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How God Transforms Lives

How God Transforms Lives. Keith Palmer Associate Pastor, Grace Bible Church, Granbury. Definition. Sanctification is an aspect of salvation where a believer is progressively transformed more and more to be like Christ. Misunderstandings about Sanctification.

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How God Transforms Lives

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  1. How God Transforms Lives Keith Palmer Associate Pastor, Grace Bible Church, Granbury

  2. Definition • Sanctification is an aspect of salvation where a believer is progressively transformed more and more to be like Christ

  3. Misunderstandings about Sanctification • Post Salvation Commitment - A post-salvation commitment allows the believer to begin a victorious and consistent life of obedience. Sanctification is primarily accomplished through passive trust in the work God, sometimes referred to as "letting go and letting God." • Perfectionism – A second work of grace translates a believer into a state of sinlessness, sometimes called "entire sanctification." Sin is redefined to mean only things done "intentionally" against the law of God. The believer grows by performing good works.

  4. Misunderstandings about Sanctification • The result: • Christians believe sanctification is primarily a passive activity that God does • Christians wait for some divine event that will take away the strong pulls of sin and eliminate the need for concentrated discipline • Many Christians admit they sin "all the time" but very seldom confess it or ask for forgiveness • Christians think that Bible reading and prayer alone will magically change them – without diligently applying Scripture

  5. The Biblical view of Sanctification • A lifelong cycle of sin, repentance, renewal, and growth toward Christlikeness that will only be complete when believers meet the Lord in glory. The Bible teaches that sanctification is both the work of God and the work of a believer (Phil. 2:12-13). The believer grows in Christ-likeness as he renews his mind and pursues active discipline, trusting that the Holy Spirit is energizing his efforts (Rom. 12:1-2, 1 Tim. 4:7, Rom. 6, etc.). While God alone produces the ultimate growth and gets the glory for Christ-like change, the believer is none-the-less actively and continuously involved in the pursuit, effort, and obedience of God's Word. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for {His} good pleasure. – (Phil. 2:12-13)

  6. Presuppositions • A person must first be saved before they can be sanctified • Sanctification is based solely on the finished work of Christ on the cross (Rom. 6) • God will complete His work of Sanctification in each genuine believer, both in maturity (Phil. 1:6) and in ultimate, final glory (Rom. 8:28-30, cf. 1 Cor. 15:51-52)

  7. Essential concepts in Sanctification

  8. Repentance • a turning from sin to God for help • Repentance is a necessary part of salvation (Luke 3:3, 2 Cor. 7:10) • Repentance remains a continuous, necessary part of a believer's life after salvation (Ps. 51, Luke 17:3-4) For the sorrow that is according to {the will} {of} God produces a repentance without regret, {leading} to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. – (2 Cor. 7:10) "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, "I repent,' forgive him.“ – (Luke 17:3-4)

  9. Elements of repentance • Understanding – There must be an understanding of the truth as it relates to our sin and what Scripture says about it • Confession – "to say the same thing" – Confession is acknowledging to God the fact of our sin and agreeing with God about the nature of sin (Prov. 28:13, 1 John 1:8-9) • Remorse (a guilty feeling because of sin), Sorrow (feeling sorry for the sin), Regret (wishing the sin had not been committed) – (2 Cor. 7:10, Ps. 51, 32) • Seeking Forgiveness – A repentant person will seek forgiveness from God and from those whom he has offended • Choosing – a willful resolve to put off the sin and grow in righteousness (Eph. 4:22ff, cf. Prov. 28:13)

  10. Forgiveness • a releasing or pardoning of sin, just as if it was never committed. Forgiveness is also a promise to not bring up the sin either to the one forgiven or to others (cf. Jer. 31:34) • God's Forgiveness – people need God's forgiveness, both at salvation (judicial forgiveness – Rom. 4:3-8, Col. 2:13-14) and after salvation (parental forgiveness – Matt. 6:12, Heb. 12:5-11) • People's Forgiveness – people need to forgive one another, just as God has forgiven them (Eph. 4:32)

  11. Replacement • Real, biblical change must involve both a "putting off" of unrighteous attitudes and sins as well as a "putting on" of righteous, God-honoring attitudes and actions (Ps. 1:1-2, Is. 1:16-17, Rom. 13:14, Eph. 4:22-32, 1 Thes. 5:21-22, Heb. 10:25, James 5:12, 1 Pet. 3:9, 3 John 11) • that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in {the likeness of} God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. – (Eph. 4:22-24)

  12. Mind Renewal • A person changing their mind such that they think biblically • The natural mind/heart is corrupt, blind, and futile (Rom. 1:28, 2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 4:17-18) At salvation, one's mind is given a new capacity to understand and obey Scripture (1 Cor. 2:14-15, Rom. 1:16, Luke 10:27, Eph. 5:17-18, Col. 3:16) • One's mind is renewed by continuous study, meditation, and application of Scripture (Col. 3:16, 2 Cor. 10:5)

  13. Mind Renewal • And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, - (Rom 1:28) • But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. – (1 Cor. 2:14-15) • Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms {and} hymns {and} spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. – (Col. 3:16)

  14. The Process of Sanctification

  15. Put off sinful attitudes & actions (vs. 22) • Identify the heart-attitude sin behind the behavior • Confess & repent of the sin (this involves seeking forgiveness from God and perhaps from anyone sinned against)

  16. Change your thinking by studying Scripture (vs. 23, Rom. 12:1-2) • Investigate Scripture to see what can be learned about the matter • Pray for wisdom to understand the Scriptures and understand your own heart (James 1:5) • Ask questions: What in my thinking was wrong that led to me sinning? What should have I been thinking instead? What were my motives? What were my presuppositions? What was I assuming? What were my expectations? What was I feeling? What wrong beliefs did I have about God? • Change your thinking in light of what you learn in Scripture (Phil. 4:8, 2 Cor. 10:5)

  17. Put on righteous attitudes & actions (vs. 24) • Replace the sinful heart-attitude with a righteous, renewed heart-attitude • Replay the scenario in your mind, thinking righteously (renewed) about the situation and how you should have responded

  18. Examples • Falsehood vs. truthful speech (v. 25) • Stealing vs. honest labor & sharing (v. 28) • Unwholesome words vs. edifying words that give grace (vs. 29) • Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander vs. kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness (vv. 31-32)

  19. Other examples • Gal. 5:19-21 vs. Gal. 5:22-23 • Col. 3:5-11 vs. Col. 3:12-17 • Rom. 12:9-21 • Eph. 5:1-21

  20. Chart

  21. Why people don't grow: • Disobedient • Ignorant of Scriptures • Been taught falsely • Not believers

  22. Examples:

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