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Obedience Is Sanctification, May 19
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself
for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.
Ephesians 5:2
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In all the fullness of His divinity, in all the glory of His spotless humanity,
Christ gave Himself for us as a full and free sacrifice, and each one who
comes to Him should accept Him as if he were the only one for whom the
price had been paid. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive,
for the obedient will be raised to immortality, and the transgressor will rise
from the dead to suffer death, the penalty of the law which he has broken.
Obedience to the law of God is sanctification. There are many who have
erroneous ideas in regard to this work in the soul, but Jesus prayed that His
disciples might be sanctified through the truth, and added, “Thy word is truth.”
Sanctification is not an instantaneous but a progressive work, as obedience is
continuous. Just as long as Satan urges his temptations upon us, the battle for
self-conquest will have to be fought over and over again; but by obedience,
the truth will sanctify the soul. Those who are loyal to the truth will, through
the merits of Christ, overcome all weakness of character which has led them
to be molded by every varying circumstance of life.
Many have taken the position that they cannot sin because they are sanc-
tified, but this is a delusive snare of the evil one. There is constant danger
of falling into sin, for Christ has warned us to watch and pray lest we enter
into temptation. If we are conscious of the weakness of self, we shall not be
self-confident and reckless of danger, but we shall feel the necessity of seek-
ing to the Source of our strength, Jesus our righteousness. We shall come in
repentance and contrition, with a despairing sense of our own finite weakness,
and learn that we must daily apply to the merits of the blood of Christ, that
we may become vessels fit for the Master’s use. While thus depending upon
God, we shall not be found warring against the truth, but we shall always be
enabled to take our stand for the right. We should cling to the teaching of the
Bible, and not follow the customs and traditions of the world, the sayings and
doings of men.—
The Signs of the Times, May 19, 1890
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