1 Peter 1:14-16
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also BE HOLY IN ALL YOUR CONDUCT, 16 for it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Conduct = behavior = conversation (KJV).
It's not about getting to a threshold of holiness that is acceptable to God at the end of our life or at Jesus' return, but about remaining in the state of holiness that Jesus keeps his servants in as long as they remain faithfully obedient to Him (that is the essence of having faith in Him and abiding in Him). There is growth in that but in no case there is room for willfully sinning and using the idea of being in a lifelong process of sanctification as an excuse!
John 15:4-6, 10
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and withers; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
'Holiness' and 'sanctification' are English renderings of the same Greek noun:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G38&t=KJV
'Holy' and 'saint' are likewise translations of the same Greek adjective:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G40&t=KJV
'Sanctify,' 'be holy' and 'hallow' also translate the same Greek verb:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G37&t=KJV
The apostle Paul wrote like this of the new born again Christians in Corinth:
1 Corinthians 6:11
And such were some of you.* But you were washed, you WERE SANCTIFIED, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
*See verses 9 and 10 for their past sinful behaviors.
This passage also speaks of someone who for sure was sanctified:
Hebrews 10:29
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which HE WAS SANCTIFIED a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
Sanctification has to do with consecration, the fact of being set-apart. There is nothing mystical about that. Biblical Israel was sanctified (set-apart) among all nations of the earth by Sabbath-keeping under the Old Covenant (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12). Sanctification today under the New Covenant brought in by Jesus is by faith in Him (Acts 26:18), which means more than believing true facts, but is fidelity towards Him in obedience to his teachings (Luke 6:46-49, John 12:46-48).
A sanctified person or saint or set-apart one (according to the Bible's definition) is called to remain holy or set-apart, never to return to unclean behavior as to one's vomit like a dog (2 Peter 2:20-22). That's foolish and leads to utter destruction, not salvation. Hence, the warnings in the Scriptures.
2 Corinthians 6:17
Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”
At the end, every one will remain in whatever state he/she had maintained him/herself:
Revelation 22:11
He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," Jesus said in Matthew 5:8. There is no purity of heart if someone is taking pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12), not hating it enough to cut it out as both an act of worship to God and an expression of love for God.
This word must be heeded:
James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
So then this can be said of the FORMERLY wicked / unrighteous / sinning person who came clean with God in true repentance and started on a path of righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24, 2 Peter 2:21):
1 Peter 1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
Only a formerly unrighteous person, an ex-sinner or ex-worker of iniquity can be on the way to heaven. Sin is not the way into which Jesus leads someone who is following Him (Mark 8:34). Jesus' way is the way that leads to eternal life. That's the way He calls everyone who is willing to follow Him to walk on and stay on.
Matthew 7:13-14
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
This is the solution for the problem of the sin-causing flesh: kill it / put it to death / crucify it.
Crucify the Flesh
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQKBVZh0-tlKdbQIK0XeRx9dpcPT-EJzE
That's what the Bible teaches, not to get better at managing it and its sinful passions.
Galatians 5:24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts [desires].
1 Peter 4:1-3
1 Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin; 2 that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for human desires, but for the will of God. 3 For enough time in the past has been spent doing the will of the unbelievers, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.
Struggling with sin is struggling to put down an idol in one's heart, it's struggling to love God with all one's heart, all one's soul, all one's mind and all one's strength (Mark 12:30). That's the truth and "the truth will set you free" as Jesus said (John 8:32). He was talking about freedom from the death trap of sin which is what salvation is about (John 8:34-36, Matthew 1:21, Romans 6:18). [See Saved From What?]
This is the ministry that was given to the apostle Paul who was sent to preach the Gospel to the nations. It was a calling to him by Jesus "to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me" (Acts 26:18).
50% sanctification + 50% still sinning willfully isn't sanctification at all and won't enter the kingdom of heaven.
Revelation 22:11
He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
See also:
The Essence of Faith
Repentance According to the Bible
ADDENDUM
Luke 5:31-32
31 Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
There is no way of answering Jesus' call to repentance and remain a sinner, or in any case, not be converted to be what the Bible calls a righteous person or a saint.
SIN LEADS TO DEATH OBEDIENCE LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS RIGHTEOUSNESS LEADS TO HOLINESS cf. Romans 6:16-19. JESUS SAVES FROM SIN cf. Matthew 1:21, John 8:34-36
This is a caricature of the endemic sin-rooted sickness of professed Christians:
I am still sinning and I twist the scriptures.
-1 John 1:8 is my defense
-Romans 3:10 is my shield
-Romans 7:20 is my stronghold
-Isaiah 64:6 is my cover
(all used out of context)
OBJECTIONS
Revelation 22:11
He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
If you remain in sin or return to sin after having been delivered from sin, you will be found unrighteous and filthy at Jesus' coming, not righteous and holy. If that's the path you are on, be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19), and stay obedient to the King of kings.
SIN LEADS TO DEATH OBEDIENCE LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS RIGHTEOUSNESS LEADS TO HOLINESS cf. Romans 6:16-19. JESUS SAVES FROM SIN cf. Matthew 1:21, John 8:34-36
This is a caricature of the endemic sin-rooted sickness of professed Christians:
I am still sinning and I twist the scriptures.
-1 John 1:8 is my defense
-Romans 3:10 is my shield
-Romans 7:20 is my stronghold
-Isaiah 64:6 is my cover
(all used out of context)
OBJECTIONS
The one who says, "I know Jesus", and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4).
The one who does what is right is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous (1 John 3:7).
The one who sins is of the devil... (1 John 3:8).
The one who is born of God does not sin... (1 John 5:18).
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid (Galatians 2:17).
Revelation 22:11
He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
If you remain in sin or return to sin after having been delivered from sin, you will be found unrighteous and filthy at Jesus' coming, not righteous and holy. If that's the path you are on, be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19), and stay obedient to the King of kings.
No comments:
Post a Comment