Separation Anxiety or Assurance?

Posted on by under Sanctification

“Just jump,” my husband told me. But the water looked a LONG way down. And what if I belly flopped? Finally, I pushed past my fear and leaped.  Needless to say, I was hooked. The joy of plunging into Lake Roosevelt from the top of the houseboat soon replaced my fear of heights.

Bible study can be like this, daunting at first, especially with long “Christianeze” terms. But it’s important to learn, especially for those who desire to become more Christlike. Also, it’s the only way to sift truth from various teachings. So I encourage you to regularly explore the Bible. It’s worth the time and effort.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sanctification signifies separation to God. What does this mean? Herbert Lockyer writes:

“Sanctify” is one of the words related to “consecrate,” and suggests not only a separation from but unto: Separated from sin unto salvation, from works unto grace, from hell unto heaven. It implies a purging from sin or the old leaven (1 Corinthians 5:7) and stands for a renewing (Romans 12:2). Thus a sanctified one is not only washed from sin, but adorned with purity.”

Positional sanctification is the privilege of everyone who has accepted Christ. We have been set apart by and for God. We are sanctified the moment of our regeneration* (Philippians 1:1). Jesus became sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God, (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through trust in Christ, we make an exchange―our sin for His righteousness. Our sin was poured into Christ at His crucifixion. As the risen One on high, He is the Object presented to the soul. He is our sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11). His righteousness is poured into us at our conversion. Jesus becomes our holiness and redemption as we are spiritually reborn. We (believers) have a living hope through Christ’s resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). Christ now lives in us through His Holy Spirit, (John 14:16-17).

*See definitions for words in red below.

I don’t know about you, but I have to let that soak in for a while …

If Jesus is the object of our sanctification, what do you think we―His children/believers―are objects of? What about the person who hasn’t received Christ as their Lord? What is he/she an object of? If you are in Christ, how or when did you receive Him as your Savior? How has He made a difference in your life?

Have a wonderful week!

K.D.

********************

Consecrate – To set apart or devote to God.

Regeneration – spiritual renewal or revival; rebirthed

Conversion – to bring over from one belief, view, or party to another

Redemption – to buy back; repurchase; to rescue (often from sin) with a ransom

Resurrection – rising from the dead

*This article is also posted in the Gospel Blog by FEBC at http://bit.ly/15zZHep

Sank-a-what?

Posted on by under Sanctification

Sanc·ti·fi·ca·tion: noun, sounds like “saŋ(k)-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən” … not to be confused with “sank·a·va·ca·tion,” which sounds more like my daughter’s interpretation.

(This post article is also posted in the Gospel Blog by FEBC at http://bit.ly/13vG5Iy.)

I don’t pretend to be a theologian or philosopher. But I am a curious learner who wants―needs―to know how God’s truths work in daily, practical matters. So to make this concept clearer, I consulted Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament.

The translated Greek word Hagiasmos is associated with purity and holiness. It signifies (1) separation to God (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2), and (2) the resultant state, the conduct befitting those so separated (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 7), (3) it is translated “holiness” in Romans 6:19, 22; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 12:14, (4) Sanctification is thus the state predetermined by God for believers, into which in grace He calls them, and in which they begin their Christian course and so pursue it. (5) Hence they are called “saints.”

“Saints”―really? Now that’s a difficult concept for me to wrap my head around. I’m very aware of the times I mess up and sin. How can a holy God view someone like me as a saint?

God reminds me: I can’t live the Christian life by my own efforts. Sanctification/holiness results solely from His Holy Spirit working in my life. I do have a choice, however, whether I grow or regress in my Christian journey.

For my next five posts, under the category Sanctification, I plan to dig deeper into the five areas listed above. Will you join me? I hope we can learn together.

What are your views and/or experiences on sanctification?

Out of the Ashes

Posted on by under Service

I don’t know my age, but I remember my kidnapper. “I’ll help you find your family,” he said in a soothing voice. That was the last morning I’d seen my Mother and Father. He told me I belonged to him now as his laborer. This was the beginning of my nightmare. Repeated rapes followed. I hated him. And because my body brought bad luck, I also hated myself. He “trained” me to become a sex slave while annihilating my innocence. Then, like a commodity, he sold me to a brothel.

The polluted stream of drunken men, handling me like a cheap toy, is a memory I’d love to bury. “Whore!” they’d scoff before discarding me in the ash pile. When I refused to cooperate, the brothel owner punished me with beatings, electrocution, and starvation.

No more,” I yelled, “let me die!” Darkness, steeped in vinegar, clung to me. Death’s finality taunted me like a mirage. If the grave meant freedom from this rotting prison, then I’d find a way. But something miraculous happened instead.

I’ll never forget the loud hammering on my shanty’s lock. Nor will I forget the face of my hero; he risked his life for mine. Praise God! I’ve been rescued! God not only raised me from the ash pile, but He also placed me in a new family.

My new name is Agraciana, which means “forgiveness.” Dignity greets me on her royal road.  Peace is finally mine. I refuse to step foot on selfishness and deceit’s low road. Nor will I adorn my head with weighted lies: raped women are scum below men’s feet.

My new passion is to rescue, restore, and educate similar young girls at the shelter where I work in Cambodia. There is nothing as beautiful as a little girl’s innocence: her ability to love, laugh and play. My shelter seeks to restore some of these girls’ childhood; love empowers.

Consider the following facts: brothel owners force 10-30 clients upon these girls daily, for the owner’s selfish bounty. Much of the outside world either turns away or isn’t aware of the frequency and enormity of sex trafficking. Families seldom come forward when their child is abducted for fear of retaliation.

Men have gotten away with this injustice for years. They think it’s noble to take away a girl’s virginity. Even local authorities won’t aid in rescuing if military personnel capture these girls. Most perpetrators are drunk, thoughtlessly spreading sexual diseases. When a girl becomes pregnant, her baby is aborted.

Please pray that these girls will overcome their trauma. Some are only infants when stolen and/or sold into brothels, some by their own parents. One of my dying girls asked, “Agraciana, when you speak, will you tell men: ‘A few moments of your pleasure kills me?’”

Please pray for the project workers and those who seek justice. Pray that our culture will turn from this evil. Pray for the offenders, for they will answer to Almighty God. Finally, pray how God might use you to help in this work. One person can’t do everything, but one can do something. Together, God can move mountains through us. With funding, my shelter can rescue, restore, and educate these precious girls. Like me, they’ll educate others and effect change. For these girls, I stand tall.

*This story is fictitious as told from Agraciana’s point of view; however, the circumstantial happenings are not. I gathered most of my information from the documentary, Half the Sky. Sex trafficking is a horrible reality in many places of the world.

Want to help and make the most impact in a situation like this? What if one hundred percent (100%) of your donation went directly to those in need? Wellspring International is an arm of Ravi Zacharais International Ministries. Ravi is a well known International speaker and defender of the Christian Faith. Administered by Ravi’s daughter Naomi Zacharais, Wellspring covers their own expenses, investigates all requests for funds thoroughly, often going to the location. They do the research so you can be confident that your money goes where you want it to. One Hundred Percent (100%) of your money goes to help women and children in crisis. Here is Wellspring’s website:  http://www.wellspringinternational.org

These two videos, (not connected to Wellspring), help put our hearts in the right place:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0L7NH48BWE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0njTvTpOBSA

Don’t Forget Your Helmet

Posted on by under Salvation

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“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” Ephesians 6:17.

Satan wants us to doubt God, Jesus, and our salvation. The helmet protects our minds from doubting God’s saving work for us through His Son, Jesus.

My boys often think they are invincible. With only a skiff of snow and being near their school, they think gym shorts are suitable for watching basketball games. “All the kids do it, Mom. Besides, the gym’s hot.”

“It’s below freezing. And if you get stuck outside you’re asking for frostbite!” My reasoning settles in their minds like snow flurries in the wind. Time to switch tactics. This time I put on my Commander hat.

“You will wear your jeans and your coat. NO shorts.” My battle ready stance tells them I’m not backing down. After a few grunts and rolling eyes, they comply.

God often uses my children to drive home a point. How many times do I react like my kids to God’s instruction? How often do I skim over a Bible passage while my mind is distracted with daily tasks? Or I’ll read, ponder it, but then fail to apply it throughout the day. Like my boys, do I wave it off by reasoning: I’ll be fine … everyone else does it (or isn’t doing it)?

Ephesians 6:10-18 commands us to put on God’s armor. Like a parent who knows what’s best, Paul illustrates how we can be strong in the Lord so we won’t get knocked over by the devil’s schemes. Four times, he writes “stand firm.” Why? God shows us our struggle is not against people, but against the spiritual forces of evil, (vs. 12).

Don’t neglect wearing your helmet of belief, for “whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son,” John 3:18b.

Do you have any additional thoughts about God’s armor, (Ephesians 6:13-17)?

Bad News, Good News

Posted on by under Salvation

Care to join me for a steaming latte? It’s 12 degrees fahrenheit in my neck of the woods. Brrr. Reason enough to enjoy the crackling fire with a hot drink within reach.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, God’s first call in our lives deals with salvation. In fact, most of the Bible centers around John 3:16 (NIV), “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The word salvation appears 164 times in the Bible. According to Strong’s Concordance, salvation is “mattâth” in Hebrew and Aramaic, which means “a present: ― gift; reward.” The Greek translation “soteria” means “rescue or safety.”

Salvation can be summarized as follows: deliverance from the power or penalty of sin.

Whose sin? Both yours and mine. We’ve all done wrong things and failed to obey God’s laws (Romans 3:23; 5:12).

The result? Separation from holy God, our Creator. This separation―the penalty of our sin―is eternal death (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:10-15). Our best efforts–moralism–fall short in our attempts to unite with God (Isaiah 64:6). That’s the bad news.

The good news: Jesus–God’s unique Son–never sinned (Hebrews 5:9). He alone bridged the gap between sinless God and sinful mankind when He freely died on the cross (1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 John 5:9-12). He took our place in order to save us from sin’s consequences―including God’s judgment and death (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 5:8-11).

The result? We can have new life because Jesus took our past, present, and future sins upon Himself, forgiving all our wrongdoing (Hebrews 10:5-18). Thus, He reconciles us to God (1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 10:19-22). Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the proof that His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross was acceptable to God. His resurrection has become the source of new life for whoever believes Jesus is the Son of God (John 11:25; Romans 10:9). He grants eternal life, giving union with God to those who believe and receive Him (Ephesians 2:4-7; John 1:12).

Do you believe Jesus is God’s Son? If so, have you confessed your sins to Him and asked Him for the gift of eternal life and forgiveness?

*This article is also posted in the Gospel Blog by FEBC at http://bit.ly/17RG5UK.