“As the Father hath loved
me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” –John 15:9
Well, finally, we have
arrived. You have been “called out of darkness into His marvelous
light.” So, there is nothing left to do right? I guess we can
just kick our heels up because Satan knows we are one with God and he will
leave us alone, right? Wrong! Horrendously wrong, in fact nothing could
be further from the truth. Satan tried to tempt Jesus Christ himself,
what would cause us to think we are any different? He will want you back
now more than ever, and moreover, let us say for a splendid moment that there
was no devil to contend with; why would you not want to learn, search, and
experience all that God has to offer? There is untellable beauty that
lies within a lived sanctified life.
The sanctified life is just
that, a life. It is a life in Christ, with Christ, and through
Christ. First, it is a life in Christ. We have discussed that you
are no longer in sin, and that you are in Jesus Christ. That means to say
you are in fellowship with Him, you are in communion with Him, and that he is
the Lord of your life. Furthermore, Christ is in you. He has filled
you with His Spirit. He is guiding you, directing you, and leading you each
day. However, this relationship will not continue without a continued
commitment from your side (again, like a marriage). You have to
communicate with Jesus by reading the Bible and praying, and just as important
(perhaps more important), we have to let Jesus communicate with us. We
read, we pray, and we fellowship with other like-minded believers. The
Holy Spirit will instruct, we will follow, and grow to bear fruit unto
holiness. This is “abiding in the vine”; this is a life with
Jesus. Whilst in your unsanctified state each day was largely governed by
what pleased you or pleased those you wished to please. Now each day is
governed by what pleases God and glorifies his name. “Ye are dead and
your life in hid in Christ.” You are with Christ and he is with
you. Every day you walk with Him: learning, growing, leaning, not through
the horrible lessons of sin and repent, but through the welcomed instruction of
the Holy Ghost. All this is done through Jesus Christ, he gives you the
power (via the Holy Ghost) and he grants the grace. Jesus leads, you follow,
you are blessed, those around you are blessed, and God gets the glory. A
sanctified life.
The riches of a sanctified
life are immeasurable, and the blessings incalculable. However, they
cannot and will not come unless the sanctified life is lived, and lived
according to God. You do not have a wedding for the wedding, you have a
wedding for the marriage. Some time ago when I was with some folks in the
nursing home I came across this old married couple. The husband was near
death and could not live without professional aid any longer. His wife,
still very able, sold their house and voluntarily went to live with him in the
home (not a very nice nursing home mind you). Though they had no car, no
home, and only a suitcase full of worldly possessions, they were some of the
richest people I had ever seen. They loved God, loved one another,
laughed with one another, and through hardship their faithfulness and love
towards each other only flourished. Though sixty plus years had gone by,
the love that begun all those years ago was only growing and growing, with each
passing day. This, my friends, is the sanctified life; a life of perfect
love. It is a life of love towards God and
love towards man, but it will not be so unless you continue in Christ; continue
in that love.
