Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The Path-Sanctification-Part 2



“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” –John 17:21

From the very beginning God desired fellowship with man.  He has always wanted a relationship with us.  It is not that he rejected us, we rejected him.  The earth and the Garden of Eden was prepared for man.  We were placed there, in perfect communion and fellowship with the Father.  We sinned, we separated ourselves from him, and yet God sought out redemption for us; redemption back to that perfect fellowship.  Sanctification is the redemption of you back to perfect fellowship with God.  God desires this for you, but will not force it on you.  After you have sought and obtained forgiveness for the sins you committed, if you desire to be one with Christ (thereby one with God) you can be.   
The unity of Jesus and yourself (i.e. sanctification) bears a strong likeness to the unity of a man and wife.  When a women marries a man the following happens.  First, she is prepared for the ceremony.  You are prepared for Christ at repentance.  Your committed sins have been forgiven and you stand before God and Christ ready to be married.  After the bride is prepared she then comes to the altar to meet the waiting groom.  Note, though you have come to an altar asking forgiveness of committed sin, you still must approach the altar once more to be married to Christ.  Once the bride reaches the waiting groom the “vows” begin; the women promises herself to the man, and the man to the woman.  They then become one flesh.  A union is formed, “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Jesus Christ.”  We are accepted into Him.  We are made anew in him.  Your name is changed, you are adopted into his holiness.  To be sanctified, first you must be prepared.  Then you must approach the altar and vow yourself to Christ.  You must forsake the world, flesh, and the devil.  You must promise to be faithful to him.  You must promise to be obedient to him.  You commit everything to Him, a total surrendering of yourself.  There can be no secret sins or quiet “want-to’s when he’s not looking.”  This is a marriage. It is all you have, all you are, for as long as you live committed to Jesus Christ.  When the vow is made with all your heart, the Holy Ghost will come into your heart and pronounce you wed to Christ.  He will sanctify your heart to Christ and Christ alone so you can wholly sing “I am thine, wholly thine, prone to wonder never.  Sanctified by power divine all the Lord’s forever.”  

We are saved and sanctified by grace through faith with obedience.  When you obey God and commit your all to him, you must then in faith ask for the gift of the Holy Ghost to come in and sanctify you.  To come in and cleanse out all sin to present you one with Jesus.  He will do it, and you will be brought back into full fellowship with the Father.  You will be one with Jesus Christ.  This is sanctification, and it is not the end, it is only the beginning.  Your path continues, sanctification was only the wedding.  There is a life to live, a marriage with Christ to enjoy.  The relationship is just begun.  There is learning, growing, leaning, and yielding to be done; then some more yielding, growing, leaning, and learning.  The sanctified life is just that, life!  A new life, in Christ, with Christ, and for Christ.  Though you are now sanctified your path continues on, our path continues on, but now we are on the way to heaven. 

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