When a Person first has saving faith, they receive justification, which is being declared "not guilty" by the judge, and instant sanctification, a clean slate for all past present and future sins. We are declared righteous and made righteous by the blood of the Lamb which cleanses us, We receive the Holy Ghost as an "earnest" Literally a down payment, and He then begins the work of cleaning us from the inside out so that we become Holy and righteous, not of ourselves but by the work of the Holy Spirit in us, this is Progressive sanctification, and that down payment starts to earn interest and within us and the more we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit, the more he is able to finish the work in us.
Unfortunately, Most Christians in their faith stop at instant sanctification and and never surrender to the work of the Holy Ghost in their lives, they believe they are justified, and instantly sanctified, and because all their sins past present and future are forgiven they are assured of their future salvation, and then proceed to live as they will never growing in the faith. This is nothing more than self deception, the seed having planted never grows and when the thorns and the storms of life blow they never have been rooted in the faith and they blow away.
Assurance of salvation comes not from acknowledging of the facts of salvation but by Knowing the source of salvation, and in relation to that Person, yielding to and surrendering to the work of that person our own will to His will. In the Words of Christ Jesus our example: "Not my will but thine be done".
This surrender to the Will of God is not self righteousness, but the act of admitting that no righteousness can come from myself, but comes from the Work of the Holy Spirit in me, the more we yield ourselves to Him the more Christlike we become. The More we try to be righteous of our own strength and will, the more we will fail, but the more we surrender the more He will succeed in us and through us. This is the Key to Holiness, a hard lesson to learn but one that we must learn if we are to become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Being Born again is not a mental acknowledgment of facts, but a regeneration of the heart that comes by putting to death the Old man in us and putting on the new man, this is what Progressive sanctification leads to. Some say this is a lifelong process, and for most it is, but there are a few who reach this point of total regeneration, and these are the saints of God. Those brief moments they are among us before they are called home are the most precious times in their life, and when they have the most profound effect on the church. But invariably, they will be persecuted and not last long in this role before being called to make this saintly sacrifice and give their testimony (Martyria), But the effect of this testimony will shake the World to its core, and serve as an example to the faithful of the path we all must tread.
There are a Lot of Christians who throw the word saints around like it is a just another word for Christian. Are all Christians saints? No. Are Christians called to become saints? Yes, Many are called, few are chosen. You, me nor any other Christian does not determine if we are to be saints, as this is the divine choice of God. He will choose his Martyrs, as we are not a religion that seeks death, nor a suicide cult. The Good news is the path of progressive sanctification and holiness is a path many saints have travelled before, and we have but to choose to follow that path and we will walk from victory to victory in our lives as we overcome the bondage of the flesh, and learn to live by the leading of the Spirit. When we as a church wholeheartedly begin this journey of the Spirit, the world will hate us, but we will know we are being the salt of the earth then. May we never lose our saltiness, as the salt is both a savor and a preservative that heals, but when it loses that saltiness it is of no value.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5)
Unfortunately, Most Christians in their faith stop at instant sanctification and and never surrender to the work of the Holy Ghost in their lives, they believe they are justified, and instantly sanctified, and because all their sins past present and future are forgiven they are assured of their future salvation, and then proceed to live as they will never growing in the faith. This is nothing more than self deception, the seed having planted never grows and when the thorns and the storms of life blow they never have been rooted in the faith and they blow away.
Assurance of salvation comes not from acknowledging of the facts of salvation but by Knowing the source of salvation, and in relation to that Person, yielding to and surrendering to the work of that person our own will to His will. In the Words of Christ Jesus our example: "Not my will but thine be done".
This surrender to the Will of God is not self righteousness, but the act of admitting that no righteousness can come from myself, but comes from the Work of the Holy Spirit in me, the more we yield ourselves to Him the more Christlike we become. The More we try to be righteous of our own strength and will, the more we will fail, but the more we surrender the more He will succeed in us and through us. This is the Key to Holiness, a hard lesson to learn but one that we must learn if we are to become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Being Born again is not a mental acknowledgment of facts, but a regeneration of the heart that comes by putting to death the Old man in us and putting on the new man, this is what Progressive sanctification leads to. Some say this is a lifelong process, and for most it is, but there are a few who reach this point of total regeneration, and these are the saints of God. Those brief moments they are among us before they are called home are the most precious times in their life, and when they have the most profound effect on the church. But invariably, they will be persecuted and not last long in this role before being called to make this saintly sacrifice and give their testimony (Martyria), But the effect of this testimony will shake the World to its core, and serve as an example to the faithful of the path we all must tread.
There are a Lot of Christians who throw the word saints around like it is a just another word for Christian. Are all Christians saints? No. Are Christians called to become saints? Yes, Many are called, few are chosen. You, me nor any other Christian does not determine if we are to be saints, as this is the divine choice of God. He will choose his Martyrs, as we are not a religion that seeks death, nor a suicide cult. The Good news is the path of progressive sanctification and holiness is a path many saints have travelled before, and we have but to choose to follow that path and we will walk from victory to victory in our lives as we overcome the bondage of the flesh, and learn to live by the leading of the Spirit. When we as a church wholeheartedly begin this journey of the Spirit, the world will hate us, but we will know we are being the salt of the earth then. May we never lose our saltiness, as the salt is both a savor and a preservative that heals, but when it loses that saltiness it is of no value.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5)
