As He Is
As
He Is
23
And
the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I
pray God
your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It's
amazing but true that God's outlined plan for your life is beyond
your wildest imagination. In fact, this life in the flesh has us so
involved with life issues that most of we Christians give little
thought to what it will mean to be completely sanctified.
Consider
for a moment
the Christian life. We
often hear about sanctification
but
do we fully understand the meaning of the word?
(Sanctification
defined:
the
noun
form of sanctify, which
is a verb, means
to:
set
apart as or declare holy; consecrate, become
holy · become
sacred · bless · hallow · set apart · make legitimate or binding
by religious sanction.
Here
I present an additional list describing Sanctification:
approve
· sanction · give the stamp of approval to · underwrite · free
from sin; purify. purify · cleanse · free from sin · absolve ·
unburden · redeem · cause to be or seem morally right or
acceptable.
Sanctification
begins at the time of our turning from sin dark into eternal light
and is a continuing growth process.
At the moment of salvation (acceptance
of Christ as Lord in our life),
God sets us apart for Himself. God's grand
plan
then
throughout the rest of our earthly life, while
we ate still confined in this cloak of clay, He
works to lead
us in spiritual growth forming
us into the image of His only
begotten Son.
As
we walk and talk with Christ our Lord a great
day will
come. We will shed this cocoon of sinful dirt. Our work and
persistence will be evaluated and the body that struggled to keep us
will give up the “Ghost” (Holy Spirit).
However,
this
is not the end of our sanctification.
While
we dwell in this sinful body
we all struggle with sin, but when we die, our spirits and souls will
ascend to
heaven
and be completely sinless. Then we'll see our Savior face to face and
receive
unimaginable joy. 1
John 3:2: Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for
we shall see him as he is.
No
longer will we struggle with the pride of life or the lusts of the
flesh and the eyes. (1
John 3:16).
Knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
However,
as great as this will be, it's not yet the total
fullness of sanctification, Some
day in the future, Jesus will descend from heaven, bringing with Him
the souls of those who have died in Christ.
They will be united with their resurrected and
glorified
bodies, and believers who are still alive on the earth will be
changed (1
Thess. 4:14-17);
14
For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15
For
this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive
and
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are
asleep.16
For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first: 17
Then
we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1
Cor. 15:51-54).
51
Behold,
I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed,
52
In
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed.
54
So
when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Then
sanctification will be complete. The
spirit,
soul, and body will
display perfect harmony.
God Himself promises to bring it to pass. We'll walk in His presence,
spotless and without blame, for all eternity. Knowing this, how will
you live today? The promise of salvation isn’t meant just to give
hope, but to spur us on to holy living.
Know
God, know peace Amen 06-28-1920
BLL
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