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October 03 Devotional
Daily
Devotions for October 2003
THEME - Sanctification
Please click on the
current date # above to read the devotional for the day!
May God richly bless
you this day!
These devotionals are written by the following men:
- DW - Senior Pastor, Dan Wilkenson
- RJS - Retired Pastor, Dr. Bob Shifflett
- DM - Associate Pastor, Dave Most
May God richly bless you this day!
Wednesday, October 1st
What is
Sanctification?
Galatians 3:1-5
This devotional
begins a series of articles on sanctification. The work of salvation is
complex and many sided. As we think of our salvation, three terms are
of special importance. They are justification, sanctification and
glorification. Justification is a legal term and speaks to us of the
time that God declares us righteous for the purpose of the court of His
justice. This takes place at a moment in time. That moment is the
moment faith takes hold of our hearts. Sanctification, on the other
hand, is a process. God will make all that believe fully conform to the
image of Jesus Christ. This process is not finished until
glorification. It is only when our eyes literally see Jesus Christ that
we will become fully conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
We live in a day when those who profess faith
in Christ lack practical holiness. When it comes to family life, there
is little difference between those professing faith in Christ and the
lost. The home is in trouble. Today, the lives of those that profess
faith are often little different from those without faith. What are we
to do? Some spiritual leaders are offering advice that could come right
out of modern education or psychology. We need to realize that apart
from a supernatural work of God's grace, sanctification is impossible.
Salvation is of the Lord. Without the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we are without hope. We cannot
save ourselves. The Humanist
Manifesto declares, no deity will save us, we must save ourselves.
We cannot save ourselves. Nothing I could ever do would bring salvation
to my soul. Faith is not passive, but it demonstrates the work of God
and not my work. There is nothing that I could ever do in order to make
my heart like that of Jesus Christ. If I am to be like Jesus Christ,
God must do a supernatural work. Glorification is a work of God.
In addition, sanctification is a work of God.
In justification, all I can do is believe. In sanctification, all I can
do is submit my will to the Spirit of God and the Word of God. This act
of submission is not passive, but it emphasizes the work of God and not
my work. Those who focus on our work are only destined to find more
corruption and sin. He must do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
DW
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Thursday, October 2nd
Sanctification:
It's Nature
John 17:17-19
17 Sanctify them through thy
truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even
so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I
sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Sanctification in the
Westminster Catechism is said to be, "the work of God's free
grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God,
and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto
righteousness." (Sanctification by Charles Hodge) We need to
clearly understand the gospel message and the plan that God has
ordained for the world. We know from scripture that "all have sinned and fall short of the
Glory of God." In God's plan of salvation, it is
solely based on what God does, and nothing to do with what you or I
could ever do. When the Holy Spirit convicts a person of sin, (and He
convicts every person) that person then has a choice to repent or not.
When that person repents from his sin and turns to Christ in humble
submission, that person is "saved, made alive in Christ,
justified." God is the judge of that person's soul and it is God
that gives salvation. It is God that justifies a person; He declares
that person innocent or guilty based on that person's heart of
repentance. It is this justification that actually brings about the
sanctifying work of God in a person's life. That is why when a person
only professes to be a "Christian" but there is no change in
their life, that person is making a false profession. God will bring about His Sanctifying work,
whereas the person without Christ, regardless of profession, is dead in
his sin. Justification, then, is the completed work of Christ in
salvation and is the same in all true believers, while sanctification
is progressive as a true Christian grows in Christ during his life on
earth. We also see that this sanctification is the supernatural and
powerful work of God. None of us have done anything to cause God to
give it to us. It is solely by God's choice and His favor, as we are
totally undeserving. Say, have you been justified and if so, is God
doing His work of sanctification in your life? If you don't know for
sure, why not fall on your knees today and repent. Those that are sure
need to daily humble themselves before Almighty God and pray and seek
His face. He wants to do a supernatural work in you! "Dear Lord
God, thank You for Your great Salvation! Amen." DM
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Friday,
October 3rd
Sanctification is of God, Not
of Ourselves
Leviticus 11:44 and I Peter 1:15-16
Leviticus 11:44 For I am the
LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves,
and ye shall be holy; for I am holy. also 1
Peter 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in
all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I
am holy.
Living a (holy) sanctified life is the normal way for all born-again
Christians. To make it even stronger, it is demanded of God in the
verses above. To live this sanctified life, we need to be totally
dependent on the Holy Spirit, to guide us every waking moment of our
daily walk and talk. This is something we
cannot work up, study up, put on, or take off, nor is it a pious
attitude. IT IS A SUPERNATURAL WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Having said that, we need to make it clearly
understood that The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sins in our lives.
It is our responsibility to confess those sins and put them away, put
them under the blood of Christ, 1
John 1:7. Many of our, so-called little sins, we think
we can hide from our family and fellow believers, but as Jonah found
out, no one can hide from God. King David records in Psalm 139 that he
cannot hide from God no matter where he might go. READ IT! The source
of the following is quoted many times, we do not know the author, but
we know what we are about to write is true. For some reason, we have
built a catalogue of sins. We have white lies and black lies, little
lies and big lies, but in God's sight it is all lies. "To tell a
half truth is to tell a lie." We think we can use vulgar words or
slang words and get away with it. But the tongue reveals the thoughts
and intents of the heart. Avoid slang, double meaning words, gossip,
carrying tales and such like.
Lastly, Sanctification is a work of the Holy
Spirit just as He leads us to Salvation. We must cooperate with the
Holy Spirit if we are to grow in grace and holiness. When we recognize
sin in our life, we must immediately confess it and put it far from us.
Sanctification is not something you put on with your "Sunday go to
meeting clothes," but an every day walk and communication with
Lord God. RJS
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Saturday, October 4th
Sanctification the Work of
God
John 3:1-12
We dare not assume that
God's grace works apart from faith and submission. The law and
self-discipline as important, as these are, will not be sufficient to
change a life. The law and self-discipline may exist apart from any
work of grace, and though commendable among men, is not sanctification.
Where grace operates no understanding or explanation is possible. Who
can understand the wind? We read in John 3:8 where Jesus said, The wind bloweth
where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell
whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is
every one that is born of the Spirit.
Does this sound like a work
of organization and self-discipline? In the Bible, we find that
sanctification is repeatedly described as a work of God. Ephesians 5:25,26 25 Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by
the word... Here as in many other texts, Jesus
Christ sanctifies the church. If we fail to acknowledge the
supernatural character of sanctification, we confuse it with mere moral
reformation. Some people that have lived a perverse life have
changed apart from the power of God. As praiseworthy as this may be, it
is not a work of sanctification.
In sanctification, we must
die to self and surrender to the work of God in our hearts. We are
passive though not entirely. God is active. It is not us but Christ
that lives within us. 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. As you see it is the picture
of baptism. The new life God creates in me enables me to die to self
and yield to righteousness. This change is deeper and more fundamental
than that which is produced by secondary causes. We need to realize
that all of those God justifies will be
sanctified, and all those God justifies will be glorified. As with the
apostles, none will be lost. If there is a problem with sanctification,
let us look to faith and not secondary causes. Let us appreciate that
as with Judas, not all have faith and righteousness. DW
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Sunday, October 5th
All Holy
Exercises Referred to "God" the Spirit as their Author
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
This reference of sanctification to God as
its Author proves the supernatural character of the work, because it is
not general, it is special. There are a lot of things that happen
naturally in God's work of nature such as weather, in rain and snow;
also sunshine and nighttime, and then physical birth in animals and
mankind, growth in plants and vegetation. These are some of the things
that God has set in order and they happen regularly, according to God's
natural design.
Sanctification on the other hand is a special
work of supernatural significance! It is not something that just
happens according to the natural laws of nature that God has set in
place. Because of God the Holy Spirit's work of convicting the world of sin and of
righteousness and of judgment, the work of sanctification
is a supernatural work and allows for the free choice that God gives to
all of mankind. We are to repent and then accept Him of our own free
will. It could never happen any other way. Scripture points out that we
are spiritually dead in trespasses
and sin, and without the supernatural work of the Holy
Spirit in all men, we could never come to know God as Savior.
Therefore, without God the Holy Spirit's
work, all of mankind would be lost for eternity. That is why we, as
true believers, are to pray for the divine influence of the Holy Spirit
in people's lives. This influence is the one and only thing that can
bring a person to repentance and salvation. There are some folks that
think that an emotion is what does the work, but that means that we
would live by sinful and imperfect feelings alone. Then there are some
folks who seem to think that education and knowledge are the means that
we can attain, but here again, who are we to set our sinful and limited
minds against the All-powerful and All-knowing God of creation and the
universe as we know it? In fact, we can barely live past a measly 100
human years, and even in these years, are filled with sickness, sorrow,
and death. Truly it is the Sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit in
human lives that we have any hope for eternal life! "Praise be
unto God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit
for Your love and perfect plan that You have wonderfully made available
to all who will turn from sin! Amen." DM
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We are taught to Pray for
Repentance,
Faith and other Graces
Ephesians 1:18-19, 3:17, 20
The
Apostle Paul spends a great deal of time referring to our spiritual
growth following our original repentance for sin and receiving the gift
of our salvation. Ephesians
1:18-19 The eyes of your understanding being enlight-ened;
that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches
of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. 19 And what is the
exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe
according to the working of his mighty power.
"The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened, above,
is referring to wisdom and revelation in the sphere of a full
knowledge of Him. The enlightenment is in the heart of the born again
one. Remember, The heart is
deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9 Therefore we need a renewed heart and
that takes place with salvation. Following the new birth experience
there is a growing in order that we may bring forth fruit. If we are
truly born again our hearts are in a searching mode, we want to learn
more and that's when the Holy Spirit begins his blessed work in our lives.
Sanctification is the product of the Holy Spirit energizing our spirits
with a super-natural power, that is, the Spirit comes into our lives to
reside, educate, and illuminate the new believer in the great truths of
the Scriptures.
We
cannot sanctify ourselves through rites, ceremonies, sacraments, or
works, therefore, it is the work of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
all working together to bring us to the point of submission. The whole
person, body, soul and spirit are by nature, rebellious and antagonistic
against God. Just as the Holy Spirit woos and wins us to Christ in our
salvation, He also leads and directs our thought patterns, our desires
and will to submission and humility before God. The awakened spiritual
conscience of the new believer desires to learn more and it is then
that the Holy Spirit becomes our Tutor. Unfortunately, many Christians
are satisfied to say, "All I want is a back seat in heaven."
We should want to be down front and as close to Christ as possible. A
sanctified heart is seeking fellowship with Him. RJS
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The Bondage of
the Will
Hebrews 2:1-4
In the beginning, God's creation was perfect, however, it was not long before sin
corrupted this beauty. The Bible described fallen humanity as
spiritually dead. To have a spiritual side, we must be able to love God
supremely and love others as we love ourselves. Once this spiritual
side is taken away, all that remains is self-preservation.
What we are by nature has a great impact on
our desires. No one in their right mind has a desire to hurt himself or herself, because this is contrary to
nature. To do less than love God and others is contrary to spiritual
life. Those who are dead in sin can no more sanctify their life than
those who are physically dead can walk. We need to realize that in the
fall our nature became corrupt, as well as, our will. We desire sin
because we are sinners. If we were not sinners, we would not desire
sin.
In the creation, God gave mankind a holy
moral nature. What He could not give mankind was a holy moral
character. A holy moral character is developed in the crucible of
temptation. In the fall, our nature and our character became corrupted.
We cannot fix this problem on our own. We are helpless and hopeless
apart from the intervention of God's grace. The moment we believe, we
are united with Christ. It is this union with Christ that makes our
sanctification secure. Sanctification is not an option for believers.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them.
The work of God is not such that He gives us
the ability to sanctify ourselves. We could never sanctify ourselves,
any more than we can save ourselves. In sanctification, God lives in
and through us. We have no merit or goodness, but thank God, we have
the life of Jesus Christ. If we understand these things, it ought to be
clear that Jesus is the only way of salvation. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the
life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. The difference between
Christianity and all other doctrines is in Christianity salvation is of
the Lord. Sinful flesh is simply not perfectible. Just as we could do
nothing but believe to find justification, we can do nothing but
surrender to find sanctification. Our will is in bondage to a corrupt
nature. DW
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Wednesday, October 8th
Putting
Off the Old man and Putting On the New Man
Romans 6:1-23
Leaven (sin) vs. Sanctification:
Every person is born a sinner, totally depraved, and is doomed to hell
unless he/she turns in repentance to Christ to be saved from the wages
of sin. Romans 3:23 For all have
sinned...6:23For the wages of sin is death... It is God who
is at work to bring all of mankind to salvation. Philippians 2:13 For it is God
which worketh in you both to will and to do
of his good pleasure. There is nothing any person can do, in
and of themselves to be saved, because without God, every person is
spiritually dead. Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were
dead in trespasses and sins. Sin permeates the whole body, just as
infection permeates a wound and yeast permeates the whole loaf of
bread. We are born, filled with sin. There is nothing that we can do to
get rid of it, except to turn in repentance to Christ and call upon Him
to save us from our vile infection.
From our text in Romans, we are
to put off the old man, literally the old nature. This can only be done
through the sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit. After salvation,
through the power of God's Spirit, we are to put off the old nature,
the old man, and we are to put on the new man, the new nature. This
involves complete submission to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new. We are to
remove more and more of the leaven that is infecting and destroying our
nature, and we are to do it by allowing God to do His work in us,
literally growing in the Word of God and in our new spiritual life. It
is a matter of whom we yield ourselves to. Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye
yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
How can we continue to yield to sin and the old nature if we have been made
alive in Christ? Quite simply, we cannot if we have been truly made
alive in Christ! Romans 6:21,22 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof
ye are now ashamed? for the end of those
things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become
servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life.
Dear Lord, forgive us of sin.
Help us to yield unto You! Amen. DM
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Thursday, October 9th
Paul's Personal Experience with
His Old Nature and His New Nature
Romans 7:7-25
Romans chapter
seven is a classic example for our understanding. The Apostle Paul was
suffering from the same deadly disease that plagues us; the inherited
sin of Adam and the depraved sinful nature of the old man. This disease
will be with us as long as we are in this body. The born again believer
has a new imparted nature from God, but the old nature still abides in
our bodies, minds and hearts. Please stop and take time to read the
text verses above.
We learn from Paul
that the original, corrupted, fleshly, Adamic
nature is not eradicated. It is still with us along with the renewed
nature and the two are in conflict one with the other. The believer has
been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light,
and is a new creation in Christ (2
Cor. 5:17).
The Christian's foremost desire is to live a godly life, but that old
sinful nature hinders his relationship with Christ. Satan seeks to destroy
us moment by moment and temptation after temptation,
therefore, we must seek forgiveness for even the smallest sin. I John 1:6-7 If we say that we have
fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the
truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. These
two verses are the answer for every Christian to live a transparent
life before God. Transparency before God and others is the beginning of
revival in our hearts. Don't be afraid to tell God you have sinned and
ask Him to forgive, as well as, asking others to forgive when you have
said or done something wrong to them. Never be afraid to say the three
most important words in the English language, "I am wrong!"
Finally, the
Apostle Paul designates the conflicting problems in his life. These are
the sins that dwell in me that are in my heart also. It all boils down
to my ego, and unwillingness to humble myself and confess I am a
sinner. Christians, we need to be alert to this egotistical
self-righteous attitude that is even more prevalent in our "Me
Society" today. I'm the most important person in the world, or
"I'm the greatest." RJS
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Friday, October 10th
The Two Natures of the
Believer
Galatians 5:16-26
The
moment we come to faith in Christ, we become a new creation in Christ.
Sadly, all that we were before coming to faith in Christ remains in us.
These two principles are in conflict with one another. The apostle Paul
describes this conflict in today's text.
Our
text describes the works of the flesh as including the very worst of
spiritual and moral corruption. This text also makes it abundantly
clear that the end of this road is damnation. However, there is another
principle at work in the life of all that believe. I like the emphasis
here because in describing the flesh, there are works, but in
describing the spirit there are fruits. We do what we do, because of
what is in our heart. After the flesh, we can only sin, because self
drives all we do with a reckless disregard for God and others. If we
yield ourselves to Christ, nothing evil will ever flow from Him. Yes this
goodness must still flow through sinful flesh, but the goodness is
still pure at its source which is the divine nature within us.
The
indwelling Spirit of God guarantees that we will grow in grace. Day by
day, the result of God's Spirit in our heart is sanctification. Some
have described the change from that of being a sinner to that of being
a sinner saved by grace. Before faith in Christ, we jump into sin and
love it. After faith, we may fall into sin, but we are never
comfortable there again. It is this deep internal feeling that drives
our sanctification. Some would seek to work from the outside in, but
God's Spirit works from the inside out. In other words, we do not
change our hearts by changing our choices. Our choices change because
God has changed our heart. A sinful heart can only produce sin. Every
heart that is indwelled by God's Spirit will be compelled to drive out
sin.
I
wonder today, how is your heart. Are you conscious of sin? The closer
we get to God the more conscious we will be of indwelling sin. Are you
comfortable with sin? The closer we get to God the more we will
understand our dependence on Him for not only our very life, but also
any righteousness that we may have. This ought to move us to feed our
new nature and not our old nature. Make no mistake; the one we feed
will come to dominate our life. We are free to choose, but our choices
control our destiny. DW
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Saturday, October 11th
The New Garments of Christ
Ephesians 4:22-24
Paul likens the Sanctified Christian life to
clothing. When a person is without Christ, he is like a person who has
ugly, dirty, stinky, filthy clothes. When a person comes to know Christ
as their Savior, saved from the wages of sin, that person is clothed in
the righteousness of Jesus Christ and has become a new person. This is
likened again to a person who has taken off the old clothes, and Christ
has put on the new clothes, literally the new clothes of His
righteousness. The old clothes represent the old nature of a man; the
former sins that you were involved with and the former thinking that
you used to think with, the evil that you were powerless to do anything
about, and the sinful and lustful thoughts that you could not control.
The new clothes represent the power of Jesus Christ and His sanctifying
work in your life, as now you are not held in the bondage of your
former sins. Your spirit now has Christ's power to think thoughts of
His righteousness. You are now enabled to do His works of
righteousness. Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. We are now enabled to
recognize the old nature and resist the evil passions and lusts. We are
to put on Christ's new clothes and cultivate the fruit of the Holy
Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
If we have truly been crucified with Christ, we will fight against the
evilness of sin and the old nature. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts. As true Christians, we will live
lives of obedience and walk in the way of godliness in the beauty of
holiness. 25 If we live in the
Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Say, how is your walk? Are you living with
the old, dirty, stinky clothes of sin? Turn to Christ today and He will
give you the greatest wardrobe ever had by any person. That is the
wardrobe of the new nature, the new life, the life of Christ, Eternal
life! John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the
life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Gracious Lord and Savior, thank You for Your great salvation! May we
live our lives with the new clothes today and forever! Amen. DM
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Sunday, October 12th
The Method or
our Sanctification and the
Effect of our Union with Christ
Ephesians 1:18 and I Corinthians 2:12
Real faith
triggers action; i.e., the more faith we exercise the more spiritual
action becomes a part of our every day experience with Christ. Sanctification,
the same as salvation, is all of God; we can do nothing to gain or earn
it, but as God reveals Himself to us, He expects us to conform to the
things we are learning. Therefore, in our sanctification we are in a
responsive mode rather than an aggressive mode. Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding
being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling,
and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
The "enlightening" referred to above is
from the Holy Spirit as we read and study the Scriptures. The Bible is
often referred to as a "mirror" reflecting back to the reader
the impurities in his or her life.
"Our union with Christ is:
a. Participating in Christ's merits. Christ's
perfect righteousness is imputed to the believer and he is thereby
justified. He is introduced into a state of grace, and rejoices in the
hope and glory of God. Sin no longer holds us away from God, but we
have access to the Throne of God and we are translated from the kingdom
of darkness (Satan's dominion) into the glorious liberty of the sons of
God. Instead of an outcast, a slave under condemnation we become a
child of God, assured of His love, tenderness, and care. We have passed
from death unto life and from darkness into light.*
b. Another consequence of the union with
Christ and effected by Christ is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is available to us because
Christ sent Him to abide in us, to direct our every action and deed.
John 15 gives us an illustration. Christ is the vine and we are the
branches. The branches are fed nourishment from the Vine, and we become
fruitful. In Colossians
2:19 we have another
illustration, He is the Head and we are the body. As the head gives
directions to the body it responds, even so, as Christ directs via the
Holy Spirit we are progressively sanctified."* RJS
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Monday, October 13th
The Indwelling
of the Spirit of God
Revelation 3:20
Our text refers to our Lord's desire for
fellowship with His people. The picture is of a corrupt and apostate
church. Jesus Christ is without seeking fellowship with faithful folk.
Our Lord does not work through compulsion. If we would fellowship with
Him, we must open the door to fellowship. This picture has great
application to our spiritual lives.
God cannot fellowship with darkness. If we
would fellowship with Him we must open our hearts to His Spirit. When
the Spirit of God comes into our hearts, we are married to Christ. In
the book of Ephesians, the union of the husband and wife are compared
to our union with Christ. Ephesians
5:30-32 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his
bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This
is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
As God provides for the perpetuation of the race through the union of
husband and wife, He provides for our righteousness and eternal life
through our union with Him.
In
other words, for our redemption to be possible, we must be united with
Christ. It is a spiritual union. We read about it in 1 Corinthians 12:12,13 12 For as the body is
one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be
bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
The result of this union is new life with new desires. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have
become new. Our salvation is then secure, for just as good is more powerful
than evil, the goodness of Jesus Christ will work within us to
accomplish our sanctification. Through the Spirit of God, we are
empowered to understand spiritual things. Before the Spirit of God
dwells in our hearts, we are blind to our own sin and spiritually dead.
This is a supernatural work. It goes far beyond education and
self-control. These can be accomplished without God. Salvation, on the
other hand, includes sanctification and glorification, and salvation is
of the Lord. DW
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Tuesday, October 14th
God calls the Graces of His
people into Exercise
vs. Sacraments of means of Grace
Ephesians 2:13;
Philippians 1:9
God our Creator
and Savior, who is All-knowing, All-present, and All-powerful, knows
each and every person who has ever been and who will ever be. In God's
infinite wisdom, we know that, 2
Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men
count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Seriously, God has the very best plan for every person, but God also
allows every person their own free will, their very own choice. Truly,
as Born-again Christians, God challenges each one to walk and exercise
the very things that God's Spirit shows them from His Word. These
include repentance, submission, confidence, self-denial, patience,
meekness, faith, hope, and love. God tests our choices with these
graces every day to see if we will actually follow and obey Him out of
our love for what He has done for us. God actually calls every
Christian to labor and to suffer for the advancement of His kingdom. It
is the obedient Christian, out of undying love for Christ that will
work unselfishly and will even suffer, often to the point of physical
death, to be in the service of the King of Kings! Sadly, there are many
professing people, claiming to be Christians, who will not do things
God's way. Rather, they do a lot of religious things in the name of
God, but only "good from a human perspective," out their own
self will and what they sinfully think God would allow them, based upon
all their own righteousness. Isaiah
64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do
fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
There are many professing people who miss the truth of God's Word, by
thinking that through their works, God would
have to accept them. Dear folks, that is a lie
straight from the pit of Hell. These disillusioned people think that
they can dictate to God, and somehow make God do their will. God
instead wants us to, Hebrews
10:24-26 ...consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as
ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully
after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.
Amen. DM
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Wednesday, October 15th
The Kingly
Office of Christ
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only personality
that holds all three offices in the Scriptures, Prophet, Priest and
King. Several others held two offices but no one held three. In His
kingly office, He not only reigns over His people, but also subdues
them unto Himself. He rules, defends, restrains and conquers all that
are His.*
The enemies of Christians are both inward and
outward. They are three in number, the world, the flesh, and the Devil:
1. The world is made up of our peers,
the humanistic society in which we live and the attractions that lead
the flesh to succumb to sinful desires. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world. 1 John 2:16
2.
The sins of the flesh are recorded in
Galations 5:19-21 as well as other
references. There are
several other catalogues of sin found in the Bible, but this one will
suffice to show us just how despicable the flesh is.
3. The devil tempts us with same three
temptations he used on our Savior as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11. Many times we
want to blame the devil for things we do and are not willing to
recognize that it is the gratification of the flesh and not the devil.
"Whenever the Christian fails, his
failure is either in resisting temptation or in the discharge of known
duties. When we fail, it is either self-confidence or from neglecting
to call upon our ever present King, who is always ready to protect and
deliver those who put their trust in Him."* It is advisable, on
our part, to begin our day in prayer for guidance and protection. The
Psalmist said: O GOD, Thou
art my God; early in the morning will I seek thee: for my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth
for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. Psalm 63:1 When the
Christian runs his race, as Paul did, "looking unto Jesus;"
he is then living by faith in the Son of God. When our eyes are fixed
on Christ as our example and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in
every decision and activity, then we will soon notice that our spiritual
life is blooming and prospering. That is the secret of true
sanctification and becoming more like our Savior. RJS
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Friday, October 16th
Evidence of
Sanctification
James 2:14-17,
26
I like the
illustration we find in our text. A dead person has everything we have
except life. He has eyes, but he cannot see. He has ears, but he cannot
hear. He has feet, but he cannot walk. Our text speaks of one dead as
being without their spirit.
Good works are an important evidence of salvation. By good works we are
talking about deeds that in motive and action are what the law demands.
In this sense, lost people cannot do anything genuinely good. The main
inward motive of a lost person is for self. It is only as we partake of
spiritual life that we can love God first and others equally. The
indwelling Spirit of God insures that we will do good works.
Now we need to be cautious here. In a sense because of our sin nature,
the best of our good works are polluted by sin. For our deeds to be
perfect as the law demands there can be nothing in the act or the agent
that the law condemns. Before our glorification, such perfect works are
impossible. However, that does not mean that the Spirit of God cannot
work in us and through us to bring forth-good works. It only means that
being polluted by sin, these good works cannot fully conform to the
demands of holiness.
In particular, the fruit of the Spirit ought to be evident in the life
of those who believe. Galatians
5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23
gentleness, self-control... The book of James speaks of
demonstrating love by helping one that is naked and hungry. In other
words, if we are content to sit by and do nothing in the face of
glaring physical needs, our hearts are lacking in grace. As God works
on this earth, He works though our hearts, our hands, and our
possessions. The lives of those who have the Spirit of God in their
hearts will reflect the grace and mercy of God. Grace is undeserved
favor. We give of ourselves to those who do not deserve it. Mercy is
withholding the demand for justice to those who deserve condemnation.
The heart of God is full of grace and mercy. Therefore, the hearts of
those who are indwelled by the Spirit of God manifest grace and mercy.
DW
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Doctrines of Good Works
Ezekiel 18:1-32
Can we be accepted by God, (who is perfectly righteous and who will
judge and punish all sin) solely based upon our good works? Ephesians 2:8,9 For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
There are unfortunately some churches and some people who do not
believe God's Word and will say that we can do some kind of good work
that God will have to accept, but it is impossible that any person or church
could hold to this kind of thinking, unless they first degrade the very
Words of God and limit or add to it some other sinful idea. What these
sinful people are saying is contrary to God's Word when they say that
there are some sins that are not really sin. Is that right? Is that not an argument from the very beginning when Satan,
the Father of Liars told Eve that God did not really mean what He
said? How foolish for any person to believe in these lies and yet it is
so. In fact, many good, moral, upstanding folks miss the very truths of
God's Holy Word, simply by not obeying, Matthew 4:4 ...every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God. These kind of people are known
as, 2 Peter 3:16,17 ...they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye
therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye
also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. If we change the
definitions of God's Word to fit our own selfish and sinful ideas, we
are guilty to the very point of eternal damnation. The simple fact is, that God has called us to obey Him fully. Matthew 10:37-39 He that loveth
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy
of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross,
and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it:
and he that loseth his life for my sake shall
find it. The law of Christ demands total devotion to
Him! There is no room for those that would twist God's Word for their
own selfish gain, no matter how self-righteous they may be. God will
not be dictated to, by any church, or person. It we truly love Him, we
will obey Him. John 15:14 Ye are
my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
"Dear
Heavenly Father, help us to obey You fully from a humbled heart.
Amen." DM
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Saturday, October 18th
The Fruit of
the Spirit in Believers
Ephesians 2:10
For we
are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Eph. 2:10 These nine facets of the Fruit of the Spirit are
like unto the sparkling facets of a perfectly cut diamond. The first
three (love, joy and peace) are our relationship to God. The second
three (longsuffering, gentleness and goodness) are our relationship to
others. The third three (faith, meekness and temperance) are our
relationship to self, Gal.
5:22-23. The works of the children of God, although
they be stained with sin are true and good because:
1. They are, as to
their nature, commanded of God,
2. The motive
behind these good works are to glorify God and not self.
3. They are
performed with the will of complying with God's will and honoring
Christ by promoting the interests of His kingdom.*
Our text verse, (Eph. 2-10) speaks of good
works after our salvation. It
in no way refers to good works to earn our Salvation or to appease God.
There are many of the world's religions, and even some churches that
teach our admittance into heaven is according to our good works, NOT
SO! Years ago I heard a preacher say, and this is a loose quote, that
"God keeps two books in heaven. The first one records our good
works and the second records our bad or evil works. When we die, God
adds the two columns and the one that has the most entries determines
where we go after death, heaven or hell." If this were so, when would
I know I had done enough good works to get to heaven or go to hell
because the other column was longer than the first.
Many churches have a multitude of doctrines
and articles of faith that are not taught in the Scriptures. To do this
they have imposed upon the worshippers, authoritarian teachings that
are likened to the Pharisees, which Christ condemned. In so doing they
force these dogmas as infallible teachings upon the people in the pews.
If we put standards before Biblical Doctrine we are putting the cart
before the horse, so to speak. No works of the flesh will receive
rewards; they are tried with fire and cannot stand the heat. We won't
have rewards to present to Christ and will be embarrassed, as we stand
before Him, at the Bema Seat. RJS
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Sunday, October 19th
The Importance
of Righteousness in the Life
Titus 1:15, 16
It is sad, but
we live in a day where the mere profession of grace is believed to be
the possession of grace. Now for the purpose of fellowship, this is
necessary. We find where Jesus included Judas among even his closest
disciples. We cannot and we ought not judge
the profession of others, however, we must judge our own hearts. We
need to appreciate that good works have no part in our justification.
Our righteousness comes from God. We have no righteousness of our own.
Good works are the consequence of our justification and the Spirit of
God dwelling in our hearts. As sure as we are justified and the Spirit
of God dwells in our hearts, there will be important evidence of it in
our lives. Faith in God, which works by love, can and will purify the
heart.
There is no real difference on this teaching of justification by faith
since the time of the reformation. Some charge that this thinking
removes morality from faith. It does not. The same faith that works to
bring us to Christ in justification, works by love to give important
evidence of God's work in our heart and life. It is just that the evidence
flows from the work of God and not our effort. Our work in producing
the greatest outward evidence of salvation will fall short of the works
of grace. We cannot buy God's blessing with money or our hard work. We
must come to Christ in faith and faith includes submission to
righteousness.
A turning to Christ in faith necessitates a turning from sin to
righteousness. It is simply not possible to turn to God without turning
from sin to righteousness. Any other notions are absurd. It is as we
read in Ephesians 2:8-10 8 For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Good
works in the life, therefore, are a necessary part of salvation. The
entire epistle of I John is written along these lines. According to I
John we can come to the assurance of salvation through certain things
that ought to be a part of our lives. Consequently, if our lives are
lacking, our profession is suspect. DW
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Monday, October 20th
Antinomianism
Ezekiel 33:1-33
This is a word
that means anti-law, against rules. There are many people who are
against anything or anyone, including God, in telling them how they are
to live, period. All people are sinners and the unrepentant are going
to do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it. This is
the sad discourse of humanism and mankind as sinners. These people will
not obey God, nor those whom God has put over them as their authority,
whether it be parents, pastors, or government,
and ultimately Jesus Christ. In fact, God gives a clear warning to
those who profess to be Christians but will not obey: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the
unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.
Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,
nor sodomites,10 nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners
will inherit the kingdom of God.11 And such were some of you. But
you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. How does someone ever get
into this condition? It just does not make sense, but as we consider
the truths of God's Word we begin to understand quite simply, Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God. That is the simple answer. All men are sinners and from their
very nature will naturally rebel against God. That is why, Romans 5:8 ...God demonstrates His own love
toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We are hopelessly lost, condemned to eternal damnation, guilty before
the one True, Righteous God who is both Savior and Judge. He is able as
Savior, Hebrews 7:25 Therefore...to save to the uttermost those
who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession
for them. God as Judge, will bring sinners their
just reward. Revelation 20:12-15
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books
were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.
And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which
were written in the books.13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it,
and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they
were judged, each one according to his
works.14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is
the second death.15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life
was cast into the lake of fire. Amen. DM
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Relation of Good Works to
Reward
and Refutation of the Romish Doctrine
Romans 4:4-5
In order to set this devotional in history we
need to go back to 1517 and read what sent Martin Luther over the edge
and brought about the birth of the Lutheran Church. A Roman Priest by the name
of John Tetzel said, "As soon as your money hits the bottom
of this chest all past sins are forgiven and for more money you may
purchase an indulgence that will allow you to continue to sin and be
forgiven of them all." In other words, works was the
means of salvation. Unfortunately, several Protestant denominations
have incorporated this in their doctrines. According to my Bible,
salvation is of GRACE and grace alone. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should
boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We are created unto good works, not for salvation, but after salvation,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. No matter how many good works a former
"Saint" has performed, not one of their works can be
designated to me for my salvation or rewards. If every Christian is
convinced:
1) That he is unholy in the sight of God;
2) That all his best acts are polluted and
unholy in the sight of God.
3) That no one thing and at no time does he
come up to the standard of perfection.
4) it is impossible
that he can believe he merits eternal life on the grounds of his own
works.*
Solid Bible doctrine teaches that our
salvation is a gift from God, and if we are to accept it as a gift, not
because of what we are or what we merit, but because the only thing we
merit is Hell! Salvation is not progressive, but a one time act by God
through Jesus Christ's death on the cross. Sanctification is
progressive, and by that we mean, as we grow the great truths of the
Bible and put them into practice we are in the process of becoming more
like the Master. Don't stop short and think of Him only as your Savior,
but move forward and recognize Him as the Lord of your life. Take these
things to heart and grow in Him. RJS
Can God become
Indebted to Us?
Luke 17:7-10
Some early reformation scholars defined merit
in terms of works not due, works that are our own, works free from
defect in agent or act, works equal to the work done, and works due on
the basis of divine justice. The reformation under Luther sprouted over
the sale of indulgences. The idea of indulgences is based on the idea
of earning merit with God.
According to Luther's opponent Tetzel, the
church could grant grace earned by saints and extend them to anyone
based on a financial gift to the church. It ought to be obvious that it
is impossible for anyone to earn God's favor based on the criteria set
forth. Rather, our righteousness comes from Jesus Christ as a part of
divine grace. According to the principle of divine justice, all that
the very best of us deserve is damnation. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not
consumed the prophet Jeremiah declares.
Does not God reward righteousness and good works? Yes, but these
rewards are a matter of grace and not debt. As such, it is impossible
for any of us to have merit with God that would enable us to lay claim
to God's grace or even reward as a matter of debt. God invested the
life of His only son, Jesus Christ, in us. The gift is of infinite
value, because Jesus Christ is God and infinite. God will never get out
of us what He has invested in us. At our best we are unprofitable
servants. Yes, we owe God our all, but even if we all gave our all,
which could never happen, because it has not, there would be no debt or
profit.
Having said that, as a parent with a small child, God is delighted with
even the very least that we do for him. He will not let something as
simple as a cup of cold water go without
reward. If Adam would have kept himself free from sin and developed a
holy moral character, he would have merited eternal life. Sadly, he did
not, and being the sons of Adam, we are born touched by the pollution
of sin. This pollution stays with us throughout this life; if the act
is pure and from pure motive, it still flows through our flesh.
Therefore, good works in the sense of merit are impossible. Good works
in the sense of rewards is not only possible, but also our reasonable
service. It is hard to understand how anyone that has received grace
could stand before God empty-handed when it comes to reward. DW
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Perfectionism - Protestant Doctrine
Matthew 5:48
Therefore you
shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. These are
the words of Jesus Christ as He was setting a standard that was humanly
unattainable. This sums up what the law itself demanded. James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole
law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
Even though this standard is impossible to meet from our human
perspective, God could not lower it without compromising His own
perfection. He who is perfect could not set an imperfect standard of
righteousness. When we consider these truths, we begin to understand
that even the most mature believer has a need to daily pray for
forgiveness of his sins. Seriously, do we really love God with our whole
heart? If we are honest, we would willingly admit that we fail
miserably. Unfortunately, there are some who claim that there are
different degrees of justification. That we can somehow become perfect
without God. That somehow the God of love from the Bible does not
really mean what He says, but folks, if we cannot believe the Bible in
it's most simplest of statements that, "the wages of sin is death,"
and "Being justified
through our Lord Jesus Christ," then we cannot
believe anything from it. We both take and believe it all from God's
perspective, or we must reject it completely, as a whole. There is no
middle ground in justification. A person is either justified from sin
or he is not. A person is either saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, or
he is not. A person either obeys the Word of God in sanctification, or
he is not justified. God will accomplish His work in a person, if that
person is truly saved. God abhors lukewarmness.
Revelation 3:16 So then, because
you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will
vomit you out of My mouth. In fact, 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
And, James 3:2 For in many
things we offend all... The marvelous truth of the
gospel is that Christ has met this righteous standard on our behalf. We
must fully trust Him. He is the perfect one. We are utter sinners.
God's plan involves Christ's blood being shed to cleanse us from sin.
We can only repent and submit; that is all, and even that through the
power of God the Holy Spirit. Someday true believers will be like
Christ for they shall see Him as He is. Perfect!
"Oh Great God of
Heaven and Earth, guide us in Your righteousness! How we p |
