Romans 8:9-13 "Mortify the Deeds of the Body"
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· 3 viewsIn the sanctification process, believers have a passive and an active role to play. God is doing a work, and we humanely are to cooperate and fulfill our role, as touched on in Romans 8.
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Transcript
Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!
Thank you Marchinho and Jean for share with us today… and for your dedication to Jesus and missions work with Missionary Athletes International.
Church… I hope hearing from long-term missionaries serving in other parts of the world is helpful.
Missions a special calling… and I hope you have a chance to talk with these guys further after the message today.
Well, let’s now continue in our study through Romans. Please open your Bibles to Romans 8. Romans 8:9-13 today.
In chapters 6-8 of Romans… Paul addresses believers and focuses on the topic of sanctification.
Chapter 6 tell us WHAT sanctification looks like in our lives…
… moving from being dead in sin and slaves of sin… to being alive to God and slaves of God.
Chapter 6 pictures a Christian stuck in habitual sin… a carnal Christian… but still saved, just in the earliest phase of sanctification.
Where initial moral changes occur… morality is being reoriented from loving sin to loving righteousness.
Chapter 7 then reveals the WHO of sanctification… Jesus Christ.
Many Christians struggle in victorious Christian living… because they try to adhere to some sort of law or principles to sanctify themselves by their own strength… to save them from the power of sin.
They know what they are supposed to do… through the law… but fail in doing it… and even do the opposite.
Paul’s personal frustration with this led him to cry out… “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
This was Paul’s surrender cry where he looked outside of himself for deliverance… and He looked to Jesus Christ.
And, then in Chapter 8 the Holy Spirit is brought front and center… Chapter 8 tells us HOW to live the Christian Life victoriously.
This chapter highlights the Christian who is an overcomer…
Living victorious through walking according to the Spirit… the positional mindset…
Knowing we are not condemned even though we sin…
We are not condemned not by God… and nor should we condemn ourselves… because of our position of being in Christ.
Now… and this is important… if last week you walked away thinking, “Great, I’m in Christ… I’m walking according to the Spirit… THEREFORE I have no responsibility in my sanctification.”
If you walked away with that impression… sorry… perhaps I should have concluded it’s a ‘to be continued’ story…
For as we continue to read Paul’s epistle… Paul provides examples of OUR role in sanctification…
Sanctification is both passive and active. Last week we focused on us trusting God to sanctify us…
This is the passive role we play… as we trust in Jesus and are justified… God works beginning the sanctification process… which is His divine initiative… and it begins with grace and giving us the Holy Spirit.
This is reflected in verses like 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely...”
Today, we focus on the other side of the coin… which is our active role… our human cooperation with God’s work… our good works… not to earn salvation, but to nurture it.
It’s important for us to trust God to sanctify us…
To ‘set your minds on the things of the Spirit’… and to ‘live according to the Spirit’… positionally…
And, for us to be actively involved in our sanctification through works.
And, one such action is reflected in our message title today which reflects V13… “Mortify the Deeds of the Body.”
It’s a very necrotic title, but appropriate… as you’ll see.
Let’s Pray!
In reverence for God’s word, please stand as I read our passage.
Romans 8:9-13 “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Praise God for His word! Please be seated!
Picking up in V9… Paul is building upon his thoughts from V1.
Truly… vv 1-11 center on this idea contrasting life in the Spirit vs. life in the flesh… how we are delivered from the flesh BY the power of the Spirit.
Backing up to V1 for some context…
Paul addressed that there is no condemnation… not from God because believers are positionally in Christ Jesus…
Justified by faith… and declared righteous before God.
No condemnation in the sense of NOT being eternally separate from God (which is a promise for believers because Jesus paid the price for our sins through His death on the cross)… as Paul established in vv 3-4.
Now… I want to mention… No condemnation does NOT mean NO Judgment…
This is an important distinction… because believers will be judged by Christ… at the Bema Seat of Christ (which we are going to discuss in a moment).
Some believers misinterpret verses like we are going to see in a moment… and… in error… think works is a requirement for justification.
Good works is a big part of our message today… works is a part of our active role in sanctification… and works determines rewards in heaven.
BUT… works is NOT part of Justification…
You can still get to heaven without works… but the other saints may have to extinguish the fire on your coattail as you enter heaven.
SO, while believers are not condemned to hell like unbelievers.
Believers ARE held accountable and will stand before Christ to give an account of themselves…
Jesus spoke about this in the Parable of the Ten Minas… in Luke 19.
The King will return and will require an account from His servants. He left and said “Do business till I come.”
And, there is an expectation to be busy about Kingdom business.
One day we will all give an account to him about our work and for the very motives behind our work… for our of for His glory.
The Bible refers to this yet future time where believers stand before the Lord as the “Judgment Seat of Christ” or the “Bema Seat Judgment of Christ.”
Which is different from the “Great White Throne Judgement” for unbelievers at the end of Jesus’ 1000 Year reign (pictured in Rev 20:11-15).
2 Corinthians 5:10 states, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
Rom 14:10 also mentions believers standing before the judgment seat of Christ…
You can see on the slides a model of one such Judgment Seat… and then an archeological site in Corinth where you can visit a Bema Seat.
The Judgment Seat is translated into Gk as “bēma”… which was a raised platform… used by orators in lawa courts… used as a tribunal for courts to pass judgment.… and… very interesting… for judges to view athletic games.
It was not a place to reprimand athletes, but a place to ensure rules were followed… and to present awards to victors.
And, this last illustration corresponds nicely with the Christian experience when we will stand before Christ.
And, shortly after the rapture… Christian victors will receive rewards…
The bible speaks about believers receiving “crowns” … the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life.
A Gk. “Stephanos” Crown… a Grecian victors crown or wreath…
NOT a Kingly crown… which is the Gk word “diadem.”
And, very interesting… BEFORE the Tribulation begins in Rev 6…
There is a heavenly scene in Rev 4 and the Twenty-Four Elders (who many scholars picture as the Raptured Church)…
They take their stephanos crowns… and cast their crowns before the throne of honoring Jesus for He is worthy and He created all things. (Rev 4:10-11).
1 Corinthians 3:11–15 also pictures the Bema Seat Judgment and states, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Salvation is NOT is question at the Bema Seat Judgment.
As we read in Romans 8… believers are secure in Christ… there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1)
But, we still must appear before Christ’s Judgment Seat.
Scholar Arthur Pink on 1 Cor 3 wrote, “‘Gold, silver, precious stones’ are of intrinsic value, whereas ‘wood, hay, stubble’ are a natural growth.”
God weighs our work… it’s origin… and the work has to withstand the test. Works that have a natural source will “suffer loss.”
What did we do with the resources God gave us?
How faithful were we with following His will?
Did we yield to the Spirit, seeking to honor Christ and further His work in the world?
If so, reward… but if not…
If we neglected opportunities to serve the Lord… we suffer the loss of reward.
All of this is an important reminder… especially in light of some of the key points today of our role in Sanctification.
Just as we have an active role in sanctification… which we will get to.
So too do we have an active role in the eternal rewards we will receive at the Bema Seat of Christ.
The King commands… “Do business”… lit. “busy oneself” until I come.
The King is coming… and I’d encourage you to be prayerful and mindful of what Kingdom business is He calling you to do?
Finishing up our context recap… in vv 5-8… Paul laid out a ‘do’ and a ‘don’t’ regarding mindest…
In V5… we are to ‘set our minds on things of the Spirit’ and not on the ‘things of the flesh’… the things of the world… distractions that pull from spiritual mindedness.
Carnal minded leads to death… IS enmity or hostility toward God… and cannot please God.
Whereas… a mind set on and living according to the Spirit… is life and peace… and is pleasing to God.
And, as we look at our active role in the Sanctification process today… Paul draws to attention the importance of our mindset…
Knowing that we are positionally in Christ… and living in a manner reflective of our position in Christ… such as NOT setting one’s mind on the things of the flesh… which is NOT pleasing to God as Paul stated in V8.
Then… picking up in V9, Paul continues explaining the condition of the believer who is empowered to live in the Spirit… V9 “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
Based on the grammar… that first “if” could be rendered “since”… “since indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.”
Paul is assuming he is addressing believers who are in-dwelt by the Houly Spirit… and as such they are not controlled by the sin nature, but led by the Holy Spirit.
I think it’s worthy to note that Paul will mention the Holy Spirit ‘dwelling in you’ (believers)… here in this verse and twice more in V11…
It’s an important note because being filled with the Spirit is not a denominational bent.
“I don’t know about being filled with the Spirit Pastor Marc. I’m not real comfortable with that. I like church to be decent and orderly… and those Spirit filled Christians… well let’s just say they’re on the wild side.”
If that’s what you think… you may need to rethink what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
Paul is not talking about running up and down isles and barking like dogs. Being filled with the Spirit is the NORMAL Christian experience.
In fact in the latter part of V9 Paul writes that a person who does not have the Holy Spirit is not His… that an unsaved… unregenerate person… and NOT who Paul is addressing.
Some people have wrestled with the idea of being born again… “I’m a Christian, but not one of those born again Christians.”
Friend… you need to get biblical. In John 3, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
And, then Jesus repeated, “You must be born again.”
What people are actually saying in ignorance is, “I’m not hyper charismatic. I don’t want to be associated with hyper Pentecostals.”
Nor do I, but I am born again… and I am a Spirit filled believer because THAT’s BIBLICAL terminology.
Do you know who else was Spirit filled? Jesus was.
If you notice the terminology in Rom 8:9… Paul writes that believers are “in the Spirit”… then defines that as the “Spirit of God” (The Holy Spirit)… and at the end of V9, Paul writes this is the “Spirit of Christ.”
Which not only gives you some sense of the tri-unity of God, but also indicates the same Holy Spirit who filled Jesus Christ (the Spirit of Christ) is the same Holy Spirit who fills ALL Christians.
And, the filling and leading of Jesus by the Holy Spirit is seen in many Bible verses… from His conception to His resurrection…
In conception, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Most High overshadowed her… (Lk 1:35)…
The Holy Spirit was involved in Jesus’ very life.
At Jesus’ baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus and rested on Him (Luke 3:21-22 and the other three Gospels as well).
Which is probably the most explicit moment in scripture of Jesus being filled with the Spirit.
Right after His baptism in Luke 4:1 we read, “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness”…
Post-baptism, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, and led by Him into the temptation.
Post temptation by the Devil… Luke 4:14 reads, “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee...”
When Jesus drove out demons He linked the power to the Holy Spirit… Matthew 12:28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Peter reflected upon Jesus and said in Acts 10:38 “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power...”
The authority Jesus had when teaching Scripture is often linked with being Holy Spirit inspired though not explicitly stated.
We’ll read in Romans 8:11 “… the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you...”
The Holy Spirit played a role in the resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus clearly was filled with the Holy Spirit… who is the power behind the life that Jesus lived…
Jesus was not concerned with the term “Spirit filled” … and didn’t link being filled with the Holy Spirit to any denominational bent…
And, neither should we. It’s an invention of man.
And so I would encourage you… if you’re struggling with the terminology of being a “Spirit filled believer”…
Try to shift your mind-set from this being a term reflecting a hyper-Charismatic Christian to this being a biblical term.
If you’re not “Spirit-filled”… you’re not a Christian.
As we read in V9… the Spirit of God dwells in you. That’s an assumption Paul held for every knee that has bowed to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Then, in V10 Paul continues, “And if [or since] Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
In faith… you were justified and declared righteous… and you are being sanctified…
Christ is in you… you are in union with Christ… you are in dwelt by the Holy Spirit…
And, even though you will physically die because of sin…
Which probably looks back to Adam and through sin he would die… Gen 2:17… and introduce death to all mankind.
And, though we are subject to death… for sure physically…
And, if you live bound by sin… spiritually…
But, NOT when we are in Christ.
Because when we are in Christ… the Spirit gives us life…
We are freed from the penalty of sin… we are given power to overcome sin now in life… and sin will be altogether eradicated in death.
All grace through faith and because of imputed righteousness.
You have been made right with God.
Which is our own resurrection miracle… we once were dead and now we are alive.
Which Paul pictures in V11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
One Scholar called this an “even better promise.” Chapter 8 of Romans is a definite mountain top experience for any Christian.
Out of the valley of struggle of Romans 7… and now ascending the mountain of Romans 8 with all it’s overcoming promises… achieved by the work of the Holy Spirit.
We who felt the pang of death in our life… God promises spiritual resurrection life now…
And this verses gives us a strong support for the future physical resurrection of believers as Paul often wrote about (1 Cor. 6:14; 15:42, 53; 2 Cor. 4:14).
Which points to the promise of our glorified bodies… the final act of our redemption.
These are wonderful promises to soak in and let permeate your minds.
When you understand your position in Christ… and understand the amazing work of the Holy Spirit working in our lives as pictured in vv 9-11…
And, understand that He is working and accomplishing sanctification in our lives… which gives us power over sin…
Our old man was dead in sin… and now we live alive to God…
We are being conformed into the image of Christ… I love that because I read about Jesus… and I’ve experienced the goodness of God in my own life…
And, I know who I was prior to Christ… and I say ‘yes and Amen’ to being more like Jesus and less like me.
May He increase and me decrease… all day and every day.
And, the blessings and promises of God stretch beyond this lifetime into eternity face to face with a loving God…
That’s a glorious hope!
And, in preparation for that time… we are being sanctified… and our final two verses for today… reflect aspects of our role in sanctification… a huge topic which we will survey in closing.
But, Paul continues in this epistle… vv12-13 “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
As mentioned earlier… sanctification is accomplished both passively and actively… both through God’s divine work… and through our human cooperation…
In my studies, I read in a Systematic Theology book… that the chief means of sanctification, for Protestants… are word and ordinances.
This struck me… I mean I think we all know the word of God is rich with passages that link the word to sanctification… but ordinances as well… namely baptism and communion… too… play a role in our active role for sanctification.
Let’s look at the word first.
A favorite passage of mine… my favorite prayer in Scripture is Jesus’ High Priestly prayer… John 17.
And when Jesus prayed in John 17:17 He placed confidence in God’s word to sanctify. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
Through teaching, preaching, and reading of the word of God… we are being sanctified.
There are many things you can set your mind upon… in reading the word… you set your mind on things above…
You wash yourself with the word… it cleanses your mind.
Psalm 119:9 reads “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.”
I need this. My mind is very active. In the morning I take in a chapter in the OT… a chapter in the NT… and a Psalm or a Proverb.
Over the years… when I am driving… or doing a project outdoors… or butchering a deer (which I do quite enjoy)… during these moments when I am doing something where my mind does not need all it’s capacities to focus on a task at hand…
In those rare moments… as a guy… when my brain can multi-task…
When I’m mentally in cruise control… I like to fill my mind with sermons… Bible teachings to take in Scripture.
I sometimes like music… I sometimes like podcasts… but overwhelmingly I find a greater benefit in being washed by the water of the word.
I need this!
I’ve met some people… who seem to have the holiness gene… and always carry a pleasant disposition…
I think wild thoughts like they must have grown up in a loving Christian family… where they only played Bible Monopoly.
When they got the rights to someone else’s property… they just gave it all back.
Happily they played the game forever.
Maybe you’ve met a person like this where it just seems like they have special favor with God?
But, I’m not so sure that’s true.
It may just be that they have so set their minds on things above and the walk according to the Spirit…
That what we observe is fruit of the Spirit.
They are an embodiment of the truth of sanctification.
And, we could truly take a deep dive into scripture looking a a number of passages that provide practical examples for sanctification… from the way we think… to how we behave in Christian living.… and the fruits of the Spirit.
And, we will survey a few of those today…
But, let’s start by looking at two examples of our part in sanctification… going back to what we just read in Romans 8:12-13.
Notice in V12… Paul uses that key word “therefore”… looking back to the first eleven verses of Chapter 8… which highlighted being delivered from the flesh by the power of the Spirit…
And, therefore… because of that blessing… actively we should recognize that “we are debtors- not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.”
That sin nature remains in us… but we are not indebted to the flesh which is in rebellion to God.
We have a debt to God… to live according to the Spirit.
I like how Dr. Constable simply wrote, “Because of what God has done for us (vv. 1-11) believers have an obligation to respond to Him appropriately. However we can only do so with the Spirit's help. Paul stated only the negative side of our responsibility here. He could have gone on to say "… but to God, to live according to the Spirit."
A debtor by def. is one “one who owes”… “one under obligation”… “one who is in any way bound.”
And we do have a debt to pay…
You’ve heard it said, “Jesus came to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.”
And, that’s the debt of sin. In our sin, it was impossible for us to be reconciled to God… to earn our salvation… to be declared righteous by our good works.
So, Jesus served as a substitute to atone for our sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 states, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
That’s quite the debt. How could we ever pay Him back for all He has done for us?
I think back to the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet at Simon the Pharisees house.
She anointed Jesus’ feet with a very costly alabaster flask of oil… and washed His feet with her tear and her hair. And, she kissed His feet.
Quite the posture of humility… quite the offering (a tremendous financial sacrifice)… and quite the motive of love and honor for Jesus… for she knew she was indebted to Him.
Simon the Pharisee thought to himself, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
To which Jesus told the Parable of Two Debtors. A creditor freely forgave two debtors… one who owed much and the other a little.
And, Jesus asked Simon, “Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
“Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
Jesus said he rightly judged… and contrasted Simon to the woman… and profoundly in Luke 7:47 Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.””
Of all the ways that we can pay back Jesus for the debt we owe… I would suggest that there is no better way then to truly love Him.
In a heart full of love… good works will follow.
And, let me warn you… so often when we consider sanctification… and we meditate upon good works and our active role in sanctification…
And, we get into our American posture of work ethic… we think… I just need to do more.
But, my warning is this… it’s the same warning that Jesus extended to the church of Ephesus…
Revelation 2:2–4 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
For all their good works… their devoted service… their stand against evil… to which Jesus commended them for…
He rebuked them for losing sight of Him in the midst of all their busyness.
Don’t make this error.
Is your heart full of love for Jesus in your works?
When you spend time in His word… is it an obligation… or because you love Him and want to know Him?
When you serve here in church… or in the community… are you paying your debt out of obligation…
Or do you love Jesus so much that you would stoop down and with humble tears wash His feet with your hair… sacrificing your pride… offering up your dignity… and pouring the oil of your life savings out to honor him?
He who is forgiven much loves much.
We are debtors… be sure to return your love to Him who paid it all for you.
And, then in the following verse… V13 or Romans 8, Paul again writes, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Paul warns that any Christian who does not live according to the Spirit, but according to the flesh will die.
We need this constant reminder because sin is a Trojan Horse.
It lies dormant in the city of our heart and mind… waiting for the right moment when we are asleep and then it destroy us.
It displaces our first love. And, if it can it will physically end us.
And while Christian cannot be killed spiritually by sin (as in eternal separation from God)… as we read in Romans 8:1 that we are not under condemnation…
Paul warns against living according to the flesh…
Galling back into carnal Christianity carries grave consequences in this lifetime… even leading up to death…
But, a loss of Salvation is not pictured in this verse.
Still it’s a fire you do NOT want to play with.
And, so at the end of this verse, Paul uses very strong language…
Language which is an application to our active role in sanctification…
“… put to death the deeds of the body...”
“Put to death” in Gk. is thanatoō… it’s root word is thanatos… meaning death… which has been shortened to Thanos… like seen in the name for the Marvel villian.
Most Bible translations read this verse “… put to death the deeds [or the misdeeds] of the body...”
One version reads, “put to death the deeds of your sinful nature… “
But, about every translation that reads “put to death” falls short… in my opinion… of the strength of the message Paul is conveying.
Only the King James… in the Old English lays down a word that conveys in one word the strength of the action we should be taking… in part… to pay back the debt we owe from V12…
And that word is “Mortify”… King James reads V13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
Nothing quite captures the strength like “mortify the deeds of the body.”
It’s a powerful word. Pastor Damien Kyle suggested if he were to ever start a Christian… I think he said, “punk metal” band… he would call it “Mortify.”
And, he said it like that… “Mortify.”
There’s a quote that goes something like, “The ruthless requirement of sin must be met with ruthlessness with sin.”
And Paul calls Christian to “give no quarter”… show no mercy to our opponent… sin… and expect none in return.
But mortify the deeds of the body. Which is written in the present tense suggesting this is not a one and done action, but the necessity of continually mortifying the deeds of the flesh.
Colossians 3:5 reads, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
Day-by-day… we must make a conscious decision to choose good… or we may be subject to evil.
Evil is a strong word, but any action or mindset that is not in alignment with a holy God… is evil.
So… in our active sanctification… we are to live according to the Spirit and live. This in part pays back our debt to Christ…
Our bodies are to be controlled in a way that is set apart/ holy… and honorable.
1 Thessalonians 4:4 instructs, “… each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor… ”
And, as promised… let’s wrap up looking quickly at some other verses in the word that instruct us practically in ways we actively play a part in our sanctification… and then looking at the ordinances of baptism and communion in sanctification.
I’m going to fire off some key verses pertaining to sanctification… and our instructions in either the positive (do this)… or negative (don’t do this)…
And, this is merely a survey… not an exhaustive list… here we go…
1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;”
Sanctification is God’s will for us… and Paul draws a stern warning against one of the key acts that leads to NOT walking according to the Spirit… which is sexual immorality.
How tight a snare has this been to MANY Christians down through the ages?
Paul’s first words when we enter the application section of Romans. Romans 12:1 “… present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
God calls us to choose how we will live for Him… and our lives should reflect holiness… a life yielded to holiness and the Holy Spirit.
Sanctify means “to make holy, to consecrate, or to separate (to set apart).”
In Hebrews 12:14 we read, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:”
Instead of ‘pursue’… other translations read “work at” or “strive for” or “make every effort to...”
Our lives should be marked by the pursuit of peace and holiness.
There should be all kinds of good works in our lives… because we are debtors to Christ.
As James wrote in James 1:22 “… be doers of the word, and not hearers only… ”
There should be an outflow of our faith… NOT to earn salvation, but because we are justified.
As Paul wrote in Phil 2:12 “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling...”
Not work for, but work out the salvation God already gave… put salvation (specifically sanctification) into daily practice…
Commune with God in prayer… worship… service… repentance…
Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
And, in light of Jesus’ commandments and sanctification… two of Jesus’ commands He left for Christians to follow are the ordinances of baptism and communion.
Baptism is a sanctifying experience because in it we symbolically identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ… putting to death the old man are living anew spiritually.
Baptism symbolizes a cleansing and consecration from sin… which is closely related to sanctification.
If you have not been baptized, there is a form you can fill out our website under the “connect” tab.
And, communion… which we are going to take today.
In communion we remember the Lord… and our union with Him.… and the New Covenant is reaffirmed.
AND… we examine ourselves.
Communion is a purifying experience through self examination and confession to the Lord.
Communion is both a means and a reminder of sanctification.
Keep this in mind at we take communion today.
Worship team please come.
As we’ve looked at sanctification today… there is an active and passive role we play.
God is doing a work… and we are to rest in our position in Christ.
This is our passive role… but we must be careful not to over-emphasize this and become subject to spiritual laziness and neglect spiritual disciplines… which will result in spiritual immaturity.
At the same time, we should not over-emphasize our active role which can lead to legalism, pride, and self-righteousness… which results in a joyless Christian life.
There is a balance in our pursuit of sanctification and holiness… never forgetting that the Holy Spirit empowers us… and not losing sight of our first love… Jesus Christ.
When we get this right… we live a healthy, mature and victorious Christian life… that reflects the nature of God.
Let’s Pray!
Well… appropriate to this message on sanctification… let’s not take communion in remembrance of the Lord.
1 Cor 11:23-29 “...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”
Please distribute the elements...
Communion is a time for us to look three directions…
We look back remembering Jesus’ sacrifice… His broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins.
His new covenant. Salvation by faith and in grace.
Look forward in hope of His imminent return… we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. He is coming.
And, looking inward to examine ourselves… to take communion in a worthy manner.
Time to do business with God.
Once you have prayed… take the communion elements individually.
Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.
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If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord...
...either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option...
…first accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today.
Our Elders will be up front to guide you in a prayer of faith… to confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
… then take communion.
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