It is quite apparent that many professing Christians have no idea that salvation is comprised of two distinct segments, those being justification and sanctification. Neither outweighs the other in importance or necessity. No one will inherit eternal life without having been justified by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and no one will be included in the first resurrection without being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Scripture clearly declares “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which NO MAN shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Many believers make no effort whatsoever to be at peace with all men, but instead are continually at odds with most others. And instead of cultivating holiness in their daily lives they evidently view holy living as a lifestyle quite impossible to attain.
The scriptures deal with the subject of sanctification in depth, assuring believers that “the Lord knows them that are His. And let every one (no exceptions) that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity!” (See 2 Timothy 2:19). That is not a mere suggestion. It is an apostolic COMMAND! Iniquity is anything that is counter to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Those Christians who ignore their Lord will find that He, in turn, will ignore them. He warned He would do just that: “Therefore it is come to pass that as he (God’s prophet Zechariah) cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 7:14). God takes it personal when believers fail to heed the words of His prophets and apostles. And when you turn a deaf ear to His Son you are treading upon the most dangerous ground a believer can ever stand on.
There are some very enlightening statements made in the 20th chapter of Revelation: “And I (John) saw thrones (in his vision), and they (the Lord’s army spoken of in John 19) sat upon them and, judgment was given unto them, and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection on which the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (See Revelation 20:4-6).
“Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor….you are God’s building…But let every man take heed how he builds thereon….Every man’s work shall be made manifest , for the day (of the Lord) shall declare (or, reveal) it, because it shall be revealed by fire (as inferior work or superior work), and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide (the fire) which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire” (See I Corinthians 3:8-15). To be saved “yet so as by fire” indicates such believers will definitely not be “kings and priests” in the coming kingdom of God, nor will they be included in the resurrection of the “blessed and holy.” Believers, who continue to give in to their fleshly lusts and passions, will pay a heavy, heavy price. Personally, I do not want to be saved “yet so as by fire.”
Believers, who are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit, “are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ…written..with the Spirit of the living God” (See 2 Corinthians 3:3). True, God-wrought spiritual growth is as glaringly apparent as one’s physical growth. A teenager is quite different in appearance than a toddler. Thus, someone who has been in Christ for ten or twenty years should be remarkably different from a new convert. The apostle Paul writes that the ministering of the Holy Spirit to a human being is glorious indeed. (See 2 Corinthians 3:9). He further states that the life of Jesus is to be made manifest in our body. (See 2 Corinthians 4:10-11). We are to “be made the righteousness of God in Him” (See 2 Corinthians 5:21). This speaks of true righteousness, not imputed righteousness. God literally changes us from ungodly to godly, from faithless to men and women of faith, from uncaring to kind, from hateful to loving. God says He “will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (See 2 Corinthians 6:18-7:1). Yes, let’s do that!
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley