So, I've been looking forward to tonight for a long time.
We've been doing the gospel this entire semester,
and we've been focusing on all these different aspects of salvation,
! from justification to adoption to ransom to all these different things.
And tonight, we've come to the culmination of salvation,
and that being the topic of sanctification.
It is a vast topic that we will never exhaust,
even if we did two semesters of just sanctification.
So, tonight's probably going to be just,
it's more of like a survey than it is like an exposition.
It's going to be just kind of a survey of things,
a survey of questions that I hope will result in you guys taking this stuff home,
taking verses home, taking things you hear home,
and studying them for yourself.
Okay?
So, hopefully that's what happens,
is you guys leave feeling more inquisitive than when you came,
and leave feeling like you want to dive into this topic more and more.
It is the joy of my life to seek the Lord for sanctification,
to seek the Lord for His glory, for my joy,
and that is the whole essence of what this topic is about.
So, let me tell you guys where we're going to go in the next two weeks.
Because I'm going to do this for two weeks now.
I'm just going to pose six questions total that I think are really relevant,
hot topic questions that everybody probably here in some degree wants to know about.
These are questions that I think are really just kind of pertinent to all of us.
Things that I've heard asked and things that I myself have asked as I've studied this.
I'm just going to read them to you so we can just, again, have an idea of where we're tracking.
The first question is going to be this.
I see more failure in my life than victory.
Am I still being sanctified?
Number two is what about that one besetting sin in my life that I just can't seem to shake?
Number three, I know God desires for me to be sanctified,
but I honestly don't know how to be.
So, we're going to talk about how.
And then next week we're going to do these three.
If no matter what I do, I can't lose my salvation,
then why should I even care to be sanctified?
Number five, where should I start?
And number six, what should I be expecting?
Okay, so we're just going to, it's a really broad,
those are really broad questions that are not going to,
we're not going to cover everything in detail,
but we're just going to try to touch on some of the main elements, I think,
that are very, very important.
I'm just going to begin with a definition,
a simple definition of what it means to be sanctified.
It's a big word that describes something that's very, very essential for you to understand.
The first definition is this,
to be sanctified is to grow in one's genuine imitation of Christ.
To be sanctified is to grow in one's genuine imitation of Christ.
One old pastor said it like this,
because we are justified,
which means to be declared righteous in the sight of God, right?
We've talked about that.
To be declared righteous, to be declared innocent,
to be declared unguilty in the sight of God.
So, because we are justified, we are to be holy.
Separated from sin.
Separated to God.
Not as a mere indication that our faith is real,
and that therefore we are legally safe,
but because we were justified for this very purpose,
that we might be holy.
Now, what is he saying?
He is saying that the only reason,
the main reason why you were saved,
was to be made holy.
To be made holy.
To be purified.
To be set apart for God.
That is huge.
I'll show you in Scripture.
In 1 Peter 2,
verse 24,
he says this,
and he himself,
we're speaking to Jesus here,
and he himself
bore our sins in his body on the cross.
Why?
That we might die to sin
and live to righteousness,
for by his wounds you were healed.
So Jesus died
to make you holy.
That you might
release and relinquish
sin in your life,
and that you might
cling on to God in holiness.
Titus 2,
another corroborating verse,
verse 14,
Titus 2, 14,
says,
speaking of Jesus again,
who gave himself for us,
that he might redeem us
from every lawless deed,
and purify for himself
a people for his own possession,
zealous for good deeds.
So Jesus Christ gave himself up,
he died on the cross,
he spread his arms,
he was crucified,
that he might redeem for himself
a people
that were zealous for good deeds,
that were holy.
That is why you were saved.
That is why it is so ridiculous
and insane
for you to think
that a Christian
can be saved
and yet have no degree
of sanctification happening
in their life.
There is no such thing
as a
habitually sinful,
carnal Christian
that has no affection
for Christ
and does not walk
in the commandments
of the Lord Jesus
in some degree.
Because that is the only reason
why God saved you
was to make you holy,
to save you for himself.
And I have proven that
from scripture,
you can't deny that.
So really,
the entire Christian life
is summed up
in that one word,
sanctification.
That is what it is all about.
A buddy of mine said,
we are saved
in an instant,
but we are sanctified
over a lifetime.
Justification happens
in a moment
and costs you
nothing.
Sanctification
happens
over your whole life
and it costs you
everything.
Okay?
The Greek word
is
hagiadzo
and it implies
being set apart
to God
in holiness
and purity.
So when you see
that word in the Bible,
when you see
sanctify,
it's hagiadzo.
Probably a terrible
rendering of that,
but nobody here
knows Greek,
so you don't know anyway.
Sanctification,
according to the
Westminster Shorter
Catechism,
which is a
reliable source,
you could say,
is
the work
of God's,
so sanctification
is the work
of God's
free grace.
So it's the work
of God,
whereby we are
renewed in the
whole man
after the image
of God
and are enabled
more and more
to die unto sin
and to live
unto righteousness.
J.I. Packer
said this,
regeneration,
we've talked about
that too,
regeneration,
right?
Being born again
in Christ.
regeneration
is birth.
Sanctification
is growth.
In regeneration,
so when you
are born again,
God implants
desires that
were not there
before.
Desire for God,
for holiness,
and for the
hallowing and the
glorifying of
God's name in
this world.
Desire to pray,
desire to worship,
love, serve,
honor, and please
God.
Desire to show
love and bring
benefit to others.
In sanctification,
however,
the Holy Spirit
works in you
and acts in you
according to the
purpose of God.
What He does
is prompt you
to work out
your salvation
or to express
your salvation
in action
by fulfilling
those new desires.
Do you get that?
Okay, so you're saved.
God redeems you.
God regenerates your heart
and gives you new
desires, new affections,
new loves,
new passions for Him,
for His glory.
Then the Holy Spirit
is given to you
who then empowers you
to actually act that out.
It's the energy
that enables you
to do that work.
Christians become
increasingly Christ-like
as the moral profile
of Jesus
or the fruit of the Spirit,
those qualities of the Spirit,
is progressively formed
in them.
Let me read Philippians 2
real quick to you.
Turn there if you want.
Philippians 2.
Because I want you to see
this dichotomous relationship.
It's both.
It's
sanctification.
Hear me say this
from the beginning.
Sanctification
is
100%
your effort.
and
it is
100%
God's effort.
There is no
let go and let God
mentality in sanctification.
There is no
I've got to do everything
in sanctification.
It is God
working through you.
It is God
working in you.
It is God's Spirit
energizing your soul
and enabling you
to love God
and to obey God
and to serve God.
But it's also
you striving.
It's also
you resisting.
It's also
you enduring.
It's also
you
blessing
when you're
cursed against.
It's also
you
loving
when you're
hated.
It's
all those things.
It's the commandments
of God
but it's the commandments
of God
obeyed by you
in the Spirit
of God.
You can't get your
mind around that.
That's the reality
of it though.
I'm going to prove
this right here
in a couple of verses.
So Philippians 2
verse 12 and 13
look at the very end
of verse 12.
It says
work out your salvation
with fear and trembling.
Okay, that's my part, right?
It says that
work out your salvation
with fear and trembling.
That's a command.
Then it says in 13
for it is God
who is at work in you
both to will
and to work
for His good pleasure.
So right there
in that verse
you see
that
what the Spirit
has given to me
for is to
act out
these new desires.
To act out
this new love
that God's given to me.
Okay, so look
that's kind of
the definition.
That's what
sanctification is.
It's holiness.
It's growing in grace.
It's learning
how to love
and obey Christ.
So our first question.
This may be many of you.
I see more failure
in my life
than victory.
Am I still being
sanctified?
There are three different
types of people
that ask this question.
The first type
is a new believer.
And I would say
this is probably
the most common
type of person
that asks this question.
a new believer
who's struggling
with sins
that were common
to him
or common
to her
before Christ.
Oftentimes
you're going to hear
them ask this question.
And in their case,
okay,
in this new believer's case
who's struggling
with a lot of sins
from their past,
the answer
to our question
is yes,
you are still
being sanctified.
Yes, you are.
as Christ
opens the eyes
of a sinner
to see their sin
for what it is,
they see it as evil,
they see it as offensive,
they see it as deliberately
malicious
against God,
they see it as rebellion,
they feel overwhelmed
with that guilt,
right?
That shame
just comes down
upon them,
it weighs down
upon them heavily,
and this terror
that they feel
soon leads them
to the cross
of Christ
where they lose
that burden,
they look at Jesus
in faith
and they see Him
and He's glorious
to them
and He's wonderful
to them.
He sees the glory
of Christ
and the sacrifice
of the cross,
he claims
that grace
as their own
and he praises Christ
for purchasing
their salvation
with His blood.
The thought
at that point
in time
of ever trading
that love
that you see
for the world's
counterfeits
is ridiculous,
right?
We've all experienced
this in some way
if you're a Christian.
That newness
of your salvation
that is just so sweet
to your taste
and God is so rich
and so palpable
you can just feel Him.
And the thought
of trading that
is just grotesque
and it's unimaginable.
And then it happens,
right?
You sin.
You fall into sin
again and again
and again
and you just feel
discouraged
and beaten up
and downtrodden
and you wonder
how can I be a Christian?
if I so often fail
in loving Christ well.
The beginning stages
of sanctification,
okay,
listen to this.
This is a really,
really good illustration
I learned from Matt Chandler.
Forte's of the New Year's conference.
Do you guys want to go?
The beginning stages
of sanctification
are kind of like
a baby
learning to walk.
Okay?
Now what happens
initially with the baby
learning to walk?
They're not good at it.
I mean,
they start wobbly,
they start,
you know,
trying to prop themselves up
then they kind of
move along really slowly.
They're looking up
for approval
then they move along
really slowly
and sure enough
if they take their hands off
they just,
their head is normally
so big at that point in time
they just kind of
topple over and fall,
right?
And they just,
you know,
lose balance
and they take one step
and they slip
on their butt,
on their belly,
whatever,
just back and forth.
They're constantly falling.
Okay?
And now for you to think
that God
is like a father
who says,
what the heck
are you doing?
Get up.
Walk like a man.
Get up.
You know,
and yells at his kid
and makes fun of his kid
and sits back
with his wife
and says,
look at this idiot
right here.
To think that God
is like that
is ridiculous.
Right?
I mean,
he's taking a step.
You know,
you're excited.
What do you do?
I mean,
you call your wife
in there.
You're trying to find
the video camera.
You're trying to tweet
your friends.
You're trying to put it
on Facebook.
You're YouTubing it.
You know,
you're super excited.
I mean,
I've seen an iPhone
commercial where they
actually have that
as like the promo.
You know,
I mean,
like capturing this
special moment.
Right?
They're not thinking
about the fact
that he can't walk
at all.
I mean,
he's,
you know,
relatively speaking,
he's doing wonderful.
And they're rejoicing
in you.
Right?
So God is
the same way.
In the beginning
of your sanctification
when you're a new believer,
he's not furious
with you
because you're not
walking perfectly.
He's not enraged
at your inability
to do things
the right way
the first time.
He's patient with you.
Right?
He's loving.
He's kind.
He's rejoicing.
He's nudging the Holy Spirit
and Jesus at the same time
and saying,
look at this,
you know,
he's taking his first steps.
He's beginning to believe.
He's beginning to trust
in my promises.
He's not afraid anymore
like he once was.
He's battling,
you know?
That's just how
you need to think of God.
So if you're sitting here
and you're a relatively
new believer
and this is you,
you struggle with sins
and you're frustrated
because you know
that you suck a lot
and the more
that you're growing
in this,
you know,
your knowledge
of the Word of God,
you're seeing more
and more and more
of the sin.
God is wanting
to say to you tonight
through this text
and through that illustration,
I love you.
and I'm still happy
with you.
So be encouraged.
1 Thessalonians 5 says,
encourage the faint-hearted.
So if that's you,
be encouraged.
the truth is,
you are having victories.
You are being sanctified.
You are beginning to walk
in a manner that is
pleasing to God.
You're beginning to.
But Satan would have you
believe that your failure
proves your faithlessness
and it proves
your hopelessness.
And he accuses you,
doesn't he?
You will never do it right.
You will never get it.
You will never learn
the Bible like you need to.
You will never evangelize
the right way.
You will never know enough.
You will never be enough.
You will never do
the right thing
at the right time.
And he accuses you
and he lies to you
and he slanders you.
That's what the devil does.
If you see more failure
in your life than victory,
then you may be a baby,
but you're not a corpse.
You may not be walking well,
but it's merely
a matter of time.
Rejoice in the fact
that your father
is pleased with the progress
and not with the perfection.
He's pleased with progress.
He's not pleased
with perfection.
Nobody's perfect.
Paul wasn't perfect.
You won't be.
Secondly,
the second person
that might ask this question,
I'm going to read it again
because I've forgotten it myself.
I see more failure
in my life than victory.
Am I still being sanctified?
The second person
that might ask this
is a mature believer.
Okay?
Or a maturing believer
whom God is revealing
more sin to.
And the answer to them
is also yes.
You are still being sanctified.
Throughout the Christian life,
God reveals more
and more and more
of your sin.
Okay?
Oftentimes,
you might hear
a mature believer praying,
Lord, reveal to me
more of my sin.
Because they hate it
and they want to get rid of it
at any cost possible.
But with that realization,
oftentimes comes
this kind of question.
It comes sometimes
if you don't have
the right perspective,
doubt and confusion
and fear.
this anxiety
that just wells up
within you
because you feel like,
man,
I'm failing a lot more
than I'm doing good things.
You know?
I've heard J-Mac say one time
that the holier you become,
the worse you feel.
Because the more sin you feel,
the more sin you see,
the more hopelessness you see
in yourself
and this idea of self-reliance
becomes ridiculous.
Right?
But that's when Christ
gets better as well.
Turn to Psalm 38.
I want to show you
a wonderful,
wonderful illustration of this.
David,
who is an obviously
mature believer,
he's writing this.
Psalm 38 is a prayer
of a suffering penitent,
as my Bible calls it.
He's remorseful
over some sin
that he had committed.
Psalm 38,
verses 2-4.
He's crying out to God.
He says,
For your arrows
have sunk deep into me,
and your hand
is pressed down upon me.
There is no soundness
in my flesh
because of your indignation.
There is no health
in my bones
because of my sin.
For my iniquities
are gone over my head
as a heavy burden
they weigh too much for me.
Okay?
So David is in this psalm
really aware of his sin.
And it's weighing down
upon him deeply.
He calls it like an arrow.
It's sunk deep into me.
It's like a weight
that's too much for me to carry.
It's like I'm getting crushed.
I can't hardly take the pressure
of what I'm feeling.
It's just this,
he's crying out to God.
It's very serious for him.
But then,
look at Psalm 40.
Psalm 40.
Verses 1-3.
Same guy.
Two psalms later.
I waited patiently for the Lord
and He inclined to me
and He heard my cry.
He brought me up
out of the pit of destruction,
out of the miry clay,
and He set my feet upon a rock,
making my footsteps firm.
And He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and will trust in the Lord.
He went from despair,
two psalms earlier,
to this bold confidence.
Many will see me in fear,
He says,
and will trust in the Lord
as a result of my witness.
I waited patiently
and God heard my cry.
Okay?
This is the prayers
of a mature believer.
It looks like that.
It's common for God
to expose you
and then to humble you
and then to strengthen you
and then to overcome that sin
or, excuse me,
to strengthen you
to overcome that sin
and then expose you again
in some new way.
That's kind of what
the Christian life is about.
It's like these ebbs and flows.
It's like, you know,
He teaches you one thing
and you gain a little bit of victory
and then He shows you something new
and He's like,
you're continually gaining ground,
you're going up,
but it's like this, you know?
It's not like, you know,
Superman just flying over the...
That was dumb.
I'm not going to...
That's stupid.
That's not in my notes.
That was just dumb.
But you get the idea.
And there's never an end
to this process.
Okay, Paul, again,
I quote him from Philippians 3, 12.
He says,
Not that I've already obtained it
or have already become perfect.
This is the same guy that says,
I'm not really conscious
of anything against myself.
You know,
I don't know of any sin
that I'm not confessing.
He says that elsewhere in Scripture,
but he's admitting here,
like, I haven't already obtained it.
I'm not perfect.
You know,
so nobody is ever going to be that.
Thirdly,
wait, never mind.
No sin is tolerable to God, okay?
Even thought sins,
excuse me,
even thought sins
that never result in action
must be purged out of us.
And so this process
of continually being shown
our weakness
and inability
can be despairing.
And if your perspective
is lost in the middle of it,
it can lead to doubt.
And it can lead to
our question.
Okay?
But when the believer's conscience
is most agitated
and when Satan's accusations
are most forceful
against you,
it's then
that the gospel of Christ
will be most satisfying
to you.
And the Father
intends it to be that way.
To prove to you again,
and to prove to you again,
and again,
the inexhaustibleness
of his love.
Okay?
So,
a side of one's sin,
a vivid side of one's sin,
which is disgusting,
which is,
you know,
repulsive,
you don't want anything
to do with it,
it seems to have
a way of deepening
your understanding
of God's mercy
and of God's grace.
And it seems to
educate you
so you can appreciate
the gospel more.
Charles Spurgeon said this,
I am the subject
of depressions of spirit
so fearful
that I hope
none of you ever gets
to such extremes
of wretchedness
as I go.
So Spurgeon,
who was this amazing,
amazing,
amazing
biblical scholar,
pastor,
whatever,
back in the 1800s,
was a man of depression.
Okay?
He struggled
really,
really badly
with depression.
It almost,
he was bedridden
sometimes as a result
of how deep
his depressions were.
So he says
that I am the subject
of these depressions
of spirit
so fearful
that I hope
none of you
ever gets
in such extremes
as I undergo.
But I always
get back again
by this.
I know I trust Christ.
I have no reliance
but in Him.
If He falls,
I shall fall.
But if He does not fall,
I shall not.
Because He lives,
I shall live also
and I spring
to my legs again
and I fight
with my depressions
of spirit
and my downcast soul
and I get the victory
through it.
So may you do
and so you must
for there is no other
way of escaping
from it.
In your most
depressed seasons,
you are to get joy
and peace
in believing.
Hell
and my sins
obstruct my path
but hell
and sins
are conquered foes.
My Jesus
nailed them
to His cross
and sang the triumph
as He rose.
Okay?
It's an encouraging word.
There's a third
kind of person
that would
ask this question.
And that is the man
who was for a little while
called himself a Christian.
And yet he finds himself
in a
keyword
willing state
of continual failure
to various sins.
This is a person
who calls himself
a Christian,
a professor of Christ
who yet finds himself
in a
willing state
of continual sin.
in unrepentant state.
This man does not
hate his sin
nor love Christ.
He has sufficient
knowledge
to disguise himself
but sin
is still
in a lot of ways
and in almost
every way
is master.
Okay?
If you,
if that is you
tonight
and if you know
that to be true
of you tonight,
if you don't feel
any of this love
for Christ
do you have
no regenerated heart
that has any new
desires for him
and you've just been
kind of hiding
behind this facade
of intellect
or knowledge
about God
or the Bible
or whatever else,
you've been taught
some things
to kind of get by.
Maybe you're
seeking God
for all the wrong reasons.
I'm not even going
to go into all that.
Then I want to
warn you
that God
does not dwell
in you
and that you have
thusly no means
of being sanctified
and your sin
will,
as Numbers 32 says,
find you out.
All your sin
will find you out.
That guy
from Penn State,
you probably heard of him.
He tried to hide
for 30 years
and he was
eventually found out.
All your sin
will find you out.
You are a child
of the devil
if that is you.
And you do the deeds
of your father.
You lie.
You cheat.
You steal.
You do not love others.
You have no endurance
in faith.
You have no defense
against sin.
Your religion
is but a form.
It has no substance
to it.
You do not love God.
You do not fear God.
You do not serve Him.
And the only reason
why you would serve Him
is predicated upon
the fact that you might
get something from Him.
You may fear
the idea of hell
but you despise
the idea
of eternally
worshiping Jesus
in heaven.
He is not precious
to you.
You do not pray
to Him.
You do not treasure
His commandments.
You have never
entrusted your life
to Him.
If offered a choice,
you would prefer
the world's pleasures
of fame and sex
and wealth
over the life
of joyful obedience
to Christ.
You do what is
only necessary
to hide yourself
from being found out.
But if Christ
was not cool,
then you would not care.
And the description
could continue.
Your sins may have changed
but you serve
your flesh still.
Allow me the privilege
of introducing you tonight
to a man named
John Owen.
He is a scholar
of scholars
and he is awesome.
He says this,
Every lust,
every lust
that you feel
is a depraved
habit
or disposition.
Every lust
continually
inclining
the heart
to evil.
then,
or this then
is that description
of Him
who has no lust
mortified.
Mortified is a fancy
word of saying killed.
This then
is a description
of Him
who has no lust
killed.
And if you are not
being sanctified,
you are not of God.
Okay,
just keep that in your mind.
So if you have
no lust killed,
you are not of God.
This is a description
of Him
from the Scriptures,
Genesis 6-5.
Every imagination
of the thoughts
of His heart
is only evil
continually.
He is always
under the power
of a strong bent
and inclination
to sin.
And the reason
why a natural,
this is awesome,
and the reason
why a natural man
is not always
perpetually
in the pursuit
of some one lust
night and day
is because
He has many
to serve.
Everyone crying
to be satisfied
therefore He
has carried on
with great variety
but still in general
He lies toward
the satisfaction
of self.
So what is He
saying there?
He's saying,
A,
if you have no lust
mortified,
then you're like
the person
described in Genesis 6.
Your heart is only
inclined to evil
always.
Secondly,
the reason why
you don't always
do the same thing,
you're not always
sitting in the
very same way,
maybe you have
seasons of victory
if you want to
call it that
for you.
You know,
maybe you
really get down
in the dumps
and you're drinking
all the time
and you're getting
wasted all the time
and so you're like,
man,
I just need to
stop that,
like that is not
good for me,
that's not good
for what I need,
you know,
it's always me
centered when you
try to respond
morally as an
ungenerate man.
So you have this
season of sobriety,
right?
But that doesn't
mean you're not
sinning during the
time,
it just means you're
not serving that
one master.
You have many
masters,
you have many
different varieties
of ways and
avenues of sin.
I'll read it
again.
The reason why
a natural man is
not always perpetually
in the pursuit of
someone lust night
and day is because
he has many to
serve,
every one of them
crying to be
satisfied,
therefore he is
carried on with
great variety,
but still in general
he lies for the
satisfaction of
self.
That characterizes
a lot of people
you know,
that think they're
Christians and
yet all they do
is serve
themselves.
If you're
unrepentant,
if you're
unbroken,
if you're
unnerved by
your sin,
if your conscience
is rarely agitated,
if you think
little of Christ
and you think
much of yourself,
then you are
not a Christian.
You are not
a Christian.
You need to
repent of your
sin.
And I hope God
saves you through
this indictment
against you.
That's what
Paul did.
He preached
the same
gospel.
He preached
this damnation
of sinners
and need
for Savior.
But again,
going back to
what we just
said earlier,
the more you
see your sin,
the more glorious
that Savior
becomes.
So it's not
necessarily a bad
thing.
It's a good
thing.
It's a necessary
thing.
Okay,
second question.
That was the
longest one.
What about
that one
besetting sin
in my life
that I just
can't seem
to shake?
How many
of you
are like
this?
You have
that one
thing,
right?
There's that
one thing
that just
continually
trips you
up.
You always
succumb to
it.
It's like
you can't
get rid
of it.
It's like
I know
I've been
set free
in Christ
but this
thing is
still
shackled
to me.
We all
feel this
way in
some way.
What
category
of sin
is it
for you?
Lust,
pride,
vanity,
approval,
laziness,
apathy,
fear,
doubt,
anxiety,
gluttony?
What about
vices?
What about
guilty pleasures?
What about
bad habits?
And
specific sins?
What about
those two?
Pornography,
arrogance,
idolatry of
your own
image,
creature
worship,
needing to
feel needed,
an overabundance
of television
or video
games or
HGTV,
questioning
God's
goodness,
afraid of
rejection,
a lack of
self-control
with food,
sleep,
schoolwork,
immoral
amusements,
angry thoughts.
Those are
specific things
that I'm sure
all of us
can.
I swear to
that a lot.
I need a lot
of grace in
that area
of my life.
The question
here is,
is it possible
for a
Christian to
struggle their
whole life
with a certain
sin and
still be
saved?
Is it
possible?
contrary to
what I think I
initially feel
as an answer
to that
question,
the biblical
answer is
yes.
To some
degree,
it is a
possibility.
It is not
likely,
but it is a
possibility that a
person can
struggle with
some sin,
some category
of sin
their whole
life,
and yet
still be a
believer,
still be
saved when
they die.
Now,
I'm saying
that carefully
because I
know that
within you
it's like,
1 John,
that would
contradict you.
well,
just hear me
out.
I kind of
believe in
somebody
persisting in
a certain
sin their
whole life
in varying
degrees,
and then
being saved
when they
die.
I kind
of liken
that in a
sense,
or believe
that to be
like a
deathbed
conversion,
you know,
like the
thief on
the cross,
like that
happened one
time in
scripture,
okay?
And I
think the
proportion is
right.
I don't
think that
happens often.
I don't
think people
on their
deathbed
come to
know Christ
often.
I think
there's a
lot of
empty
professions
made on
their
deathbeds
because
they're
afraid of
hell,
they're
afraid of
whatever.
I don't
think there's
a lot of
genuine
conversions
happening
during that
time.
I think
they can
happen.
We see
that in
the
thief on
the
cross.
They
can
happen,
but it's
not
often.
This is
kind of
the same
thing.
I think
there are
people that
are genuinely
in love
with Christ
that struggle
in their
life,
their whole
life,
with something,
some kind
of sin,
and yet
are still
saved when
they die.
And the
big question
kind of
behind the
question is
this.
Is it
that this
person has
no faith?
Has no
faith?
And what
you are
seeing,
the sin
that you are
seeing,
is a
manifestation
of that.
They have
no faith.
They're not
saved.
They don't
believe.
And so
they're
sinning
by
unbelief,
which is
the
unpardonable
sin,
if you
don't
know.
If you
wonder
about
that,
what's
that
unpardonable
sin?
It's
unbelief.
Okay?
Or is
it that
what you're
seeing is
a
manifestation
of a
small and
a weak
and a
little
faith?
Okay?
That's
the question.
Is it
just a
little
bit of,
they're
not
exercising
much
faith.
They
don't
really
trust the
Lord
very much.
They
trust the
Lord to a
degree,
but it's
not a
lot.
Okay?
That's
really the
crux of
the matter,
I think.
Let me
prove this
to you
biblically.
Nobody in
here in
their right
mind would
say Solomon
was
unregenerate.
Okay?
He wrote
three books
in the Old
Testament.
God
answered his
prayers
specifically
and audibly.
Okay?
So I
don't
think
Solomon
would
be
classified
as
an
unbeliever
by anybody
in here
rationally.
However,
1 Kings
chapter 11
verse 1
through 4
says this,
Now King
Solomon
loved many
foreign women
along with
the daughter
of Pharaoh,
Moabite,
Ammonite,
Edomite,
Sidonianite,
and Hittite
women from
the nations
concerning which
the Lord
had said to
the sons
of Israel,
you shall
not associate
with them,
neither shall
they associate
with you,
for they will
surely turn
your heart
away after
other gods.
Solomon held
fast to
these in
love,
and he
had 700
wives,
princesses,
and 300
concubines.
And his
wives turned
his heart
away.
For it
came about
when Solomon
was old
that his
wives turned
his heart
away after
other gods,
and his
heart was
not wholly
devoted to
the Lord
his God,
as the
heart of
David his
father had
been.
He
wrote three
books in
the Old
Testament,
and that's
something written
of his
life.
What was
the result
of this
disobedience
and this
lack of
faith in
the commandments
of God
and the
mandates of
God?
Verse 11,
later on in
that same
chapter of
11,
says this,
so the
Lord said
to Solomon,
because you
have done
this,
and you
have not
kept my
commandments
and my
statutes,
which I
have
commanded
you,
I will
surely tear
the kingdom
from you
and will
give it to
your servant.
And then the
Lord raised
up an
adversary to
Solomon.
Okay?
It may be the
same with us.
If you don't
exercise by the
power of the
Holy Spirit
inside of you,
faith in
Christ.
Christ,
although every
true believer
has been
freed from
the power
and the
dominion of
sin,
some of
you,
I am
sad to
say,
still seem,
and I
myself in
ways,
still seem
to voluntarily
chain myself
up again
to old
sins.
Now,
envision that,
okay?
This is a
great illustration
I learned a
couple of
years ago
in the
Beach Project.
If you're
in a black
cell,
a prison
cell,
and you're
chained up
within that
prison cell,
you're a
prisoner of
that cell,
right?
And then all
of a sudden,
let's say God
just punches a
hole in the
wall,
and you can
see out,
and you're
free,
like it's
big enough
for you to
crawl through,
and you find
that your
chains have
fallen off,
and you
kind of,
you know,
you get up,
and you
waddle over,
and your
eyes are
freaking out
because you
haven't seen
light in a
long time,
and you
look out,
and you
see these
beautiful
meadows,
and lakes,
and mountains,
and it's
like,
wow,
this is
incredible,
and you
see Jesus
saying,
come on,
let's go,
I'm busting
you out,
and then you're
like,
ah,
no,
you go sit
back in the
corner,
and you try
to shackle
yourself back
up.
Well,
the meadow's
open,
the field is
open,
your freedom
is right
there,
but you
choose to
remain in
the shackle,
and the
thing that
you're lacking
is faith.
That faith
is what
enables you
to climb out
and to go
enjoy what
God has
given to
you.
He's given
you so much,
He's given
you freedom
to all
these things,
there's no
sin that
still binds
you,
it has
dominion
over you,
but the
reason why
we sin
is because
we don't
exercise
faith in
God.
We're like
the guy
in Mark 9
who's like,
I believe,
but you've
got to help
my unbelief.
I believe,
Lord,
but I'm
weak,
man,
I'm weak
in faith,
I need
your strength,
please,
you know,
cry out
like David
was crying,
help me,
God,
come,
you know,
help me,
fill me up
with faith.
Let me
briefly describe
why this
is perilous,
why this
is dangerous
to your
soul,
if this
is you,
okay?
I want
to dissuade
you,
in a sense,
from believing
that,
hey,
you know,
John just
said,
and you
know,
the scripture
seems to
kind of
validate,
like if I
keep these
sins in
my life,
then I
can still,
you know,
I can
kind of
have my
cake
and eat
it too,
I can
be in
heaven one
day with
Jesus,
you know,
maybe it's
not going
to be
Paul's
heaven,
but it's
going to
be,
you know,
it's
going to
be good,
and yet I
can still
do what
I
want to
are keeping
some pet
sin.
No true
believer will
ever delight
in sin.
Ever.
If it
pleases you
to think
that you
can have
Christ and
your sins,
then you're
not a
believer.
Okay?
The believer
may sin in
some certain
way their
whole life,
but it
will never
be enjoyed.
Bitterness
will be the
taste of
their every
indulgence in
that sin,
and as
the proverb
says,
Proverbs
20,
17 says,
bread obtained
by falsehood
is sweet
to a man,
but afterwards
his mouth
will be
filled with
gravel.
You may
enjoy it
for a
moment,
but it
will leave
you with
a
gravelly
taste in
your mouth.
You will
never enjoy
it.
You will
be miserable
all of your
days if
you are a
Christian and
you persist
in this sin.
You will
be miserable
God will
starve you
intentionally
of peace
and joy
and hope.
John
Owen said
this as
well,
not to be
daily employing
the spirit
and new
nature
for the
mortifying or
killing of
sin is to
neglect that
excellent aid
which God has
given us
against our
greatest enemy.
if we
neglect to
make use of
what we
have received,
God may
justly hold
his hand
from giving
us more.
His
graces as
well as
his gifts
are bestowed
on us to
use,
exercise,
and trade
with.
Not to be
daily killing
sin is to
sin against
the goodness,
kindness,
wisdom,
grace,
and love
of God
who has
furnished us
with the
principle
of doing
it.
That's a
loaded quote.
Sin has an
effect like
gravity has a
pull.
It doesn't
matter who
you are,
it doesn't
matter what
size you
are,
it doesn't
matter what
color you
are,
if you
jump up,
you will
come down.
If you're
on heroin
and you jump
up a building
and you're
super high
and you think
you can fly,
you're going
to fall to
the ground.
It doesn't
matter what
you think,
it doesn't
change,
gravity is
unbiased
and impartial.
Sin is
the same
way.
If you're
saved,
it's not
like you
get a,
you know,
it's not
like you
get a,
I want to
say get
out of
something
free card,
but it's,
I don't
know what
the word
is,
but I'll
explain it
to you.
So,
the scripture
says in
Galatians 6,
7 and 8,
that you
will reap
what you
sow.
You will
reap what
you sow.
Okay,
that is the
same biblical
principle,
or biblical
law you
could say,
as nature's
law of
gravity.
It's
impartial,
right?
Well,
sin is the
same way.
If you
sin,
you will
reap the
consequences
of that
sin.
You will
reap the
consequences.
And you
may not
know the
consequences
until you're
older,
or until
you die.
there are
things you
are robbing
yourself of
in Christ,
in heaven,
that you
will not
know until
you get
there.
And that
should make
us fear
sin all the
more,
and hate
sin all the
more,
because it
keeps us
from what
Christ has
purchased for
us with
His blood.
You get
that?
If you
continue in
some sin,
you're going
to reap the
destruction,
and the
misery,
and the
shame of
that sin.
A good
father,
right?
A good
earthly father
disciplines his
children,
that they
might learn
what is
right,
and what is
good,
versus what
is wrong,
what is
bad.
God loves
you a
thousand times
too much to
ever allow you
just to persist in
some sin.
That's what He
does to those
that He
despises.
Read Romans 1
and see what He
does.
See what the
worst wrath of
God in the
New Testament
is.
The wrath of
abandonment.
It's when
God says,
go your own
way.
When God
says,
okay America,
go your own
way.
I'm not going
to do
anything.
I'm not going
to stop
anything anymore.
I'm not going
to send you
earthquakes like
I send other
places in the
world.
I'm just going
to let you
go your own
way and enjoy
your sin and
fill up,
as Romans 2
says,
fill up your
wrath.
I'm just adding
more to it
every day.
There's going
to come a
day when I
reckon with
you.
That's the
worst wrath
that God
has,
is this
wrath of
abandonment.
The idea
here is that
God's children
are not
afforded that.
He will
never forget
about you.
He will
never stop
loving you.
And so as a
result of that,
He will
discipline you.
When you
sin, you
will be
disciplined.
And that is
for your good.
He wants to
teach you not
to blaspheme.
He wants to
align your
steps so
that you
walk in
obedience,
so that you
reap the
blessings of
faith,
that you
reap the
blessings of
the Holy
Spirit inside
of you,
that love
and joy
and peace
and patience
and all.
We talk
about that
all the time.
God wants
those things
for you to
the greatest
extent.
He says,
I have not
come,
He says,
Satan has
come to
steal,
to kill,
and to
destroy.
I have
come,
on the other
hand,
to give you
life that is
abundant.
Now,
part of
Him giving
you that
is teaching
you how
to get
it,
and that
comes
through
discipline.
Okay.
Another thing
that I just
want to really
point out here
to dissuade
you,
again,
if that is
you,
you cannot
ever be sure
of your
salvation.
Okay.
And honestly,
like,
the line,
like,
it's so
gray,
it's so
like,
you know,
like,
I mean,
the difference
between you
who have
very,
very little
faith,
and at times
when I have
very,
very little
faith,
and then an
unbeliever
who has no
faith,
is basically
nothing.
It's really
small,
it's just a
very thin line
of God's
grace,
is what
separates
you.
Okay,
and you,
honestly,
if you
persist in
sin all
of your
life,
how can
you possibly
be confident
of your
salvation?
Now,
I'm not
saying that
we're not
going to
always be
warring
against sin,
like,
there's going
to be,
we're always
going to have
to war
against it,
it's always
going to be
an issue
in our
lives,
in our
hearts,
Paul testifies
of that,
we're always
going to be
fighting against
it,
but if there's
no measure
of victory
which you're
experiencing,
if there's
no growing
in grace,
growing in
love,
growing in
obedience,
growing in
wisdom,
if there's
no,
honestly,
putting off
of the old
man and
putting on
of the new,
as we see
in Colossians,
how can you
have assurance?
Now,
you may still
be saved,
I'm not saying
that the people
that don't have
assurance can't
be saved,
I'm saying
that you
can't really
have it,
that's the
blessing of
obedience is
assurance,
you know,
I mean,
read 1 Peter 1
to see that,
talks about that,
you know,
God puts you
through trials
and temptations
to purify you
of fire,
but when you
come out,
it's like,
man,
that's that
gold,
he says,
it's that
precious stone
which can't
be taken away
from me,
it's that
imperishable
thing which
I just cling
to,
you know,
and I think
every Christian
here is going
to be,
by God's
grace,
afforded times
when you do
endure and
when you do
see fruit
being,
you know,
barren in
your life,
it's a grace
of God as
well.
You will
not be allowed
by the spirit
within you
to enjoy the
evil of your
sin,
and yet,
you will not
allow yourself
the privilege
of enjoying
the good.
That's you.
You won't allow
yourself to enjoy
the good.
It's not that
God is keeping
things from you,
it's that you,
by the littleness
of your faith,
or keeping
things from
yourself.
So believe
in the promises
of God.
When you come
to Him in the
Word of God,
believe Him.
Believe Him.
Amen.
Turn to
Matthew 12.
Verse 20.
A battered reed
he will not
break off
in a smoldering
wick he will
not put out
until he leads
justice
to victory.
Spurgeon,
in this book
I'm reading,
likened that
to a battered
reed.
A battered
reed
is a picture
of the poor
sinner
when first
God begins
His operation
upon the soul.
He is a bruised
reed,
almost entirely
broken and
consumed.
There is but
little strength
in him.
Then he says
of this
smoldering
wick,
which is like
a candle
that has
a really,
really small
flicker.
That's a
smoldering
wick.
He says
the smoking
flax,
listen to this,
the smoldering
wick,
I take to be
a backsliding
Christian.
One who has
been a burning
and shining
light in his
day,
but by neglect
of the means
of grace,
the withdrawal
of God's
spirit,
and falling
into sin,
his light
has almost
gone out.
Not quite
completely
can it go
out,
for Christ
says,
I will not
quench it,
but it
becomes like
a lamp
when ill
supplied
with oil,
almost useless.
It is not
extinguished,
it still
smokes.
It was a
useful lamp
once,
but now
it has
become as
smoking
flax.
So that
verse is
another just
biblical,
I think,
proof text
of this
reality.
There are
people,
there are
Christians,
that because
of their
backsliding,
because of
their refusal
to kill
sin through
the means
that God
has given
them,
which is
the Holy
Spirit.
They become
like this
smordering
wick,
useless
really,
smoking,
but not
really
flaming.
they need
to repent.
Praise,
signing
grace.
Third
question.
I know
God desires
for me to
be sanctified,
but I
honestly don't
know how
to be.
Okay,
this is the
exciting,
how to be
sanctified
question.
1 Thessalonians
4,
3 just
confirms that,
okay,
it is the
will of
God,
He says,
that you
be sanctified.
That's
literally what
it says.
I mean,
it's the
will of
God.
It's very
clearly said
in Scripture.
1 Thessalonians
4,
3.
The most
important
question of
the night
is how
am I
sanctified?
Sanctification,
listen to this,
is a work of
the Holy
Spirit.
We've said
that in
you and
through
your grace
driven
effort,
by which
sin is
killed and
your soul
is purified
by the
transformation
which takes
place as
your mind
is renewed
by the
Word.
That's a
lie,
it's a
mouthful,
I know
that,
but there
are a
thousand
facets
involved
in
sanctification.
I can't
discuss all
of them
right now.
It's truly
inexhaustible,
this topic
is,
but Christ,
okay,
He knew
that it was
just overwhelming
probably to the
disciples in
their minds
and He prays
in John 17
and He
explains the
heart and
the foundation
of sanctification
in verse
17 of that
chapter.
John 17,
17,
and He
prays this,
He prays,
sanctify them,
in truth.
Your Word
is truth.
If you leave
and you don't
remember anything
else tonight,
remember this,
God's Word,
God's truth,
the truth about
Christ is how
you will be
sanctified.
It is how you
will kill sin,
it is how you
will learn to
obey Christ,
it is how you
will be strengthened
to fight against
the devil when
he comes and
when he accuses
you,
when he tries to
thwart your
plans,
when he tries to
afflict you,
it is how you
will learn to
love Christ more
in your daily
life.
It is the key
to everything
is the Word
of God.
Sanctify them
in truth,
your Word is
truth.
The truth of
God's Word
is the key
to this whole
issue.
Sanctification
happens as
God's truth is
understood and
obeyed.
It is that
simple.
There is a
million things
to say in
that,
but it is
that fundamentally
simple.
Christ is
the Word.
God's Word.
John 1.
That's Jesus
Christ in
Word form,
right?
His incarnation
was in fleshly
form.
His Word is in
Word form.
Christ is the
Word.
And His Word
embodies who He
is.
It reveals His
glory like no
other medium that
we have.
If you wish to
know God and
you wish to
become like God,
you wish to
grow in that
genuine image
that we talked
about at the
beginning,
then know
God's Word.
There's so many
good verses to
quote right now
to just affirm
that.
The Spirit of
God,
listen to this,
okay?
This is the
sole function of
the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of
God has been
given to you
to teach you
about Christ.
To teach you
about Christ.
How to love
Him,
how He hates,
what He hates,
what is pleasing
to Him,
what is not
pleasing to Him,
when and how
to obey Him,
and so on.
And how does
the Spirit
teach us
these things
by bringing
to our
remembrance
what Christ
has said?
That's John
14,
26.
It is straight
out of the
Scriptures.
The Spirit
of God
teaches you
by reminding
you of the
things that
He has
said.
So cling
to the
Word of
God.
Cling to
the Word
of God.
Let it be
the most
important thing
in your
life.
Don't lose
me here at
the end,
okay?
We have a
couple minutes
left.
I'm almost
finished.
I promise.
Don't lose
me here.
This is so,
so vital.
John 14,
21 says this,
He who has
my commandments
and keeps
them,
He is who
loves me.
And he who
loves me
shall be loved
by my Father,
and I will
love him and
will disclose
myself to him.
I will reveal
myself more to
him.
I will manifest
myself to him.
To who?
To the person
that has my
commandments and
keeps him.
God.
So that is
a verse that
says,
Jesus is
saying,
there is a
direct correlation
between you
experiencing and
being satisfied
in me and
knowing the
Word of God.
You know
my Word and
you keep that
Word,
then you get
more of me.
That's the
heart of
sanctification.
Okay,
now I have
six things
that I'm just
going to fly
through here at
the end.
It will be
done in
five minutes.
Six things
regarding how
a person is
sanctified.
And they all
start with
the word
be and then
they have an
R word
just to,
you know,
make it
memorable or
whatever the
word is.
So the first
one is,
this is how
a person is
sanctified.
The first
one is be
redeemed.
Okay?
Sanctification
cannot happen
apart from the
Holy Spirit.
Okay?
It cannot
happen apart
from you
being saved
and being
given the
Holy Spirit.
If you
are not
redeemed,
if you
do not
know
Christ,
then you
need to
check out
right now
and search
your heart
and plead
to God
for salvation.
Okay?
Because you
can't go any
further.
Those who
are in the
flesh,
the scripture
says in
Romans 8,
cannot
please God.
It says,
however,
you are not
in the flesh
but in the
spirit.
If in need,
the spirit
of God
dwells in
you.
But if
anyone does
not have
the spirit
of Christ,
he does
not belong
to him.
Secondly,
be repenting.
Repent of
your sin
on the
regular,
not for
forgiveness
of sins.
Okay?
People,
Christians make
this mistake
a lot.
Okay?
They pray,
Father,
forgive me
for this
sin.
He already
has.
Why are you
asking for
something he's
already given
you?
He's already
forgiven you of
all your sins.
He's already
absolved you of
all your sins.
forgiveness.
So don't
pray for
forgiveness.
You pray
about sin
just simply
admitting to
it.
It's a
recognition of
your sin.
God,
I again
recognize today
that I am in
need of your
grace because
my sin is
great.
Thank you for
your forgiveness.
Praise him for
that.
So be
repenting.
Okay?
Repentance
glorifies God.
Joshua 7
19 proves
that.
So be
repenting of
your sin,
but also be
laying aside
your sin.
Okay?
Starve them
with all
your heart
and soul
and mind
and strength.
Starve your
lust.
I heard
John Owen
describe
the work
of killing
your lust
as a man
being crucified.
Right?
Imagine your
lust.
Imagine
your sin,
your old man
in a sense
that the Bible
talks about.
Imagine that
as a person
on the cross
being crucified.
Right?
And they're
initially,
when they're
initially killed,
they're initially
not killed,
but initially
crucified,
there's blood
spewing on
everywhere and
they're up there
gyrating all
over the place
and they're
probably screaming
out and yelling.
But as time
goes on and
that person
loses more and
more and more
and more and
more of their
blood,
they don't
really say
very much.
Right?
So you
keep your
sin starved,
you keep your
sin crucified
like that.
I know
initially it's
going to be
like,
man,
this thing
is just
coming at
me and
coming at
me and
yelling at
me and
my sin
is just
in my
face.
But then
over time,
as you
continue to
starve your
lusts,
it will
subside,
it will
die,
it will
lose strength,
it will
lose energy,
it will
grow weaker
and weaker
and weaker.
Another good
illustration,
this is funny
I think,
if you guys
seen Monty Python
and the Holy
Grail,
hilarious movie,
right?
There's that
one scene
when he comes
up,
kind of
sacrilegious,
I know,
but there's
that one scene
where he comes
up,
he's at the
bridge and
there's that
black,
like dark
knight,
right?
He's like,
you know,
he's like,
I gotta pass
this way,
and he's like,
none shall
pass,
and they get
into this
sword fight,
and he cuts
off his
right arm
and like,
fate blood is
skewed out of
his arm,
at first,
and he's like,
alright,
you know,
you're defeated,
and he says,
he's like,
no I'm not,
but you know,
where's my
sword,
and he picks
it up and
starts fighting
with his left
hand,
he's all clumsy,
cuts off the
left arm,
cuts off the
left leg,
right leg,
and at last,
he's like,
just hobbling
around like
this,
you know,
he has no
arms,
no legs,
just this
torso and
a head,
and the
guy's like,
there's nothing
left for you
to fight with,
and he's like,
you know,
come here,
I'm gonna
bite you,
whatever,
it's hilarious,
like,
that's kind of
the same idea
as killing
your sin,
you know,
like,
I mean,
if you continue
to just fight
it,
and stab
it,
and wound
it,
and you
don't give
it any,
you don't give
it any leeway
with you,
you don't give
it any ground
with you,
eventually,
your lust
is gonna be
like this
torso and
head,
I mean,
it's still
alive,
like,
I mean,
you're not,
I mean,
yeah,
it's still
like a lust
in your life,
it's still
like a thing
to be,
I guess,
aware of,
but it has
no power,
you know,
just kick it
over and
walk by,
all right,
that's the
idea,
I mean,
like,
that's what
sanctification
does,
when you
employ the
Holy Spirit
and you
employ the
work of
that Spirit
by faith,
you will
see your
lusts,
as John
Owen is
about to
say,
dead at
your feet,
just kick
it over,
thirdly,
be remembering
God's
word,
be remembering
God's
word,
memorize the
heck out of
scripture,
okay,
let the
word of
Christ richly
dwell within
you,
Colossians
316,
Psalm 119,
11,
says,
I have
hidden your
word in
my heart,
that I
might not
sin against
you,
Psalm 119,
11,
I'm telling
you,
I'm telling
you,
okay,
you've heard
it before,
you didn't
believe it
then,
believe it
now,
the word
of God
is the
key to
everything,
you learn
the word
of God,
you put
this stuff
in your
mind,
you're
going to
find the
sin that
you want
to struggle
with,
not that
bad,
you wave
by it as
you continue
down the
narrow road,
you kick
it under
your feet,
God
says in
1 John
4,
what?
Does
anybody know
that?
greater
is he
who's
in you
than
he
who's
in
the
world.
Greater
is he
who's
in you,
Christian,
than
he
who's
in the
world.
I
can't
get over
this
sin,
it's
in my
life,
it's
so
strong.
No,
greater
is he
who's
in you
than
he
who's
in
the
world.
The
Holy
Spirit
within
you
is
greater
than
that
sin.
And
when you
believe
that,
you
will
see it
come about.
Fourthly,
three more
real quick,
be relentless,
be relentless in your pursuit of God's glory.
Psalm 86,
11 and 12
says this,
teach me your way,
O Lord,
I will walk in your truth.
There it is again.
Truth,
I will walk in your truth,
your word.
Unite my heart to fear your name,
he says,
I will give thanks to you,
O Lord,
my God,
with all my heart,
and will glorify your name forever.
The psalmist
was resilient.
He was relentless in his pursuit of God's glory.
Every temptation that you face
is
surmountable,
is
defeatable.
No temptation has ever taken you,
but such as is common to man.
And God is faithful
and will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you can bear.
It's a promise.
But,
with every temptation,
He will provide a way of escape
that you might be able to endure.
1 Corinthians 10, 13.
That's a promise.
Spurgeon said this,
or
John Owen said this,
Set faith at work on Christ
for the killing of your sin.
His blood is the great sovereign remedy
for sin-sick souls.
Live in this,
and you will die a conqueror.
Yes,
you will,
through the good providence of God,
live to see your lusts
dead at your feet.
This is signification.
Fifthly,
whoa,
wait a second,
Matthew 26, 41.
I've got to interject this.
Matthew 26, 41 says,
keep watching and praying.
Really,
keep watching and keep praying continually.
There is a vigilance,
a steadfastness,
in this sanctification.
Matthew 7, 14
says to enter by the narrow gate,
right?
It says that the way is hard,
and it's narrow,
that leads to eternal life,
and few there be that find it.
That word hard,
okay,
means troubling,
it means distressful.
So I say this,
only those
with the aid of the Holy Spirit
can make it.
Only those
who have seen Christ by faith
will endure.
This relentlessness
that we're talking about right here
is going to be
what leads to your assurance.
If you find yourself
losing all confidence in you
and putting all confidence in Christ,
you will find yourself victorious.
You will find yourself relentless.
And you will find yourself
enduring to the end
and being saved triumphantly.
And being confident when you die.
And being confident as you live
in God.
Fifthly,
be rejoicing.
Be rejoicing.
Paul beckons us
in Philippians 4, 4.
Rejoice in the Lord always.
Again, I say rejoice.
The Christian
can always
rejoice.
You say,
that's impossible.
Life sucks sometimes.
The Christian
can always
rejoice.
Why?
Because Christ
is always
His Savior.
That trumps
every trial.
There is never a moment
to despair.
Is your soul
sick with sin?
Rejoice in the same
Savior
as the chief of sinners.
Are you downtrodden?
Are you heavy hearted?
Rejoice.
Our Savior
was Himself
well acquainted
with grief
and with many sorrows
and yet He overcame
all of them
for you.
In the words of Nehemiah
chapter 8
verse 10
The joy
of the Lord
is your strength.
The joy of the Lord
is your strength.
It's a beautiful
Old Testament verse.
It's hidden back there
in Nehemiah.
Lastly,
this is for fun,
be reminding
Satan
as often as you like
that he is an already
defeated foe.
Say with Paul,
if God is for us,
who can be against us?
What can mere man
do to me?
It's kind of this arrogance
but he says,
hey,
if you're going to boast,
boast in Christ.
So I'm kind of arrogant
right now.
And I'm not going to
repent of that.
You feel that confidence
welling up within you?
That is merely
the Spirit
energizing your soul
for the slaughtering
of Satan
and of your lusts
and readying your heart
for praise
of our conquering Christ.
I'm going to end
with a quote
and then we're done.
I'll wait in ten minutes.
Sorry.
Remember,
you are God's sword.
His instrument.
I trust a chosen vessel
unto Him
to bear His name.
In greatest measure,
according to the purity
and the perfection
of the instrument.
Hear that again.
In greatest measure,
according to the purity
and the perfection
of the instrument
will be the success.
It is not great talents.
God blesses so much
as likeness to Jesus.
You need to cling to that.
It is not great talents
that God blesses so much
as likeness to Jesus.
A holy man
is an awful weapon
in the hand of God.
In Philippians 1.6
it says,
He that began
a good work in you
will perfect them
until the day of Christ Jesus.
So if you're a Christian,
what I'm talking about,
although it seems lofty
and crazy,
is a sure thing.
He's a dream.
Thank you.