A7.10 – FOUNDATIONS OF SANCTIFICATION
For any building to stand tall and be able to withstand any sort of torrential downpour, the foundation must not only be deep but also strong and firm. A new believer who dies immediately after conversion will enter heaven just like the case of one of the criminals nailed on the cross along with Jesus Christ. But every other believer must live a sanctified Christian life until his/her last breath on earth before he/she can enter heaven. In other words, every believer must ‘work out his or her salvation with fear and trembling’ before he/she can make it to heaven at last. As a believer, you must live a sanctified life in this world to make it to heaven. The following are the foundations of a sanctified life:
NUMBER 1 FOUNDATION OF SANCTIFICATION
– GENUINE REPENTANCE
a) Genuine repentance is not the same thing as making resolutions, Resolution usually leads to reformation of character in one aspect and degeneration in another aspect of one’s life, thereby merely exchanging sin for sin, Judges 10:15-16
Examples of false repentance are:
i Hypocritical Prophet Balaam, Re 2:14
ii Covetous Achan, Josh 7:20-21
iii Traitor Judas Iscariot, Matt 27:3-5
iv Hardened Pharaoh, Ex 9:27-28
b) Genuine repentance is the complete change of mind from sin unto God. Ps 119:59-60
c) Genuine repentance involves deep conviction about the evil of sin and the necessity to make one’s way right before God, Acts 2:37-38
d) Genuine repentance involves godly sorrow, caused by the Holy Spirit, which spurs up determination to turn from sinful ways and turn unto God, 2 Cor 7:10
e) Genuine repentance involves inward turning from sin, seeking for pardon and acceptance of forgiveness from God, Ps 51:5-13
f) Genuine repentance involves deep contrition and grief of the soul that leads to total renunciation of old sinful life and starting to live in the newness of life in Christ, Isa 55:7
Examples of genuine repentance are:
i The Ninevites, Lk 11:32
ii The Prodigal son, Luke 15:18-20
iii The Publican, Luke 18:9-14
iv The thief on the cross, Luke 23:39-43
NUMBER 2 FOUNDATION OF SANCTIFICATION
– ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
a) Assurance of salvation is the full conviction that somebody is saved, Jn 3:14-18
b) It is the certainty that a believer’s sins are forgiven, and that he is justified and have the hope of eternal life, 1 Jn 3:2
c) Salvation is the deliverance from sin and its power. It is obtained by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and it involves confession of one’s sins and acceptance of God’s forgiveness. Rom 10:8-10
d) Assurance of salvation does not depend on feelings, health, circumstances, environment or state of our being but
i) Assurance of salvation depends on the Word of God, 1 John 3:1-2
ii) Assurance of salvation depends on the testimony of the Holy Spirit, 1 John 4:13
iii) Assurance of salvation depends on inward impression of peace with God, Gal 4:6
iv) Assurance of salvation depends on evidence of changed life whereby evil habits are changed to good, 2 Cor 5:17
v) Assurance of salvation depends on continuous desire to do the will of God, 1 John 2:3-5
vi) Assurance of salvation depends on love for fellowship with other believers, 1 John 1:7
vii) Assurance of salvation depends on love for the word of God, Psalm 119:105,
NUMBER 3 FOUNDATION OF SANCTIFICATION
– CONSECRATION
a) Consecration is the act of setting apart somebody or an object for the service of God, 1Chro 29:5
b) Consecration is the dedication of a place, or a person for sacred purpose, 2 Chro 2:4
c) Consecration is the commitment of the believer to carry his/her cross and follow Jesus Christ wholly, Mark 8:34
d) Consecration is the giving up and yielding up of the believer’s life to Christ having been bought with a price (the blood of Jesus Christ), 1 Cor 6:19-20
e) As priests were consecrated in the Old Testament, all believers are regarded as priests, and thus expected to be consecrated, 1 Pet 2:9
f) Every believer is expected to consecrate his/her all to the Lord. It means you no longer own yourself. Rather, your all belongs to the Lord. This must be your voluntary, personal and sacrificial decision, Rom 12:1-3
Examples of consecration:
i) Abraham consecrated himself, Gen 12:1-4
ii) Ruth consecrated herself, Ruth 1:14-19
iii) King Josiah turned to the Lord, 2Ki 23:25
iv) King Asa sought God with his whole heart, 2Chro 15:15
NUMBER 4 FOUNDATION OF SANCTIFICATION
– JUSTIFICATION
a) Justification is God’s act of supernatural grace whereby a sinner is declared free from the guilt and penalty of sin as a result of his faith and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, Rom 4:5-8
b) Justification is the act of imputing Christ’s righteousness on a believing-sinner. Rom 10:4
c) Justification makes Jesus Christ a sinner in place of the believer who is now righteous, holy and pure in the sight of God, Rom 3:23-24
d) Justification brings a believing-sinner into right-relationship with God and makes God treat him as innocent having been pardoned, forgiven and acquitted from the consequences of sin, Isa 61:10
e) Jesus Christ, though sinless, yet, in order to justify the sinner, was punished for the guilt of the sins on behalf of the sinner, Gal 4:4-5
f) Justification is by faith in the atoning works of Jesus Christ and not your works, Jer 23:S-6
NUMBER 5 FOUNDATION OF SANCTIFICATION
– SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD
a) Separation from the world does not mean that a Christian should distance himself from the world but that he/she should make a difference in the world, John 14:14-16
b) A Christian, though, lives in the world, yet, he is not of the world, 1 Pet 2:11-12
c) Every believer is expected to separate himself from the world, Acts 3:19
d) Separation from the world encompasses separation from ungodly or evil desire, motive, acts and thoughts of the world, 2Cor 6:17
e) Separation means a Christian should not compromise, conform or comply with anything that is contrary to the Word of God, 2 Cor 6:14-16
f) Separation from the world also means that a Christian should not live by the principles, greed, selfishness, unholy ambition, and pleasures of the world, 1 John 2:16-17
g) The separated lifestyle of a Christian may attract persecution, temptation and tribulations, John 16:33
h) A Christian, though, in the world, but must not be worldly, John 15:18-19. This means,
i A Christian must shun lusts of the flesh
ii A Christian must shun lusts of the eyes
iii A Christian must shun pride of life
iv A Christian must shun all idolatry and pagan practices
v A Christian must shun all forms of immorality and drunkenness
vi A Christian must at all times maintain godly standards irrespective of pressures of societal ways of life, thoughts and temptations.
vii A Christian must not allow the culture of the people dictate, influence or mold him
viii A Christian must not be involved in fetish, cult, secret societies or worship of images
ix A Christian must not live for ‘self’ but for others
x A Christian must not live for ‘things’ but for God
xi A Christian must not ‘copy’ and live the lifestyle of worldly people, Col 3:12-17
i) Old Testament Separation of the Nation of Israel as a type of Christian Separation from the World,
i God redeemed the nation of Israel from the bondage of Egypt through the blood of Passover Lamb. God required that the nation of Israel must leave Egypt and be separate unto Him. After redemption, God did not allow them to live as they liked Ex 3: 7-8
ii ‘Egypt’ is like today’s world systems. Just as the King of Egypt, Pharaoh, did not want to release the Israelites, so is Satan, the Prince of this world; he doesn’t want any Christian to be separate unto God. Isa 31:1
iii Pharaoh offered four compromises so that the Israelites would not leave Egypt:
(1) ‘Sacrifice to your God in the land (Egypt)’,
Ex 8:25. But Moses replied, ‘we will go three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to our God as He shall command us’, Ex 8:26-27. The same way, Satan and the worldly system would want every born-again Christian to live like the worldly people but it is an abomination to worship God with ‘the old lifestyle.’ Luke 19:8-9
(2) ‘Only ye shall not go very far away’, Ex 8:28. The world would want Christians to be ‘moderate’, ‘not to accept madness with religion’, not to be a fanatic’. But Christians are ‘to go all the way with their Saviour’ no matter what happens. Mk 10:28
(3) ‘Go ye that are men’, Ex 10:11. Satan would want only you to be a Christian. He would never want any of your relations, father, mother, children or spouse to be Christians. But as a Christian, you should strive that all your household should be saved as yourself. Josh 24:15
(4) ‘Go ye, serve the Lord only let your flock and your herds be left behind.’ Ex 10:24. But Moses replied: ‘not a hoof shall be left behind!’ The devil would want you to be a Christian but would say it doesn’t matter what your business or your relationship with other people are. But as a Christian, everything you do matters to God. You are to be separate. You are to be clean ‘in and out.’ Your business activity must not involve anything like alcohol, cigarette, bribery or any such things that would not give you clear conscience before God and man. Ps 15:1-5
j) When in doubt as to which actions to take, or when tempted to compromise in any matter, the following are some practical questions to ask. A sincere and genuine answer to any or all of these will help you maintain your separation unto God, Matt 5:43-48
1) What does the Word of God say? 2) What will you do if Jesus is there?
3) Will the consequence glorify God?
4) Will it lend credit to your Christian testimony?
5) Does it please the ‘world’ or God?
6) Is it your desire or God’s perfect will?
7) Do you have peace with God by doing it?
8) Will it make unbelievers praise or despise God?
9) Do you have a guilty or clear conscience in it?
10) Does it comply with the Lord’s command that you should take up your cross and follow Him daily?