Sanctification by the Spirit | Sunday, September 26, 2021

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10)

Saved not by good works but for good works—and the Holy Spirit is the One who makes that life possible.

A Review of Salvation

Presently at Cross Connection Church we are taking a look at some of the basics of our Christian faith—what I'm calling the disciplines of a disciple. The last two weeks we focused on salvation, a very important topic, because it is by the saving work of Jesus Christ that you become a Christian, and not only a Christian but a disciple of Jesus.

What we saw previously is that your good works and your religious righteousness will not save you. The Bible tells us in Isaiah that all our good works are like filthy rags before a holy God. Only trust in Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross brings salvation. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:8–9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Justification, Sanctification, Glorification

We are saved from the penalty of sin—this is justification, accomplished by Jesus' finished work on the cross. When He cried "It is finished," He took His righteousness and put it to our account as we trust in Him. But we are also being saved from the power of sin through sanctification. And we shall be saved from the presence of sin at the time of glorification. These three—justification, sanctification, and glorification—are the whole of salvation. Jesus saves us completely by His righteousness.

The author of Hebrews says the law makes nothing perfect (Hebrews 7:19), but Jesus "is able to save to the uttermost" (Hebrews 7:25)—completely and wholly—those who put their trust in Him. When you are saved, the Bible describes you as being "in Christ." In Christ we are redeemed, purchased out of slavery to sin and death; we are forgiven; we are accepted by a holy and righteous God; and we are adopted into the family of God. And right now we are being transformed, being made righteous by God's sanctifying power.

Saved For Good Works

My concern is that many people attend church or watch services online and don't actually know these basic truths—being redeemed, forgiven, accepted, and adopted by the finished work of Jesus, not by works of righteousness we have done.

After saying we are saved by grace through faith, Paul continues in Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." If you have a Bible, underline or circle that word should. This is the expectation of the Christian. The only right response to being saved by Jesus Christ is now to walk in the good works God has prepared beforehand. We are not saved by our good works, but we are saved for good works.

Paul says the same to Titus: "For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived... But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit... that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life... Those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works" (Titus 3:3–8). This is the saving work of sanctification.

God's Work and Our Work

My favorite verses are Philippians 2:12–13: "Therefore, my beloved... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." When we talk about sanctification, the question arises: Is it God doing this work, or are we? The answer is yes and yes. God is working in you to will and to do His good pleasure, and you are working out your own salvation with fear and trembling. God is transforming your desires and empowering you, yet you are genuinely involved.

This is what it means to be a disciple—a faithful and obedient follower of Christ, one who is working out their salvation. As a pastor, I am commissioned to make disciples, so my focus is to see you raised up as a faithful follower of Jesus. Dr. Richard Melick, a professor of mine, comments on this passage: "Personal salvation brings with it responsibilities which Paul related to Christians' obedience. The responsibility was to live in accord with their salvation... Paul really meant in the first place that they were to act like Christians." We are to act like people who are Christlike.

What If I Fail?

These truths can make us anxious, because even after we are justified, none of us is perfect. I still fail; I still fall short. So when I read that I have a work to do, it causes a bit of fear and trembling. Will I fail? What assurances do I have of success? What help do I have? What tools do I have?

Philippians answers the first questions. Paul writes, "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). And, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). So when you start to think, "I don't know if I can do that, because I still fall short," you can be confident that He who began a good work in you will complete it, and He will strengthen you. Therefore, as Paul says, "having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

I Need a Helper

I don't walk in perfect holiness—not all the time. I want to, but I don't. So I need help. How am I going to deal with what the Bible calls the old man, my sinful nature, my flesh? The good news is there is a Helper. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth... for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:15–18).

Even after trusting Christ and receiving redemption and adoption, I'm sure you've noticed you still fall short—you can still be snappy with your spouse, impatient with your kids, unkind to strangers or coworkers. We still have this big, strong flesh, but the good news is we have a bigger, stronger Helper. One of the first indications that you have become a child of God is a new desire to keep God's commandments. You desire to do good, because God has worked in you to desire what is pleasing to Him.

The Struggle of Romans 7

Yet we fall short of that desire. Paul describes this in Romans 7:18–19: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." This is the struggle with the flesh, the old man, the sinful nature, that we all experience.

People argue endlessly over whether this person is a Christian, but I don't think it matters, because I've yet to meet a Christian who cannot identify with this struggle, to the point that Paul cries, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" I want to be sanctified. I'm redeemed, forgiven, accepted, adopted—I don't want to walk in sin any longer, because God has given me new desires. I love Him because He first loved me even when I was unlovely, dead in trespasses and sins. So Jesus says, "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper... the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things" (John 14:26).

The Holy Spirit, Our Personal Trainer

The Holy Spirit enables and empowers us in this work of sanctification. He is not a thing or a force like "may the force be with you." The Holy Spirit is a person; He is God, the third person of the Trinity, called the Spirit of truth. The word Jesus uses for "Helper" is the Greek parakletos, a compound of para (with) and kaleo (to call, speak, or bid).

Think of Him almost like a personal trainer. The trainer won't lift the weights for you, but he comes alongside, calls you, bids you to press on and keep going. The Holy Spirit comes alongside us and bids us walk with Him and follow after God. As Paul says, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). As we walk in the Spirit, He enables us to reject the desires of the old man.

Sanctification by the Spirit

In the New Testament, sanctification is attributed to the Holy Spirit. "God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth... Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself... establish you in every good work" (2 Thessalonians 2:13–17). Peter likewise writes to those "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:1–2). Through the sanctification of the Spirit, we are enabled and empowered to walk in obedience, overcoming the desires of our flesh.

How does the Spirit do this? Before we trust in Christ, the Holy Spirit is in the world and with unbelievers, convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment—showing us that God is righteous, we are not, and a judgment is coming because of our sin. But after we trust in Christ, the Spirit who was with us is now in us. Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and with power. "By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body" (1 Corinthians 12:13). This fulfills Ezekiel's promise: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you... I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes" (Ezekiel 36:26–27).

The Evidence of the Spirit's Presence

Is there a sign that the Spirit has come to dwell in us? Yes—several.

First, the Holy Spirit gives us new desires—to know God through His Word, to pray, to be in fellowship with other Christians. Second, He gives us enabling power to overcome the evil desires of the flesh: "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

Third, He produces the fruit of the Spirit. Paul contrasts the works of the flesh—"adultery, fornication, uncleanness... hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions"—with "the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:19–23). Where there was once anxiety, now there's peace; where there was sadness, joy; where irritability, patience; where impulsiveness, self-control; where harshness, gentleness.

Fourth, the Spirit gives you a desire to serve God and empowers you for service by gifting you with the gifts of the Spirit, found in 1 Corinthians 12–14, Romans, and Ephesians 4. That's an entire series of its own—you can find my teachings on 1 Corinthians 12–14 in the media section of our website. Jesus promised, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me" (Acts 1:8). The Spirit enables and empowers us to do good works and to be good witnesses.

Sealed and Filled

If you have trusted in Christ, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that you will be sanctified and glorified. Paul writes, "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession" (Ephesians 1:13–14). On the day of Christ He will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body.

So your body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. "You are not your own... you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). And though you have been baptized with the Spirit by Christ, Paul also teaches that we need to be continually filled. The direct translation of Ephesians 5:18 is "be being filled with the Holy Spirit." As one saint said, the reason I need to be continually filled is because I leak.

How to Walk in the Spirit

How do we receive this continual filling? First, ask. Jesus taught, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:13). Simply pray, "God, would You fill me with Your Holy Spirit?"

Second, commit by God's grace to walk in the Spirit by faith. This is a gradual, lifelong process. So here is a practical exercise. Right now, quietly pray: "God, is there any way that I have been walking in my flesh this last week? Would You show me?" Maybe it's anxiousness—there's a lot of anxiety-inducing things in our culture right now—or anger, or a lack of faith, patience, or self-control.

When an area of the flesh is revealed, confess it: "God, I confess that when I got angry with my spouse, or impatient with my kids, this last week, that was sin." Then ask for forgiveness and cleansing: "Would You forgive me of my impatience and cleanse me of my irritability?" First John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us.

Then pray for the Spirit's empowering for the next time, because you'll be tested again: "Holy Spirit, the next time I'm in that situation, would You please give me Your patience?" It's not the fruit of Miles; it's the fruit of the Spirit. So in the moment when someone causes you to be impatient, anxious, or to lose your cool, pray, "God, would You give me Your peace, Your self-control, Your love for that person?" If you fail, repeat step one—confess, wash, rinse, repeat, and start again. If you're victorious, thank God for His power by His Spirit.

The Lord Gives the Victory

This is the sanctifying work God wants to do in us by His Holy Spirit, and it is key to becoming a disciplined disciple. Here is what I've discovered in several decades of walking with Christ: by God's Spirit we experience victory in our life of faith. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, by His Holy Spirit, who makes us more than conquerors, able to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. It doesn't mean we'll do it perfectly—we will fail, and when we fail we confess and He cleanses us—but God wants to sanctify us by the work of His Spirit as He works in us to will and to do His good pleasure, and we work out our salvation by His enabling power.

Closing Prayer

Father God, I pray right now for anyone watching. I pray they have put their trust in You for salvation and have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. Holy Spirit, enable and empower Your people to walk by faith and walk in the Spirit in a way that brings glory and honor to You, that is pleasing to You, satisfying to us, and a witness to this world. Help Your church to be victorious in You this week in very specific and practical ways—in areas where we've been anxious, impatient, angry, or unloving, let us this week be patient, kind, self-controlled, full of peace, love, and joy. Work this into Your church, because the fruit of the Spirit attracts other people to You—people want peace and self-control and joy and love, and those things are ultimately found only in You. Make Your church victorious in these ways, that we would manifest Your Spirit's fruit, the evidence of Your presence. Do that work in Your church, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.