14
A New Life (Revival and Beyond)
finding favor, renders it doubly essential that all have a clear under-
standing of what the Scriptures teach upon this point.
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, 19
). 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
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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 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”.... [
Philippians 3:13, 14
and
2 Peter
1:5-10
quoted.]