The
Work of a Lifetime.--Our sanctification is God's object in all His dealing
with us. He has chosen us from eternity that we may be holy. Christ gave
Himself for our redemption, that through our faith in His power to save from
sin, we might be made complete in Him. In giving us His Word, He has given us
bread from heaven. He declares that if we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we
shall receive eternal life.
Why do we not dwell more upon this? Why do
we not strive to make it easily understood, when it means so much? Why do not
Christians open their eyes to see the work God requires them to do. Sanctification is the progressive work of a lifetime.
The Lord declares, "This is the will of God, even your
sanctification" (1 Thess. 4:3). Is it your will
that your desires and inclinations shall be brought into conformity to the
divine will? {Vol. 3, Selected Messages,
202}
True sanctification is
nothing more or less than to love God with all the heart, to walk in His
commandments and ordinances blameless. Sanctification is not an emotion but a heaven-born principle
that brings all the passions and desires under the control of the Spirit of
God; and this work is done through our Lord and Saviour. {Faith and Works 87.1}
True sanctification is a Bible doctrine.
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonian
church, declares: "This is the will of God, even your
sanctification." And he prays: "The very God of peace sanctify you
wholly." 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23. The Bible
clearly teaches what sanctification is and how it is to be attained. The Saviour prayed for His disciples: "Sanctify them
through Thy truth: Thy word is truth." John 17:17. And Paul teaches that
believers are to be "sanctified by the Holy Ghost." Romans 15:16.
What is the work of the Holy Spirit? Jesus told His disciples: "When He,
the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth." John
16:13. And the psalmist says: "Thy law is the truth." By the word and
the Spirit of God are opened to men the great principles of righteousness
embodied in His law. And since the law of God is "holy, and just, and
good," a transcript of the divine perfection, it follows that a character
formed by obedience to that law will be holy. Christ is a perfect example of
such a character. He says: "I have kept My Father's commandments."
"I do always those things that please Him." John
15:10; 8:29. The followers of Christ are to become like Him--by the
grace of God to form characters in harmony with the principles of His holy law.
This is Bible sanctification. {GC 469.2}
This work can be accomplished only through
faith in Christ, by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. Paul admonishes
believers: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both
to will and to do of His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12, 13. The
Christian will feel the promptings of sin, but he will maintain a constant
warfare against it. Here is where Christ's help is needed. Human weakness
becomes united to divine strength, and faith exclaims: "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57. {GC 469.3}
The Scriptures
plainly show that the work of sanctification is progressive. When in
conversion the sinner finds peace with God through the blood of the atonement,
the Christian life has but just begun. Now he is to "go on unto
perfection;" to grow up "unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ." Says the apostle Paul: "This one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13, 14. And Peter sets before us the
steps by which Bible sanctification is to be attained: "Giving all
diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge
temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to
godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. . . . If ye do
these things, ye shall never fall." 2 Peter 1:5-10. {GC 470.1}
Those who experience the sanctification of
the Bible will manifest a spirit of humility. Like Moses, they have had a view
of the awful majesty of holiness, and they see their own unworthiness in
contrast with the purity and exalted perfection of the Infinite One. {GC 470.2}
Those who would gain the blessing of
sanctification must first learn the meaning of self-sacrifice. The cross of
Christ is the central pillar on which hangs the "far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory." "If any man will come after Me," Christ says, "let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow Me." 2 Corinthians 4:17; Matthew 16:24. It is the
fragrance of our love for our fellow men that reveals our love for God. It is
patience in service that brings rest to the soul. It is through humble,
diligent, faithful toil that the welfare of
Sanctification is
not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime. It is not
gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to
sin, and constantly living for Christ. Wrongs cannot be righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble,
intermittent efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline,
and stern conflict, that we shall overcome. We know
not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. So long as Satan reigns,
we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to overcome; so long as life shall
last, there will be no
561
stopping place, no point which we can reach and say, I have fully
attained. Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience. {AA 560.3}
None of the apostles and prophets ever
claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived the nearest to God, men who would
sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God
has honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their
nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness
of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ. {AA 561.1}
So will it be with all who behold Christ.
The nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of His
character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and
the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves. There will be a continual
reaching out of the soul after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking
confession of sin and humbling of the heart before Him. At every advance step
in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen. We shall know that our
sufficiency is in Christ alone and shall make the apostle's confession our own:
"I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth
no good thing." "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the
world." Romans 7:18; Galatians 6:14.
{AA 561.2}
Let the recording angels write the history
of the holy struggles and conflicts of the people of God; let them record their
prayers and tears; but let not God be dishonored by the declaration from human
lips, "I am sinless; I am
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holy." Sanctified lips will never give utterance to such presumptuous
words. {AA 561.3}
Here is Bible
sanctification. It is not merely a show or outside work. It is
sanctification received through the channel of truth. It is truth received in
the heart, and practically carried out in the life. {RH, May 6, 1862 par. 21}
Jesus considered as a man was perfect. Yet
he grew in grace. {RH, May 6, 1862 par.
22}
Luke ii, 52: "And Jesus increased in
wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Even the most perfect
Christian may increase continually in the knowledge and love of God. {RH, May 6, 1862 par. 23}
2 Pet. iii, 14, 18: "Wherefore,
beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found
of him in peace, without spot and blameless. But grow in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To
him be glory both now and forever. Amen." {RH, May 6, 1862 par. 24}
Sanctification is
not the work of a moment, an hour, or a day. It is a continual growth in grace.
We know not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. Satan lives, and
is active, and every day we need to earnestly cry to God for help and strength
to resist him. As long as Satan reigns we shall have self to subdue, besetments
to overcome, and there is no stopping place. There is no point to which we can
come and say we have fully attained.
{RH, May 6, 1862 par. 25}
Phil. iii, 12: "Not as though I had
already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may
apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." {RH, May 6, 1862 par. 26}
It is constantly an onward march. Jesus
sits as a refiner and purifier of his people, and when his image is reflected
in them perfectly, they are perfect and holy, and prepared for translation. A
great work is required of the Christian. We are exhorted to cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God. Here we see where the great labor rests. There is a constant work for the
Christian. Every branch in the parent vine must derive life and strength from
that vine, in order to yield fruit. {RH,
May 6, 1862 par. 27}