1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
“May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”
What a wonderful Scripture!
Today let’s talk a little bit about holiness / entire sanctification!
Let’s look at an illustration:
- You don’t have a car
Right now you’re just crawling in circles - going nowhere
You don’t even know you don’t have a car
You don’t know what a car is or why you would need one
You don’t know there is a place you need to reach
- Someone tells you that there is a place you need to reach and how important that destination is
They tell you what a car is and that a car is provided for you
You are invited to enter into this car
You feel an unexplainable inner urge to receive this free gift
You get in and turn the key, the engine starts and things have
changed
- You start driving but you’re still only going in circles
You live in a dry desert wasteland (describe)
Someone tells you of a better place (a promise land)
They show you a map and how to read it
They show you where the promise land is but it’s a long trip
You decide you want to go
- You are no longer driving in circles - you have a destination
In this case the car itself needs no gas or oil or air in the tires
The car itself is fully complete and self sufficient
You, however, need to eat and sleep on your journey
You need to stop for encouragement
You join with fellow travelers
- You travel for weeks, months, years
As you travel along you find others who need a car
You tell them about the journey and the destination
Finally, at the end of your life, you reach the destination!
OK. This little illustration may have some holes in it but I think it can be used to illustrate a holy, sanctified life. So, let’s review the scenario and see how it fits with the Bible.
- You don’t have a car
Right now you’re just crawling in circles - going nowhere
You don’t even know you don’t have a car
You don’t know what a car is or why you would need one
You don’t know there is a place you need to reach
This is the condition of most of our friends, co-workers, neighbors and even family members.
This is the natural state of humanity. Unknowing enemies of God.
They can be as “spiritual” as they want to be but in essence they are just crawling in circles in a dry desert where no true spiritual life can be found.
They don’t know that they are lost.
They don’t know that they don’t know!
This is the starting point for everyone.
- Someone tells you that there is a place you need to reach and how important that destination is
They tell you about a car that is provided for you
You are invited to enter into this car
You feel an unexplainable inner urge to receive this free gift
You get in and turn the key, the engine starts and things have
changed
When we’re lost we need to be told that we’re lost.
Romans 10:14 says,
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
In Acts 1:8b Jesus says,
“You will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
You are witnessed to by
The Holy Spirit
By a believer
You must make a decision if you wish to change your “mode of
transportation”
You come to Jesus for salvation
Back to the illustration …
- You start driving but you’re still only going in circles
You live in a dry desert wasteland (describe)
You are saved but living a life of spiritual struggle
Someone tells you of a better place (a promise land)
They show you a map and how to read it
They show you where the promise land is but it’s a long trip
Most of us, when we are saved, know that a huge change has taken place in our lives! But, still we struggle with sin just as much as before.
Part of us wants to continue in that life and part of us wants to follow Jesus.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says,
“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”
If you’re not fully committed to the Lord you’re trying to fight the battle on your own! You will lose!
This is the reason for “Back to Church Sunday” - uncommitted, lukewarm, "easy" Christianity
Back to church Sunday is a symptom of a lukewarm Christian or a person playing at being a Christian.
Playing around at Christianity is miserable!
It’s like straddling on a fence!
Suppose you came to church and instead of these nice comfortable chairs we all had picket fences to sit on. We’d all be miserable!
So, we’ve got a choice, we can’t stay on the fence forever!
Either we can renounce Christ and go back into our lost state.
We can continue in this wilderness of misery
Or, we can set our sights on following Christ with all of our
hearts!
God is calling us to follow Him - completely!!!!!!
How completely??? -
Galatians 2:20 says,
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
You decide you want to go - to make the commitment!!!!
In the theology of holiness or sanctification this is called entire sanctification
You’ve decided to love God with
all your heart, soul, mind and strength
This sold out commitment to Christ naturally leads to Progressive Sanctification!
Our spirits are totally committed to Christ but our maturity level still leaves something to be desired!
Now you need to get your map out. You can’t get there from here without the map - the Bible.
And, the journey begins.
- You are no longer driving in circles - you have a destination
To become like Christ!!!
Things we need for the journey (progressive Sanctification)
The Lord
Traveling companions
Corporate Worship
Hebrews 10:24-25 says:
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
- You travel for weeks, months, years
As you travel along you find others who need a car
You tell them about the journey and the destination
Finally, at the end of your life, you reach the destination!
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NLT)
“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.
“First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
“Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.”
“Then we will be with the Lord forever!” The destination!
“So encourage (comfort) each other with these words.”
Celebrate!!!!!
Where are you on this journey?
Still without a vehicle? Unsaved?
Saved but no destination? Wandering in the wilderness?
Totally committed to Christ? Entirely sanctified?
On the journey with fellow believers? Progressive sanctification?
Ready and anxious to reach the destination?
Communion
