Survey...What the Bible says on Sanctification

briguy,

sanctification is a process. it is an understanding that comes with a gradual addition of spiritual wisdom and experience.
totally administered by the training of the Holy spirit. the follower graduates from initially receiving the seed of God to the spiritual birth within our present day flesh body to the maturity of the full and perfect image of man.

like the OT priests. they had two levels of understanding and roles. (unlike today for they were a shadow to our reality.)
such as aarons sons. they administered to the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle. the "young man" stage can congregate and fellowship "in the spirit".(1 joh 2:10) yet their focus is the finite world they live in. they can forgive their brothers and neighbors. but not their enemies. they only sacrifice for those within their "camp".
their love for man is limited, as they can not forgive or express mercy towards those that are their enemies.

yet the next stage of father, as represented in shadow of the form of high priest. the only one sanctified to enter into the presence of God and his full glory. no other man could.

it is the next stage that dilienates from this finite focus of the young mans understanding. Like the high priest. the image of the perfect man "in christ" is those in the father stage. these focus on the full character and plan of God. the salvation and covering over of all sin from the sacrifice of the SON OF GOD towards those in the camp, as well as all travelers, not of the camp.(atonement)

Christ atonement is for all men. for all sin.

even though we might not currently receive the revelations and details of how God will accomplish these tasks. (considering time constraints and space limitations)
This is his strange work in the ages to come. and those within "the young man and father stages" as his creation can only wait with raised holy hands, without doubting.

1Ti 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
1Ti 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

you might not catch this, but this speaks of the two stages. the young man and father. it all focuses on these two roles designed within the ranks of the "sons of God" in the next age.

did you ever wonder why Jesus chose any disciples or even as towards the number of 12.
Jesus (father) and disciples (young men) and the number 12. is the number of Gods government or order.

the bible is riddled with examples of the selection, dilienation between stages and the roles of those called to be a part of this process of sanctification. for it all points towards the perfect man emerging in the end of its processes.

the sons of God are not the only ones who are chosen to complete this course from "babe to father".
it is the full image of man that all will acheive in some distant age.
the sons of God are properly named as the "first born" of all creation

Me2

 

Hi Nils!!!

You wrote: """"""As far as sanctification goes, yes Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient, but it is not sufficient for those who are not truely his followers.

Simply believing that Jesus will save you is not enough.""""""

If a person is not truely saved they are not truely sanctified. If they truely are saved they have already been given as a gift from the Father to the Son. Only a sanctified person would meet this criteria because sanctified means "set apart for a purpose". We are set apart to be a gift to Jesus, from God. That is why sanctification now is instant, because the day of continuing sacrifice has passed.

Your second statement seems to conflict with:
"....that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life."

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved"

"to those who believe....."

Saving belief is complete because Jesus' shedding of blood was complete. Works are the proof of saving belief.

Works show our faith/belief to men and prove to whom we serve. God examines the heart and so works are not needed to prove anything to Him.

Nils, I hope that at least explains my position a little better. Take care and God bless,

Brian

 

Yes, if you take single lines here and there you it does appear as if what I'm saying is incorrect. That is why it is important to read entire sections. The kind of belief that leads to salvation is not the kind of belief that merely trusts that Jesus will save them no matter what.

 

If you'll go back and see what I'm saying, you'll see that we are really saying the same thing. We just choose to use different terminology.

 

Hi Nils, Hey, we agree? Well at least on that one point(ha ha). Are you really agreeing that to be sanctified is to be "set apart for a purpose"?
or are you still saying that sanctification is a longer process that one must move forward in to really be saved (which is not that far off from me either). Where we split, if I remember right is that you believe you can leave the faith, even once you have been "set apart" or "saved".

In Christ,
Brian

 

Perhaps we do not agree on the exact words used, but it appears that we agree on the net result. What is important, the result or the reasoning behind the result?

I don't use the term 'really saved'. Either you are saved or you aren't. Either your name is in the Book of Life or it isn't.

If you know God, you will live according to His commands. If you live by God's commands, then you will become more like what God wants us to be. This growth or transformation is sanctification.

No matter what, when we die we will still fall short of perfection. No matter what when we die it will be Jesus' blood that covers our shortcomings.

 

Hi Nils, Yes yes yes. It is that covering of Blood that assures us of our salvation because once covered we cannot uncover ourselves as the blood of Jesus is too heavy for us to lift, only He can bear it's weight. Hey, that was almost poetic. It sounds as you are saying that one who fully walks away from God in his life, never really was walking with God in the first place. Is that right? I believe that that person is the hard soiled man who lets the Word (seed) grow but never lets the root in.

In Christ,
Brian

 

That is possible, but the parable of the King and the Slave and God's warning in Ezekiel 18 prevents me from jumping to that conclusion. All I know for sure is that those who win the race are those who follow God to the very end.

Yes, and those who get choked out by the weeds also fit in this category.

 

The parable of the sower and the different kinds of ground -- a good Arminian case in point is the rocky ground and the thorny ground. In both cases the dead comes to life.

In Christ,

Bob