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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 -

 

 

 

 

APPLICATION OF SANCTIFICATION

3/20/13

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

VI.  APPLICATION OF SANCTIFICATION

 

A.    The Believer’s Participation

 

1.     While looking at the aspects and agents of sanctification, it could be stated that ultimately, sanctification is the total work of God (or the Godhead). Having stated that truth, the Scriptures also teach that the believer has a part in his own present sanctification.

2.     This concept is explained in that; God empowers the believer to cooperate with His present plan of sanctification. While the believer is being sanctified to be made more like Christ, the believer has the responsibility to comply with this process. However, the believer does so at God’s scriptural instructions and with God’s empowerment, not his own.

3.     Philippians 2:12-13 is one of strongest scriptural references to support the concept of the believer’s participation in sanctification. The believer’s part is emphasized in vs. 12.

a)    The context of the Lordship of Christ is in view in Php 2:9-11. As a consequence (hōste - “so then” or “therefore”), the believer is to respond accordingly to the Lordship of Christ in accomplishing Christ’s plan of sanctification (12).

b)    They were to “work out [their] salvation” This does not refer to working toward eternal life but rather working toward sanctification. Salvation is instantaneous at the moment of faith (aorist indicative of sōzō - Tit 3:5 cf. 2Ti 1:9), eternal (future indicative of sōzō - 1Co 3:15 cf. He 7:25), but also carries the sense of ongoing  sanctification (present participle of sōzō - “being saved” - 1Co 1:18 cf. Php 1:6).

c)     The idea that a believer must participate in his sanctification is confirmed by the imperative mood (katergazesthe - “You all must work out,” - to thoroughly work out and accomplish). Therefore the believer is commanded to participate in his “own” (eautou - reflexive pronoun) sanctification.

d)    This is to be a continuous action and process by the believer, being literally translated, “keep on working out your own salvation.” In God’s plan of Present Sanctification, the believer is to work out his sanctification continuously moment by moment in this life.

4.     Philippians 2:13 explains how God accomplishes sanctification in and through the believer so that sanctification is observed as a cooperation between God and man.

a)    Though man has a responsibility in sanctification, it is God who ultimately enables him to accomplish this. Literally it reads, “God is the One Who is continuously working” (ho energōn - present participle of energeō -  work, accomplish, or produce (Eng. “energize”) in the believer. Therefore, the believer is to work out what God is working in him.

b)    What is it that God is working in the believer for his participation in sanctification? It is “both to will and to work.” This phrase refers to the believer’s internal “will” (present infinitive of thelō - desires and inclinations) and external “work” (same usage of energeō - work, accomplish, or produce). The believer possesses the desire and power to do God’s will and cooperate in sanctification.

c)     God works into the believer the inclination and enabling to work “for the sake of” (huper - on behalf of or for the sake of) God’s “good pleasure” (eudokia - good will or intention) of sanctification.

d)    God’s method of sanctification is neither activism (self-reliant activity) nor passivism (God-reliant passivity), but God-dependent effort (2 Cor. 7:1; Phil. 3:10-14; Heb. 12:14). (Concise Theology, Packer, J. I.)

 

B.    The Believer’s Provisions

 

1.     The New Nature

 

a)    In enabling the believer to participate in his sanctification, the Lord provided him with a new nature. In 2Co 5:17, Paul teaches that even carnal Christians have become a “new” (kainos - new in quality, not neos - new in age or time) “creature” (ktisis - thing created by God) in Christ with new spiritual inclinations and new spiritual abilities (i.e. “both to will and to work”).

b)    The believer is to exercise or “put on” the “new self” by which he is being sanctified in righteousness, holiness, and the image of Christ (Ep 4:24; Col 3:10).

c)     In Ro 6:1-5, the believer has been united with Christ’s death and resurrection so that he will live in “newness” (kainotēs from kainos) of life, which requires the believer to, view himself as dead to sin, not let sin reign, yield to God, and obey Him (Ro 6:11-16, resulting in sanctification (Ro 6:19, 22).

 

2.     The Indwelling Holy Spirit

 

a)    In addition to the new nature, the believer possesses the Holy Spirit and His power to work out his sanctification (2Th 2:13).

b)    The Spirit enables the believer to walk by the Spirit’s power and not carry out the flesh’s inclinations, and consequently grow in sanctification (Ga 5:16).

c)     The believer is being sanctified when he is filled with the Spirit by yielding to His influence and power (Ep 5:18).

 

3.     The Word of God

 

a)    The believer is also sanctified by the Word of God when he is matured by its truth and obeys it (Jn 17:17).

b)    The Holy Spirit works in conjunction with His Word to conform and sanctify the believer (Ep 5:26; 6:17).

c)     The believer can progress in sanctification when he pursues, studies, and saturates himself with the Word (Ps 119:11; 37:31; 40:8; Ro 12:1-2).

d)    Obeying the Word and will of God through the Holy Spirit is to fulfill God’s purpose in sanctification (1Th 4:3-4).

 

4.     The Providence of God

 

a)    In regard to sanctification, God not only works from within the believer, but also from without. In other words, since God is sovereign, and His will is that the believer be sanctified, God allows all things in believer’s lives to sanctify us (Ro 8:28-29; 1Co 10:13).

b)    This truth also suggests that God does not allow anything in our lives that will not ultimately sanctify us. Whatever God does allow in our lives, it is for the purpose of sanctification. If we rebel and refuse to be sanctified by a particular thing in our lives, it was our fault and not His (Jm 1:13). Yet God is merciful and sovereign enough to use even our failures in our ultimate sanctification.

c)     It is for these reasons that our sanctified response in every situation ought to be to thank God “in” (en) all things (1Th 5:18) and “for” (huper) all things (Ep 5:20).

d)    God has done and is doing everything for us, in us, and to us for our sanctification. All he asks from us is our small part of cooperation in sanctification. At the same time, much of the Bible was written for our part in this holy process.