A message for Akron Alliance Fellowship Church, Sunday, October 20, 2024.
For the “Live in Church” audio of this message, select here.
Are you a person who is naturally curious about things? When you were in grade school, you were most likely taught subjects that helped you to expand your way of thinking about a number of things. For example, you may have been exposed to subjects like biology or chemistry, and you would have learned something about the Scientific Method. In its simplest form, the Scientific Method is how the study of science was developed ever since the 17th century. It is a tried-and-true way of providing solutions and conclusions through experimentation and statistical analysis.1
The Scientific Method is applicable to virtually any experiment—whether it involves science or not—as a way to determine and recognize problems through the collection of information leading to a solution. With varying degrees, the method consists of the following steps:
1.) Observation / Question – a topic for research and experimentation or a question that needs to be answered.
2.) Research – Find out about the topic.
3.) Hypothesis – Predict the outcome to the problem.
4.) Experiment – Develop a procedure to test the hypothesis.
5.) Collect Data – Record the results of the experiment.
6.) Analysis – Examine the data.
7.) Conclusion – Compare the hypothesis to the experiment’s results.2
For the sake of today’s message, I’m inviting those of you who are curious about finding solutions to consider using this same methodology to examine yourself. I don’t want you to look at your own life as if you are solving problems about who you are; instead, let’s look at this as an opportunity for improvement. When looking at the reality that all of us sin and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), then there will ALWAYS be room for improvement. God calls for us to emulate Jesus Christ and declares in His Word to “be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16).
We’re going to look at the subject of sanctification.
Let’s start with a dictionary definition of the word sanctification. It is, according to Merriam-Webster, the state of growing in divine grace as a result of a Christian commitment after baptism or conversion.3 From this basic definition, you can ask the following question pertaining to where you are in your relationship with Jesus…”Are you growing in sanctification in your relationship with Christ?” Perhaps you can answer this question with a “yes” or “no,” but let’s explore this with more detailed analysis. We’re going to see that sanctification has more than one meaning pertaining to the believer in Jesus Christ that goes beyond this basic dictionary definition. While the basic definition of sanctification involves growth within your commitment to Jesus Christ, we need to dig a little deeper on this. As there’s no such thing as growth in grace outside of Christ, we can start with the premise that Christ must be the foundation of a believer’s experience of sanctification. The Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised for every believer, is where we receive the power of God’s sanctification.
Let’s gather information on this as we look at the words of Jesus in revealing the relevance of the Holy Spirit:
John 14:15-20 NIV
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
John 16:5-8, 13-15 NLT
5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
Ezekiel 36:26-27 NIV
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
So, we see this sample of a number of prophetic verses involving the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit with a relationship in Jesus. What does the representation of the Holy Spirit mean to us? In the simplest terms, the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer is the catalyst for sanctification.
Now, we’re still gathering information as we go a little deeper in the subject of sanctification. I want you to see how sanctification is more than just the cleansing presence of the Spirit, but how there is also a working presence of the Spirit in the life of the believer:
John 17:16-19 NIV
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
In this passage, Jesus gives the indication that sanctification is an ongoing process in the life of a believer. Let’s work on our definition of sanctification based on what we are learning here as we go. Sanctification, according to Christian theology, is a state of separation, or being set apart unto God. In fact, the word sanctifycomes from the Greek word hagiazo (hag-ee-ad’-zo), which means “to make holy, that is, ceremonially purify or consecrate.” It occurs 29 times in the King James Bible. Here is a brief selection of examples of its use:
Luke 11:2 KJV
And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, HALLOWED be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
1 Corinthians 6:11 KJV
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are SANCTIFIED, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Hebrews 10:10, 14 KJV
10 By the which will we are SANCTIFIED through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are SANCTIFIED.
This reveals to us that as God is indeed holy, He is imparting this same holiness to us through Jesus Christ. It is inherent in our faith relationship in Jesus as our Lord and Savior! What a wonderful thing this is for us to see!
This being set apart as holy is associated with what theologians refer to as “positional” sanctification as it involves justification because of a relationship with Jesus Christ.4
But let’s be honest with ourselves. We still commit sin on a regular basis. This is where we need to rely upon the Word of God. We need to rely upon Jesus, the living Word (John 1:1), who enables us to learn and live in His Word to stand firm and resist those things that cause us to sin:
Psalm 119:9-16 NIV
9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
You can see from this text that your faith in Jesus is an active faith. You are to actively seek and engage with Jesus through the Spirit. Yes, we are sanctified by our relationship with Jesus, but we are also leaning on the presence of the Word that is brought to life within us through the Holy Spirit. This is what is referred to as “progressive” or “experiential” sanctification. For those of you who understand what it is to grow in Christ because of obedience to His Word, you recognize that God’s work in you is an ongoing process. Jesus, through the Spirit, sees to this as it is according to His will for your life.
2 Peter 3:18 NIV
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Philippians 1:6 NLT
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Hebrews 12:14 NIV
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
So, we see that positional sanctification comes from believing in Jesus and receiving His justification from the seal of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and progressive sanctification works in tandem with the believer’s obedience to God’s Word as Christ shapes and molds us as His new creation (John 17:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
As we gather more information about sanctification, I trust that this helps us to address our self-examination with our hypothesis. To address our original question “Are you growing in sanctification in your relationship with Christ?” let’s create a hypothesis: “Our growth relationship with Jesus involves experiential sanctification and progressive sanctification.” The analysis is to look at God’s Word and compare it to your life in Christ.
It’s good to know that the ultimate goal for the believer will come from a third aspect of sanctification, which is referred to as a “complete” or “ultimate” sanctification:
1 Thessalonians 5:23 NIV
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 3:2-3 NLT
2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.
Our ultimate sanctification is glorification. Glorification is the eternal state of being holy and enjoying God’s presence, and this will happen when Christ returns in glory.5 Believers in Jesus have a future date with Him in eternity, and also can look forward to being with Him when He returns to earth. Here’s a reminder:
Acts 1:6-11 NIV
6 Then they (His apostles) gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Our hope, based upon Jesus’s promise, is that we will one day see Jesus in His glory.
Colossians 1:27 NLT
For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
As a believer, we are far from finished as we learn and grow in our relationship with Jesus, and we will be glorified when we experience His presence.
Colossians 3:4 NLT
And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
So, we have gathered information for the purpose of testing our lives to measure the question, “Are you growing in sanctification in your relationship with Christ?” The best way to examine this question is to get before the Lord in quietness and pray to Him for truth. Ask the Lord to reveal to you where you are. If you know that Jesus has already justified you by paying for your sin, you are now looking to see if your life in Christ has grown and matured over time. If it hasn’t, ask Him why not and what to do about it. Here’s something that you need to understand in this test—you may not like the answers that God gives to you, but it is better to live in truth than to pretend and be fake about all of this. Remember, the Scientific Method is designed to eliminate personal bias and get at the truth. That’s what you and I need when we compare ourselves to God’s Word.
Are you living as one who is set apart from the world, or are you blending in with the world?
Are you living as a disciple for Jesus, or are other things more important?
Is the Spirit involved in all of your decision-making?
These are all good questions as you sort this out with Jesus.
Compare your conclusion to the hypothesis. Weigh the evidence in your self-assessment and let the Spirit reveal where you stand.
Our goal is to experience the glorified Jesus and His permanent, complete holiness. It begins with an honest assessment of where you and I are in Christ Jesus right now.
Copyright © 2024 Melvin Gaines.
1 Formula for using the scientific method – owlcation. (n.d.). https://owlcation.com/academia/FormulaForUsingScientificMethod
Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, October 16). Scientific method. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method
2 Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, October 16). Scientific method. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method
3 Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Sanctification definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanctification
4 GotQuestions.org. (2015, April 18). What is Sanctification? https://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html
5 GotQuestions.org. (2009, November 16). Home. https://www.gotquestions.org/glorificati
Melvin Gaines 