Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 14.05.2001
Sanctification
Who is Jesus' own has a holy covenant with God. Uniting oneself with Him means sharing in His holiness. Your spirit is holy, if the Holy Spirit governs it. Your soul is holy, if it is governed by your sanctified spirit and your body is holy, if it is governed by your sanctified soul. Jesus in you gives you hope that your life will be changed!
The holy covenant
Becoming a believer is stepping into the new covenant with God. I have the holy covenant with Him. He called me into this covenant through the gospel. It is the new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ. God accepted me into this covenant, because the blood of Jesus cleaned me and made me worthy of it.
In every union the members unite themselves with each other and they live in some way on the terms of the other member. In the union of God we live completely on the terms of God. Or how is it, would you like to see that God is being transformed into your likeness after you united yourself with Him?
Becoming a believer is stepping into the new covenant with God. I have the holy covenant with Him. He called me into this covenant through the gospel. It is the new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ. God accepted me into this covenant, because the blood of Jesus cleaned me and made me worthy of it.
In every union the members unite themselves with each other and they live in some way on the terms of the other member. In the union of God we live completely on the terms of God. Or how is it, would you like to see that God is being transformed into your likeness after you united yourself with Him?
Share in His holiness
The change that God causes in us is called the sanctification. "Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." Rom.6:22 The holy covenant leads us to become one with Him. The sanctification is based on the fact that He lives in me through His Spirit.
There is no hope of change without His presence. "Christ in you, the hope of glory" Col.1:27 God aims at the sanctification with us, but we can oppose His plan. Every believer resists sometimes God and gets the same amount of His discipline. "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness." Heb.12:10 This discipline is mainly verbal for before the previous verse there is the next sentence: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves." Heb.12:5-6
When a passage of the Bible offends your heart do not resist it and think that now you have been hit with the Bible. Instead receive the reprimand as love of God the Father. The heavenly Father practises also corporal punishments, for "He punishes everyone He accepts as a son." Heb.12:6
The change that God causes in us is called the sanctification. "Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." Rom.6:22 The holy covenant leads us to become one with Him. The sanctification is based on the fact that He lives in me through His Spirit.
There is no hope of change without His presence. "Christ in you, the hope of glory" Col.1:27 God aims at the sanctification with us, but we can oppose His plan. Every believer resists sometimes God and gets the same amount of His discipline. "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness." Heb.12:10 This discipline is mainly verbal for before the previous verse there is the next sentence: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves." Heb.12:5-6
When a passage of the Bible offends your heart do not resist it and think that now you have been hit with the Bible. Instead receive the reprimand as love of God the Father. The heavenly Father practises also corporal punishments, for "He punishes everyone He accepts as a son." Heb.12:6
Thoroughly sanctified
"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." 1Thess.5:23 So there is the sanctification of spirit, soul and body. Your spirit is blameless, if one has wholly submitted oneself to God. Your soul is blameless, if it has been submitted itself to your sanctified spirit. Your body is blameless, if it has been submitted itself to the sanctified soul.
So everything starts from the renewal of your spirit. "Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2Cor.7:1 What does contaminate your spirit? It also has contaminated your soul and has caused unclean deeds in your body.
Don't begin to change only your deeds or clean your emotional life. Go and clean the source from which they well forth. The words and the deeds which are against your attitudes are pretending. If you try to begin your sanctification in some other level than the level of your spirit you have decided to become a pretender.
"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." 1Thess.5:23 So there is the sanctification of spirit, soul and body. Your spirit is blameless, if one has wholly submitted oneself to God. Your soul is blameless, if it has been submitted itself to your sanctified spirit. Your body is blameless, if it has been submitted itself to the sanctified soul.
So everything starts from the renewal of your spirit. "Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2Cor.7:1 What does contaminate your spirit? It also has contaminated your soul and has caused unclean deeds in your body.
Don't begin to change only your deeds or clean your emotional life. Go and clean the source from which they well forth. The words and the deeds which are against your attitudes are pretending. If you try to begin your sanctification in some other level than the level of your spirit you have decided to become a pretender.
The most unholy thing
Pretending is detestable in God's sight. It is the most unholy thing. Jesus says: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." Luke 12:1 If you have decided to live according to the Christian values without changing of your heart first, you have joined in the party of Pharisees.
Jesus compares pretending with yeast, because it is so easily spread from one man to another. This is the reason why it is good to come out from the fellowship which is based on pretending. "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 2Cor.6:17 The Christianity contaminated by pretending is more dangerous than any other pretending because it deceives people in their relationship with God.
Someone can rebuke me: "You must more carefully select your words and speak to people more kindly." I reply: Do you mean that I must pretend? Is it enough for you that I change my words? Why do you not rebuke me: "Look at how unkind heart you have. There are not warm enough thoughts about people in your heart." Let us not force our soul to follow only the form of the biblical behaving, but let us allow God to change our spirits.
Be determined to avoid pretending. If you give in to it, God's sanctifying work doesn't go on in your life. The sanctification caused by God is the fruit of the truth.
Pretending is detestable in God's sight. It is the most unholy thing. Jesus says: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." Luke 12:1 If you have decided to live according to the Christian values without changing of your heart first, you have joined in the party of Pharisees.
Jesus compares pretending with yeast, because it is so easily spread from one man to another. This is the reason why it is good to come out from the fellowship which is based on pretending. "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 2Cor.6:17 The Christianity contaminated by pretending is more dangerous than any other pretending because it deceives people in their relationship with God.
Someone can rebuke me: "You must more carefully select your words and speak to people more kindly." I reply: Do you mean that I must pretend? Is it enough for you that I change my words? Why do you not rebuke me: "Look at how unkind heart you have. There are not warm enough thoughts about people in your heart." Let us not force our soul to follow only the form of the biblical behaving, but let us allow God to change our spirits.
Be determined to avoid pretending. If you give in to it, God's sanctifying work doesn't go on in your life. The sanctification caused by God is the fruit of the truth.
Hypocrisy is a suit of a godless man
Why is hypocrisy so popular? It is the essential feature of our cultural life. Everybody knows that good manners are only a thin layer in man. Many parents, teachers and priests have done much work to educate people to be pretenders.
Of course it would be awful if people could not pretend to be good, but they would carry out their real character without inhibitions. Hypocrisy is the fruit of pride. It is not easy to uncover one's heart publicly. How many times I have been ashamed of myself and I have said to Jesus: here is my heart, take it and change it as you wish. Pretending is like a suit that covers our bad heart and the uncovering is like nudity on a public place.
Protecting unholy heart with pretence is a terrible common thing also in Christianity. Many people who say that they have got forgiveness of their sins from God do not live as holy people. They have still godless thoughts and attitudes. They have had to resist the Holy Spirit, because otherwise the share of God's Spirit would have changed them. "We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2Cor.3:18
The Holy Spirit gives courage to undress the suit of pretence, because He promises to give us a new and a better suit. "You were taught to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Eph.4:22-24
Why is hypocrisy so popular? It is the essential feature of our cultural life. Everybody knows that good manners are only a thin layer in man. Many parents, teachers and priests have done much work to educate people to be pretenders.
Of course it would be awful if people could not pretend to be good, but they would carry out their real character without inhibitions. Hypocrisy is the fruit of pride. It is not easy to uncover one's heart publicly. How many times I have been ashamed of myself and I have said to Jesus: here is my heart, take it and change it as you wish. Pretending is like a suit that covers our bad heart and the uncovering is like nudity on a public place.
Protecting unholy heart with pretence is a terrible common thing also in Christianity. Many people who say that they have got forgiveness of their sins from God do not live as holy people. They have still godless thoughts and attitudes. They have had to resist the Holy Spirit, because otherwise the share of God's Spirit would have changed them. "We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2Cor.3:18
The Holy Spirit gives courage to undress the suit of pretence, because He promises to give us a new and a better suit. "You were taught to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Eph.4:22-24
Holiness is the suit of a believer
When a believer agrees with God's attitudes with all one's heart, one will experience so great freedom and internal glory and peace that sinners cannot even imagine it in their dreams. Paul says that it is our treasure: "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2Cor.4:7
What practical deeds the holiness of God causes in us? There are many examples in the Bible of them. Briefly it means that a believer behaves in the same way as Jesus. "For all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Gal.3:27
When a believer agrees with God's attitudes with all one's heart, one will experience so great freedom and internal glory and peace that sinners cannot even imagine it in their dreams. Paul says that it is our treasure: "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2Cor.4:7
What practical deeds the holiness of God causes in us? There are many examples in the Bible of them. Briefly it means that a believer behaves in the same way as Jesus. "For all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Gal.3:27
Make your thoughts holy
God expects that we make our thoughts and attitudes holy. If we would work equally hard with our thoughts as we attend to our words and deeds our world would be different.
What do you think about yourself, about God and about world? Examine your heart and know your deepest thoughts! "If we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgement. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." 1Cor.11:31-32 The right thoughts about self make resurrection faith holy. The right thoughts about God make love holy. The right thoughts about world make the hope of future holy.
God expects that we make our thoughts and attitudes holy. If we would work equally hard with our thoughts as we attend to our words and deeds our world would be different.
What do you think about yourself, about God and about world? Examine your heart and know your deepest thoughts! "If we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgement. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." 1Cor.11:31-32 The right thoughts about self make resurrection faith holy. The right thoughts about God make love holy. The right thoughts about world make the hope of future holy.
Thoughts about self
Self-confidence is an unholy thing. The circumcision is an example of removing self-confidence. God circumcises our hearts. "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh." Phil.3:3
The foreskin is removed in the example, but in real circumcision the whole flesh is removed. "In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature." Col.2:11
How does God use His knife when He circumcises us? "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Heb.4:12 God's word is aiming to cut you away from your sinful nature. Note carefully this! Your happiness depends just on that word of God, which offends you most "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." Prov.4:13
We don't want to be weak in such a way that we lose our self-confidence. However, if we don't submit ourselves to God in this thing we will never be able to live in the faith of God. We must first be uncertain so that there would be room in us for the assurance of God. Proud thoughts about ourselves cause the discipline of God in our life. Thanks to Him of the grace of discipline! The sanctification in this case means that we give ourselves to God with many prayers and we put our confidence in Him in all our matters. May you have the holy faith!
Self-confidence is an unholy thing. The circumcision is an example of removing self-confidence. God circumcises our hearts. "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh." Phil.3:3
The foreskin is removed in the example, but in real circumcision the whole flesh is removed. "In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature." Col.2:11
How does God use His knife when He circumcises us? "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Heb.4:12 God's word is aiming to cut you away from your sinful nature. Note carefully this! Your happiness depends just on that word of God, which offends you most "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." Prov.4:13
We don't want to be weak in such a way that we lose our self-confidence. However, if we don't submit ourselves to God in this thing we will never be able to live in the faith of God. We must first be uncertain so that there would be room in us for the assurance of God. Proud thoughts about ourselves cause the discipline of God in our life. Thanks to Him of the grace of discipline! The sanctification in this case means that we give ourselves to God with many prayers and we put our confidence in Him in all our matters. May you have the holy faith!
Thoughts about God
Advising of God is an unholy thing. Often we think about God unfairly though we have got from Him so much good things. Many people don't confess that they are advising Him, but if they would examine their hearts they would see that it is true. Many consider God too strict and they want to teach God to be more merciful. The sanctification in this case means that you absorb the truths of the Bible. Jesus says: "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." Luke 7:23
Jesus is a stone that causes men to stumble. He is this kind of stone also for many believers. He says about Himself: "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." Luke 20:18 Those who don't believe at all will be crushed, but those who are offended by Jesus as believers will be broken to pieces. Peter says in his letter that Jesus is "a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message." 1Pet.2:7-8
A believer who is broken to pieces is not healed by the commentary of the Bible which tries to remove the sharpness of God's word. Instead he will be healed by the power that causes him to stay on the operating table of God. In this case it is essential to remember how Jesus has become the cornerstone of my life. He died for my sake on the cross. He took on Himself all the judgement of God that I deserve. One look to the pains of Jesus on the cross nullifies all your wrong thoughts about God. You cannot believe the love of God through any other vision.
So bring all your bad thoughts about God to Calvary. Attach your eyes to the sacrifice of Jesus and it will testify to you that God is innocent and it disproves all evidences against God. May you have the holy love!
Advising of God is an unholy thing. Often we think about God unfairly though we have got from Him so much good things. Many people don't confess that they are advising Him, but if they would examine their hearts they would see that it is true. Many consider God too strict and they want to teach God to be more merciful. The sanctification in this case means that you absorb the truths of the Bible. Jesus says: "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." Luke 7:23
Jesus is a stone that causes men to stumble. He is this kind of stone also for many believers. He says about Himself: "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." Luke 20:18 Those who don't believe at all will be crushed, but those who are offended by Jesus as believers will be broken to pieces. Peter says in his letter that Jesus is "a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message." 1Pet.2:7-8
A believer who is broken to pieces is not healed by the commentary of the Bible which tries to remove the sharpness of God's word. Instead he will be healed by the power that causes him to stay on the operating table of God. In this case it is essential to remember how Jesus has become the cornerstone of my life. He died for my sake on the cross. He took on Himself all the judgement of God that I deserve. One look to the pains of Jesus on the cross nullifies all your wrong thoughts about God. You cannot believe the love of God through any other vision.
So bring all your bad thoughts about God to Calvary. Attach your eyes to the sacrifice of Jesus and it will testify to you that God is innocent and it disproves all evidences against God. May you have the holy love!
Thoughts about world
Loving world is an unholy thing. Often we think about this world as if it would be people's and not God's world. If we obey Jesus we think about this world that it is reserved for fire. We are waiting for the new world which God will create. If our thoughts are sanctified in this case we don't become rooted in this world. "The time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away." 1Cor.7:29-31
An earthly minded believer is unholy and he/she is in danger to lose his/her faith. "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." Phil.3:18-19
The right thoughts about this world come from thinking about the current home of God. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." Col.3:2-4
May you have the holy hope!
Only God is holy! Let Him be near you! Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.
Loving world is an unholy thing. Often we think about this world as if it would be people's and not God's world. If we obey Jesus we think about this world that it is reserved for fire. We are waiting for the new world which God will create. If our thoughts are sanctified in this case we don't become rooted in this world. "The time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away." 1Cor.7:29-31
An earthly minded believer is unholy and he/she is in danger to lose his/her faith. "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." Phil.3:18-19
The right thoughts about this world come from thinking about the current home of God. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." Col.3:2-4
May you have the holy hope!
Only God is holy! Let Him be near you! Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.
The Bible version used in references is NIV