Sanctification is not a Process

[Episkopos]

Is. 59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
4 None calls for justice, nor any pleads for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

We are in the time of the Laodiceans who see themselves as rich and in need of nothing. They will not listen to sound doctrine...they will close their ears to anything that doesn't exalt their present condition. But they are near to being rejected. Jesus calls them to repentance...or else...

Did the Israelites evolve from Egypt into the wilderness? Or were they taken there by the hand of God?
How many died in the wilderness?
If it took a miraculous move of God to begin the journey of faith...then how can people think, even for a second, that people can evolve themselves into the Promised Land? It takes ANOTHER great work of God to go from the wilderness into the Land.

The truth is hidden when people mix in the flesh, and carnal understanding with the ways of God. What is needed is child-like faith. Otherwise we are producing iniquity.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

We have been sanctified and made holy by the blood and spirit of Christ. Scripture says this.

Scripture ALSO says, “you are still carnal.” How do you decide which one applies to you? Is it just whichever one you fancy you are?

 

[mailmandan]

the problem is he thinks it happens right now. immediately.

the rest of us know it is not immediate. Gods starts to work in us, and through his power we grow, and will continue to grow. until we are ressurected. when our justification and sanctification turns to glorification

Amen! Growth is an ongoing process and there are no short cuts to entire sanctification/glorification.

 

[amigo de christo]

Let all who name the name of Christ depart from inquity .

 

[stunnedbygrace]

the problem is he thinks it happens right now. immediately.

You are saying Epi thinks holiness happens right now, immediately. But he has said the exact opposite of that. His entire thread is about few of us entering into it, NOT that it happens immediately right now.

Others are saying that. They are saying all are holy and partake of holiness immediately upon being given the down payment of the Spirit and that they become holier and holier all the time, as if holiness and purity involve even a speck of sin.

 

[Lizbeth]

Scripture ALSO says, “you are still carnal.” How do you decide which one applies to you? Is it just whichever one you fancy you are?

Sister, in my flesh dwells no good thing. I have no illusions about that. Anything I have done out of my own self and flesh, even if it was "good" and well-intentioned, still fell short of His glory. No illusions. As we get older we have the benefit of hindsight. The only thing that has any value for eternity are things the Lord did by His Spirit.

But let's not forget that God BLESSES our going in and going out. In the spirit or out of it, we are a BLESSED people. Being in the spirit or out of it, seems to depend on a number of things, our availability and yielded-ness, as well as God's will and purposes. There are practical things that need attending to or we wouldn't be doing our duty. God knows this. It's why Paul wanted others appointed to wait on tables so he could focus on things of the spirit, as that was his calling. But if he or anyone had been called to waiting on tables, God would have blessed that too. In scripture Paul sometimes spoke as a man, and other times in the spirit. He visited the third heaven but didn't stay there.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Amen! Growth is an ongoing process and there are no short cuts to entire sanctification/glorification.

sadly, some people can not look inside and see the sin that still ensnares them. Like the pharisees. they think they keep the law. and in them their is no sin.

there is a lack of repentance..

 

[Eternally Grateful]

You are saying Epi thinks holiness happens right now, immediately. But he has said the exact opposite of that. His entire thread is about few of us entering into it, NOT that it happens immediately right now.

Others are saying that. They are saying all are holy and partake of holiness immediately upon being given the down payment of the Spirit and that they become holier and holier all the time, as if holiness and purity involve even a speck of sin.

How can you sit there with a straight face and say this?

Epi is mocking people who think sanctification (holiness) is an ongoing project. that it does not happen all at once, it is progressive, it is as he called it evolutionary.

and your going to say he is NOT saying it happens immediately?

You are as confused as he is!!

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Sister, in my flesh dwells no good thing. I have no illusions about that. Anything I have done out of my own self and flesh, even if it was "good" and well-intentioned, still fell short of His glory. No illusions. As we get older we have the benefit of hindsight. The only thing that has any value for eternity are things the Lord did by His Spirit.

But let's not forget that God BLESSES our going in and going out. In the spirit or out of it, we are a BLESSED people. Being in the spirit or out of it, seems to depend on a number of things, our availability and yielded-ness, as well as God's will and purposes. There are practical things that need attending to or we wouldn't be doing our duty. God knows this. It's why Paul wanted others appointed to wait on tables so he could focus on things of the spirit, as that was his calling. But if he or anyone had been called to waiting on tables, God would have blessed that too. In scripture Paul sometimes spoke as a man, and other times in the spirit. He visited the third heaven but didn't stay there.

thats the reason we can come to the throne of grace with assurance and a sound mine, He is our ABBA father. we need not fear him, we can come to him and confess, Just like if we know we have a loving father, we can go to him, because although we know we will be disciplined We know he still loves us, and will nto kick us out of his family

 

[Michiah-Imla]

I have been washed, I have been justified, I have been sanctified..

Paul also said:

“…you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, fear lest He also may not spare you either!” (Romans 11:20-21)

they think they keep the law.

We know that we do!

“…for he who loves another has fulfilled the Law. For: "Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not lust;" and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."” (Romans 13:8-9)

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Sister, in my flesh dwells no good thing. I have no illusions about that. Anything I have done out of my own self and flesh, even if it was "good" and well-intentioned, still fell short of His glory. No illusions. As we get older we have the benefit of hindsight. The only thing that has any value for eternity are things the Lord did by His Spirit.

But let's not forget that God BLESSES our going in and going out. In the spirit or out of it, we are a BLESSED people. Being in the spirit or out of it, seems to depend on a number of things, our availability and yielded-ness, as well as God's will and purposes. There are practical things that need attending to or we wouldn't be doing our duty. God knows this. It's why Paul wanted others appointed to wait on tables so he could focus on things of the spirit, as that was his calling. But if he or anyone had been called to waiting on tables, God would have blessed that too. In scripture Paul sometimes spoke as a man, and other times in the spirit. He visited the third heaven but didn't stay there.

You aren’t saying anything that hasn’t already been said here.
Yes, blessed by God are the meek, they will inherit the earth.
But also, blessed by God are the poor, the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Theres something exceeding wrong if you are now saying all the things epi has already said and yet still you think you don’t agree with him. It gives me the impression that you’re parroting but not understanding.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

How can you sit there with a straight face and say this?

Epi is mocking people who think sanctification (holiness) is an ongoing project. that it does not happen all at once, it is progressive, it is as he called it evolutionary.

and your going to say he is NOT saying it happens immediately?

You are as confused as he is!!

Oh look, that man’s a little bit holy.
oh look, I’m more holy than you!
Oh look, i thank God I’m not like that man over there and am more holy than him!
Oh look, she appears to be quite holy…maybe even almost as holy as God himself!

Yes, yes, I know it says “there is only one holy,” but you see, I’ve got around that nasty little bit by insisting there are degrees of holiness, degrees of being more and more holy.
I will be like the most high pretty soon!

 

[Eternally Grateful]

if you keep the law

you do not need Christ
you do not need grace
you do not need saved


if you do it BECAUSE you are perfected in the flesh.

Then your salvation is forever. because you can't sin. you wont sin,

so when someone comes and says they keep the law because they are perfected in the flesh. but then says they can lose salvation.

they are confused.

because if they were perfected as they claim. they would be unable to fall.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

you grow and get closer being sanctified is set apart made Holy its a progress in your relationship

In the temple worship and things having to do with cleansed/sanctified items, in the course of things, if a cleansed clay pot was used for some other purpose than strictly for Gods use, like…say a priest ate a bowl of cereal from it, why did they have to smash it? Why not just cleanse it again and continue saying it was holy? After all, it was only a little bit NOT holy. It was MOSTLY holy, wasn’t it?

 

[MatthewG]

Did God create in a process? He had to speak first. He started with light and separated the darkness.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I’m MOSTLY set aside only for Gods use. It’s only occasionally that I seek my own. Surely holy can’t mean set COMPLETELY apart and ONLY for Gods use!

 

[MatthewG]

No man can tame the tongue.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Oh look, that man’s a little bit holy.
oh look, I’m more holy than you!
Oh look, i thank God I’m not like that man over there and am more holy than him!
Oh look, she appears to be quite holy…maybe even almost as holy as God himself!

Yes, yes, I know it says “there is only one holy,” but you see, I’ve got around that nasty little bit by insisting there are degrees of holiness, degrees of being more and more holy.
I will be like the most high pretty soon!

ahh, so you believe in progressive sanctification also?

Then you do NOT believe as EPI does. in fact you would appose him

 

[Eternally Grateful]

In the temple worship and things having to do with cleansed/sanctified items, in the course of things, if a cleansed clay pot was used for some other purpose than strictly for Gods use, like…say a priest ate a bowl of cereal from it, why did they have to smash it? Why not just cleanse it again and continue saying it was holy? After all, it was only a little bit NOT holy. It was MOSTLY holy, wasn’t it?

so are we made holy in an instant?

or are we being made holy the rest of our lives?

 

[Michiah-Imla]

when someone comes and says they keep the law because they are perfected in the flesh. but then says they can lose salvation.

they are confused.

Not so.

We are warned against becoming prideful in our Spiritual walk lest we fall thereby.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

But:

“The meek He will guide in judgment; and the meek He will teach His way.” (Psalms 25:9)

“…Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” (1 Corinthians 8:1)