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The Great Controversy
“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.
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
[470]
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
.
The Scriptures plainly show that the work of sanctification is pro-
gressive. 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 temper-
ance 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
.
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.
The prophet Daniel was an example of true sanctification. His long
life was filled up with noble service for his Master. He was a man
“greatly beloved” (
Daniel 10:11
) of Heaven. Yet instead of claiming
to be pure and holy, this honored prophet identified himself with the
really sinful of Israel as he pleaded before God in behalf of his people:
“We do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousness,
but for Thy great mercies.” “We have sinned, we have done wickedly.”