The ladies in our congregation are meeting twice a month to discuss what we have learned while studying sanctification. This month I am teaching ( my first time to teach an adult ladies' class! terrified!), so I am posting my notes that I'm passing out in class, for those of you aren't able to make it to class. They are a compilation of what we discussed in our classes. I have learned so much through this study. I am so thankful for the opportunity to meet with other Christian women and to grow together in our understanding of His word.
Here are the notes below. If you want them in Word format, just leave me a comment with your email address and I'll be happy to forward them on to you.
Caleb – Numbers 13
and 14
Background:
tribe of Judah; approx. 40 years old when spied Canaan; son of Jephunneh
Circumstances of Sanctification: Num 13:1 Send men to spy out Canaan; Caleb was one of 12 spies sent to spy out
land; one of only 2 who were faithful to God
Purpose of sanctification: to show God’s people that
they could overcome with God
Blessings:
Hebron given to him as an inheritance in Joshua 14; daughter was given
to Othniel, a judge, in Joshua 14:6; allowed to enter the land of Canaan (one
of only 2 out of approximately 600,000 Israelite men who were alive at the time
they spied out land of Canaan)
His response:
He took God at His word and encouraged Israel to trust God even when the
multitude argued that the enemy was too powerful. He stood his ground and took a stand for
truth.
Application: a
“different” spirit - Numbers 14:24;
wholly followed the Lord - Joshua 14:8;
Be separate – 2 Cor 6:14-17 Can the same be said about me and you?
Joshua – Numbers 13
and 14/Joshua 1
Background:
tribe of Ephraim; named Hoshea but called Joshua by Moses (means “the
Lord saves”); son of Nun
Circumstances of Sanctification: Num 13:1 Send men to spy out Canaan; Joshua was one of 12 spies sent to spy out
land; one of only 2 who were faithful to God; chosen to succeed Moses as the
leader of Israel in Joshua 1
Purpose of sanctification: to lead God’s people
Blessings:
·
Rahab’s family spared – Joshua 2
·
Crossing of Jordan – Joshua 3
·
Canaanites feared Israel – Joshua 5
·
Circumcision reinstated – “rolled away reproach”
– Joshua 5
·
Victory at Jericho – Joshua 6
·
Purity of the camp – Joshua 7
·
Conquest of Canaan – Joshua 11
·
Tribal boundaries – Joshua 13-19
·
Cities of refuge – Joshua 20
·
Israel faithful to God – Joshua 24
His response:
·
He trusted God’s word – it was enough for
him.
·
He was willing to stand out and be
different.
·
He strove for purity.
·
Joshua 24:15 – “As for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord.”
Application: Purity,
Being different, Sorrow when others are unfaithful
Samuel – 1 Samuel 1-3
Background:
tribe of Levi, living in territory of Ephraim; mother – Hannah; father -
Elkanah
Circumstances of Sanctification: Set apart by mother before birth (1 Sam
1:11); set aside as a Nazarite (Numbers 6); called by the Lord while sleeping
Purpose of sanctification: to serve God (1 Sam 1:28);
to be a prophet (I Sam 3:19-21); announced the kings of Israel
Blessings:
·
God’s people heard His words
·
Encouraged Israel to be faithful
·
Counseled Saul, David
His response:
·
“Speak, Lord, for your servant hears”
·
Ministered to the Lord
·
Took it personally when others rebelled
Application:
·
Do we set our children aside?
·
Do we say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant
hears.”
·
Do I take rejection personally?
Saul – 1 Samuel 9-11
Background:
tribe of Benjamin; seeking missing donkeys
Circumstances of Sanctification: Samuel spoke to him of God’s plans; chosen to
be 1st king of Israel; God gave him “another heart” in 1 Samuel
10:9-10
Purpose of sanctification: Israel’s first king
Blessings: ???
His response:
·
Humility at first
·
Later, arrogance and blame
Application:
·
Do I allow God to give me “another heart?”
·
Obedience is better than sacrifice
·
Take responsibility for ourselves and our
actions; don’t blame others
David – 1 Samuel 16
Background:
tribe of Judah; son of Jesse
Circumstances of Sanctification: God sought a man after his own heart to
replace Saul as king
Purpose of sanctification: to be king of Israel; to
receive an “eternal kingdom,” through which the Messiah would come
Blessings: -
line of the Messiah came through him
His response:
·
Respect for the Lord’s anointed
·
Imperfect, but worked to do God’s will
·
Courage and humility
·
Willing to repent
Application:
·
Man after God’s own heart – can that be said
about me?
·
Respected God’s plans and timing
·
Courage against those who defied God
Solomon – 1 Kings; 1
Chronicles; 2 Chronicles
Background:
tribe of Judah, son of David
Circumstances of Sanctification: chosen by God to be king after David; given
wisdom and wealth
Purpose of sanctification: king; build temple
Blessings:
·
Peace
·
Wisdom
·
Wealth
·
Fame
·
temple
His response:
·
at first, faithful and requested wisdom the most
·
later, rejected God’s ways and allowed his heart
to be turned away
Application:
·
There are conditions for sanctification.
·
Wisdom/education can get in the way of godliness
General notes on sanctification:
Sanctification can be defined as: “the course of life befitting those separated
to God.” (Vines, page 545)
“Sanctification is also used in NT of the separation of the
believer from evil things and ways. This sanctification is God’s will for the
believer (I Thess 4:3) and His purpose in calling him by the gospel, v. 7. It must be learned from God (v.4) as He
teaches it by His Word, John 17:17,19, and it must be pursued by the believer,
earnestly and undeviatingly 1 Tim 2:15, Hebrews 12:14. For the holy character is not vicarious;
i.e., it cannot be transferred or imputed, it is an individual possession,
built up, little by little, as the result of obedience to the Word of God, and
of following the example of Christ.”
(vines, page 545)
“Called Out” – this is such a serious thing! This is not to be taken lightly. Read 1 Peter 1:13-2:12
Do we have an
obligation to seek holiness after sanctification?
I Pet 1:15-16
15, 16 But like he who called you is holy, be ye
yourselves also holy in all manner of living: because it is written, Ye shall
be holy: for I am holy.—In verse 1,
those to whom Peter wrote are described as "elect"; here, as having
been "called." God "called" through the gospel,
"Whereunto he called you by our gospel (2 Thess. 2:14)
; and inasmuch as the gospel is addressed to all nations and to every creature
(Matt. 28:18-20;
Mark 16:15, 16),
it follows that all who heed the call become, through obedience,
the elect of God. The design of God's calling is holiness, the sanctification
of the whole life to him: "For this is the will of God, even your
sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; . . . For God called us not
for uncleanness, but in sanctification." (1 Thess. 4:3,
7.) This
holiness to which all are called is, essentially, separation from a life of
habitual sin and all worldly defilement. Such is the meaning of the word
translated "holiness" (ha-gios.) The words sanctify,
sanctification, saint, holy and holiness all derive from this same root and
thus bear related meanings. Here God, as a perfect pattern of holiness, is set
forth for our emulation in "all manner of living."
The verb "be" is not the ordinary word for
simple being, but one which means, literally, "to become." The tense
of the verb (ingressive aorist) suggests the ushering in of one into a new state.
This reveals that the holiness enjoined
for the Christian is not such as is a necessary consequence of having obeyed
the gospel, but a manner of life attained through a positive renunciation of
the world by the individual himself. Sanctification is thus not some mysterious
change wrought in the soul by an incomprehensible operation of the Holy Spirit,
but a manner of life affected through godly conduct. In these words, there is an undoubted allusion to an admonition of the
Lord in the sermon on the mount (Matt. 5:48),
another indication of the profound influence the Lord wrought upon the
impulsive apostle during the public ministry.
The words, "Ye shall be holy; for I am
holy," occur five times in the book of Leviticus from which they are
cited. (Lev. 11:44; 11:45; 9:2; 20:7; 20:26.) The
words were, on some occasions, addressed to priests; at other times, to the
whole nation of Israel. Peter regarded all Christians as priests (individuals
qualified and empowered to engage in worship) and as constituting the
"holy nation" of spiritual Israel, and thus worthy indeed to have the
admonition applied to them. As the Israelites were required to be a holy nation
and a peculiar people in the midst of the nations, so Christians who have
succeeded to their spiritual status as the chosen people of the Lord must
maintain the same separateness from the world about them. It is a
characteristic of people to imitate the God whom they
worship; and since he is wholly pure, followers of Jehovah have the perfect
standard of excellence that is theirs to emulate. The word "I" in the
quotation, "I am holy," is emphatic in the Greek text, signifying,
"I, myself, apart from all others, am holy."
—Gospel Advocate Commentaries
·
Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and
all these things shall be added to you.
·
Joshua
24:15 15 And if it
seems evil to you to serve the Lord,
choose for yourselves this day whom
you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were
on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you
dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 16 So the people
answered and said: "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods;
·
Romans
12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that
you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which
is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God
·
1
Peter 3:15 15 But sanctify
the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a
defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with
meekness and fear;
·
1
Thess 4:1-12 – many instructions, including:
… that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification
and honor
·
1
Cor 3:16 -17 16 Do you not know that you are the
temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone
defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy,
which temple you are.
·
Romans
6:12-22 12
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in
its lusts. 13 And do not
present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but
present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness to God…
·
John
15:1-8 Vine and branches
·
1 Peter 1:15-16 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be
holy in all your conduct, 16 because it
is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
·
2 Pet 3:11-12
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
·
Eph 4 and 5 – be righteous!! Eph 5:8-10 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are
light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit
of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out
what is acceptable to the Lord.
·
2 Thess 2:13-17 salvation through
sanctification; stand fast! 13 But we are bound to give thanks to
God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the
beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and
belief in the truth,
·
2 Peter 3:17 17 You therefore,
beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall
from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in
the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be
the glory both now and forever. Amen.
·
Heb 12:14-15
14 Pursue peace with all people,
and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking
carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
·
1 Tim 6:11 11
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, patience, gentleness.
·
Titus 2:11-12 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has
appeared to all men, 12 teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in the present age,
·
1 Tim 4:6-8 6
If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of
Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which
you have carefully followed. 7 But reject
profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily
exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having
promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 9 This is
a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. 10 For to this end
we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the
Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. 11 These things
command and teach. 12 Let no one
despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in
love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come,
give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect
the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on
of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on
these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident
to all. 16 Take heed to
yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save
both yourself and those who hear you.
·
1 John 1:7 7 But if we
walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
·
2 Tim 4:2 2 Preach the
word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort,
with all longsuffering and teaching.
·
1 Peter 2 – whole chapter!!
·
Php 2:14-16 14
Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may
become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a
crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast
the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not
run in vain or labored in vain.
·
Php 4:8 8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are
noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good
report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
·
Col 3:1-2 If then you were raised with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand
of God. 2 Set your mind
on things above, not on things on the earth.
·
Col 3:17 17
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Many of these verses also point out that we have a choice in
the matter of sanctification. Salvation
is a free gift from God, but it comes with requirements for obedience in order
to obtain it. God will not force us to
choose Him now, but at judgment every knee will bow to Him. Salvation is conditional on an active,
obedient faith that comes from hearing God’s word and applying it to our lives
in humble submission to His will.
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