovers of themselves, position seekers, without compassion, covetous, proud, selfish, and self exalting. The recent popular trend, “Selfies” which is a picture taken by oneself of oneself has infested social media as millions of people (females in particular) join the ‘train’ and take self portraits of themselves to show off their “good looks” in exchange for mere compliments – this is the highest level of the manifestation of ‘Self’ and the fulfillment of biblical prophesy. “…for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” -Luke 16:15. “Selfies” among other things in society that are “highly esteemed among men” are abomination in the sight of God. It is not a sin to display a picture of oneself; however, an in-depth examination of our motive behind our actions is crucial. What message do we want to pass across by the display of our pictures on social media? Do we want to show off our figure, reveal sensitive parts of our body that ought to be covered, or entice and tempt men by our Jezebel-inspired ‘dolled’ faced?
Jesus Christ never portrayed His images and ‘works’ just to receive the praise of men. Even when the people of His day wanted to crown Him their king, he rejected such position because He was completely dead to self and was serious about doing the work God had ordained for Him. People have truly become lovers of their own selves and not lovers of God. When a person loves God, their opinion doesn’t matter; in fact it is dissolved in their selfless love for God. These people don’t have their own agenda. Their opinion has been crucified and put to death on the Cross of Jesus and they now have put on Jesus Christ as their new identity. Their proclamation becomes “I am dead (meaning flesh/self) and my life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).They obey everything that Jesus commands them, and asks for strength to obey areas of scripture where self may want to reject and make impossible to yield to.
I love what Apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Paul realized that in order to live to please God he must be like the Son of God, and to be Christ-like is to identify with, and emulate Christ in crucifying the flesh on the Cross of Christ so that Jesus Christ the perfect son of God who is his Savior, can live within him. Because without crucifying the flesh as a professing Christian, Jesus cannot fully abide in us. Jesus doesn’t want to fight ‘Self’ for our hearts, He needs us to willingly give him place in our hearts; he won’t force us. What a gentleman!
Before salvation the bible states “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God“-Romans 3:23. The natural man cannot do good. He is programed to do evil. The works of the flesh is anger, lying, lust, covetousness, envy, bitterness, fighting, gossiping, false witnesses, use of profanity, alcoholism, drug abuse, etc. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God“-Galatians 5:19-21. For this cause, Jesus Christ came to the earth that by virtue of His death the natural man may be translated into the supernatural and have victory over the aforementioned atrocities. But then after salvation the above mentioned are usually still in affect in one’s life – but that doesn’t mean that one has not been saved. However, he or she needs to be sanctified.
Sanctification will kill and destroy the root of where anger, lying, lust, covetousness, envy, bitterness, fighting, gossiping, false witnesses, use of profanity, alcoholism, drug abuse, etc originates! Jesus states in Matthew 15:13 “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” Our heavenly Father is not the author of anger, lying, lust, covetousness, envy, bitterness, fighting, gossiping, false witnesses, use of profanity, alcoholism, drug abuse, etc. Such is of the Devil, and it cannot remain in the life of a child of God. It MUST be rooted up through prayer!
After one has been sanctified, they will be “workable” by the hands of God. This person will receive “an heart of flesh” pliable, and soft to work with by the hands of the Creator. The sanctification experience, will radiate to the outward as that individual will be clothed with absolute and apparent humility. They will not be angry, fight, argue, insist on their own will; rather, they will have a gentle and quiet spirit. They will be lowly wanting nothing else but the will of God to be done in every area their lives. Therefore, sanctification undoubtedly is the killer of self and sin. Sanctification produces absolute surrendered-ness of the heart and body humbly laid at the Cross of Jesus without reservation.
The question then comes, is your ‘Self’ activated by Satan, or has it been deactivated by the Savior Jesus Christ? Do you desire to be sanctified? Do you want your ‘Self’ be dead so as to live in agreement to God’s holy word? Well, divine provision has been made through the blood of Jesus Christ. Your job is to unrelentingly thirst for it without holding back your heart, and body, and be ready to be quenched from the One who gives freely to them that thirst!
Be Challenged!
-Charity