It’s coming you know! For you, for me, for all of us! We don’t know when, exactly. Sometimes we don’t know where, why, or how; but it is still coming. THE END of LIFE!
For a lot of people the ‘end of life’ is a grave where there is no hope, no joy, no life. A place of “finality!”
But for me, and many like me, the grave is not the end of hope, joy, and life. Instead, it is the “beginning” of these things. And when I say people like me, I am not referring to my character, personality, or social status. (nor my good looks.??????).
I am referring to my “faith." I am a believer and a ‘day-by-day ‘ follower of Jesus Christ. Because of this, for me, the grave is when and where life begins. For the unbeliever, it is when and where lifeends.
To the ‘seeker’ God says, “Those who cry out to the Lord, those who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead, those who repent from their sins and their self-centred life, and believe in Jesus Christ and His teachings - it is these people who shall have hope, joy, and life.
Because God gave His only Son Jesus Christ to lead us into all truth, because He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, because He raised His Son from the grave and called Him back home to heaven, for those of us who accept this, the grave is not the end of hope, joy, and life; but instead, it is the very “beginning” of hope, joy, and life!
What God did for Jesus, is what God promises He will do for those of us who "believe!"
Amen!
The End of Life or Just the Beginning?
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Pastor Wayne - article contributor
I have spent nearly my entire adult life involved in Christian ministry. I have pastored in Newfoundland, Ontario, Nova Scotia and British Columbia, Canada. While in British Columbia, I was the Director for Community Services Thrift Store and Food Bank in Kelowna. I spent 12 years in the prison ministry at the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre and I have also been a hospital Chaplain. During my ministry I have conducted multiple baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
My wife, Pastor Sandra Gardner, and I, co-founded, Connections Christian Fellowship Ministries that visited those who could not get to church. We also co-founded, The Halfway Church. This Ministry was created to help young offenders become familiar with a Christian environment in an informal and comfortable way. The ultimate goal was to prepare and encourage them to attend a local church.
My wife and I also spent many happy years sharing Christian music and participating in Christian-based drama and clown events. That was a lot of fun!
This is Part 3 in Mack’s 3-part series on Sanctification
“You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Lev. 19:2. ESV).
We have considered what the will of God is for our life: it is our sanctification. Further, we briefly considered how it is we are sanctified: when we abide in Christ. But to complete our brief consideration of sanctification, it would be worth understanding why sanctification is important. I hope to show that the reason we must be serious about our sanctification is because it is the process of holiness; and holiness is important because it is the will of God, it glorifies God, is the key to a healthy relationship with God, is the state of a restored humanity, and is our protection.
Sanctification and Holiness
Sanctification is the process of becoming holy. We have touched upon this in part 1 and part 2, but it is worth restating to stress the value of this process. Sanctification is the process of becoming holy; of becoming more and more like Jesus, by cooperating with the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for sanctification is ΄αγιασμός (pronounced hagiasmos), which literally means holiness. Therefore, when Paul writes to the Church in Thessalonica “For this is the will of God for your life: your sanctification…” (1st Thes. 4:3) he uses the word ΄αγιασμός for sanctification. Paul is saying that God’s will is for his children to be holy.
What is holiness, then? We know that sanctification is the process of becoming holy (of becoming more like Jesus), which is the will of God for our lives; but what does it mean to become more like Jesus – to become more and more holy? The biblical definition for holiness involves two parts that, taken together, provides a full understanding of the concept. To be holy is to be consecrated, separated, and distinct. It also means blamelessness and purity.
When the scriptures describe God as holy, one of its meanings is that God is distinct and separate. “There is none holy like the LORD…” (1 Sm. 2:2). God is entirely unique from everything he has made, flawless in His being, perfect in all that He does. There is a similar concept at play in the creation story.
The seventh day, the Sabbath, is holy (Gen 2:3; Ex 20:8); that is unique, set aside to God, separate from what is regular. Just as there is no other God like our God, there is no other day of the week like the Sabbath. When the psalmist cries “Holy and awesome is his name.” (Ps. 111:9), he is saying something significant about the name of God – it is separate, uncommon, sacred, pure; not to be treated lightly! (It is both remarkable and sobering how many Christians break the third commandment daily: as if the name of God or Jesus Christ were a common thing – and use it as profanity!) Therefore, if we are called to be holy, we are called to be separate and distinct (1 Pt. 1:16). There is also the notion that because God is holy, He is pure, without flaw, and blameless in every way.
But for us, what does this holiness (this distinction) look like? We obviously cannot be like God regarding our being; so, what does it mean to be separated? Holiness is something much more than moral purity and blamelessness; but it does not exist without these. Paul writes in 1 Thess. 4:7 “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” In Titus 1:8 we are called to be “upright, holy, and blameless.” Jesus is our “high priest, holy, innocent, and unstained.” (Heb. 7:26). Here the connotations with holiness are discipline, innocence, purity, and uprightness. To be separated and distinct carries with it a separation from impurity, from a stained and undisciplined lifestyle. Whereas God is distinct and separate above everything He has made; pure and blameless in all that He is and does, we are meant to be separate and distinct from the impure and blameworthy things around us.
We live a holy life when (with the help of the Holy Spirit) we abstain and abhor the profane, impure, unrighteous, and blameworthy things of our society, repenting of the corrupted elements of our culture. We do this because of who we are: a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession” who are meant to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness and into his marvelous light.” (1 Pet. 2:9. Bracket mine).
Why it Matters
Why does it matter to live a holy life? What are the consequences of a holy and an unholy life? There are 5 reasons why holiness in our life matters: God commands us to holiness; and because God commands us, our obedience will glorify God. Holiness is necessary to have fellowship with God; holiness is our restored position; and finally, holiness is our protection.
First, we are commanded to walk in holiness: it is the desire of God that we should “control [our] own [bodies] in holiness and honor” (1 Thess. 4:4. Bracket Mine.). “You shall be holy,” commands God to the Israelites, “for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Lev. 19:2). This very same command Peter repeats in his epistle: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1st Pet 1:15-16). The commands of God are the expression of the desires of God; and whatever God speaks reflects who He is, and what He wills.
Secondly, our holiness glorifies God. Note the command of God to Israel: “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” Notice how intimate the connection draws between Himself and His people. There is an expectation on the people of God due to the sacred link between who God is, and our status as His children. This is not something unfamiliar to us or difficult to understand. How often do children reflect their relationship with their father and mother through their actions? Or, how often is the reputation of the father or mother garnered by the actions of their child?
When a child behaves well, we see that not only as a testament to the character of the child, but also as a statement on the parents. “Beloved” writes Peter, “I urge you as sojourners and exiles [here again is the idea of separation] to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1st Pet. 2:11-12. Bracket mine. Italics mine). We need not look further than Romans 2:22-24 to see a consequence of disobedience: “You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by Breaking the law. For it is written, ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” (Italics mine). It is remarkable to consider that God has tied Himself to His people.
The depth of such a love ought to give us pause: for those of us who claim to love God, have we sufficiently considered the consequences of our actions and the quality of our hearts? Or have we forgotten that we are meant to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called us” not only with our words, but with our actions as well? (James 1:22; 1 John 3:18).
Thirdly, without holiness, we cannot have fellowship with God. “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7). The author of Hebrews writes “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14. Italics mine). Further, our Lord gives us a solemn warning: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matt. 7: 21-23. Italics Mine.)
Though mentioned above, it bears repeating: holiness is separation from what defiles; what is impure; what is evil; what is sin – what is lawless. God, who is holy, does not abide in or with the unholy life; and we cannot have fellowship with God unless we are pursuing a holy life. Oil and water do not mix. “For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2nd Corinthians 6:14).
It can be seen from the points above that holiness is important because it is also our restoration. As an act of obedience, as a lifestyle of glorification of God and fellowship with God, a life of holiness is a life that is the original purpose of humanity. To glorify God and walk in fellowship with Him is the end of our creation. Holiness is, therefore, humanity as we are meant to be.
Finally, holiness is our protection. It stands to reason that if we cannot have fellowship with God without a holy lifestyle, then to live an unholy life is to separate ourselves from God. This does not mean that if a Christian commits a sin, he is no longer saved; rather, if he sins, his relationship with the Godhead is damaged. Because God only dwells with the holy life, an unholy life is a life outside the presence of God and His protection. “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7). Consider the words of Christ after He healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2-9): “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14. Italics Mine).
When David slept with Bathsheba and murdered her husband Uriah, the Lord explained the consequence of his sin. “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” (2 Sam. 12:10). Certainly not every problem we face is a result of our sins; but we need to seriously consider the implications of a life outside the presence and will of God, and ask ourselves what (or whose) influence we are vulnerable too.
We must remember that the devil prowls like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). But to the believer who walks in holiness, what does the scripture say? “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” (1 John 5:18. Italics Mine). We are safest when we walk in the will of our Father.
For these reasons we must take our sanctification seriously. Not simply because God commands it (though that is certainly enough); but because it glorifies God, it is the foundation of fellowship with Him, it is how we are meant to live, and it is our protection. A genuine Christian will care about his or her sanctification because our sanctification facilitates these things.
To continue in sanctification (to continue in holiness and increasing separation from the world) is the will of God for the believer, and ought to be the desire of the believer.
Mckenzie (Mack) Gardner – Guest Contributor
Mckenzie has a B.A. degree in Philosophy, as well as, a Master of Theological Studies Degree earned at Tyndale University. He is interested in Modern Theology and Philosophy, and hopes one day to earn a Ph.D.
This is Part 2 in Mack’s 3-part series on Sanctification
We have considered what Scripture says is the will of God for the Christian. Above everything else, for those who are saved, it is their sanctification. To become more and more like Jesus is the will of God for each one of His children. We have briefly considered what sanctification is, and what it is not. Now we must turn our attention to how we become sanctified.
There is no greater passage which pertains to Christian discipleship than John 15:1-11. Here we find the key to our sanctification.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Our Lord uses the analogy of a vine and its branch. This parable reveals the nature of our relationship with the Lord and (more importantly) the type of relationship He seeks with us. It is closely knit and dependent; dynamic and alive. Just like the branch to its vine, we are meant to be inseparably connected to the one who gives us life. And just like a branch to its vine, our connection to Jesus is an organic relationship – it is not static or abstract, but rather concrete, and it grows (and we grow because of it). By using this analogy, Christ highlights that our growth as Christians is the product of a relationship that receives from Him, just as a branch receives from the vine. Just as Christ said, “apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5c).
John Chapter 15
Why isJohn 15 the chapter to refer to regarding how we are sanctified? It is the use of the word “fruit” that justifies the selection.
In the New Testament the word ‘fruit’ is often used metaphorically to refer to the product, potential, or consequence of a particular person or action. The English word fruition, which means the realization or accomplishment of a desired end, carries within it the word fruit. To bear fruit is to bring about something innate or hidden – to bring to completion or wholeness. In one sense, it is to bring about what was already there.
A branch bears fruit when it receives the nutrients it needs from the vine. Notice however, that the fruit of a branch was innate in the branch, hidden until the proper time, because the branch was a branch. Because of what the branch is does it bring forth fruit when it receives life from the vine. Fruit from the branch shows that the branch is healthy and acting according to its nature.
Jesus Often Used Analogies
Since Jesus used the analogy between a branch and its vine, we can apply the concept of fruit to ourselves. We bring forth the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22) when we receive the nutrition we need to do so. The presence of this fruit is the evidence that we have the Spirit. As Christians, when we bear the fruit of the Spirit, we show that the Holy Spirit is in us. And if the Holy Spirit is in us, we show that we belong to Christ (Eph 1:13-14; Rom 8:9) and that we are becoming more and more like Him (Rom 8:12-17).
You will remember that this is what sanctification is (to become more like Jesus). Just as the fruit of the branch proves the branch is a branch and connected to the vine, the fruit of the Spirit proves that we belong to Christ (justification) and that we are connected to Him (our vine). The fruit of the Spirit is proof we are sons and daughters of God; the increase of fruit is evidence that we are connected to our vine, and we are becoming who we are.
Abide in Me and I in You
Therefore, when Christ says “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” He refers to the truth that separated from Him, we do not bear fruit. This is to say, when we do not abide in Christ, we step outside the sanctification process – we disobey the will of God for our life. To abide in Jesus is the key to our sanctification. “By this,” says Christ “my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8).
So how do we abide? Verse 10 tells us. “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” The requisite to abide is the study of and obedience to the commands of God. We must study God’s word and obey it. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22). To do this is how we abide in Christ. 1 John 1:5-7 testifies to this: “this is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
God is holy. He has told us what He desires – “what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:2b) – in His word. To walk contrary to His word is to step out of fellowship with Him. Not for nothing does Christ warn those who think they can get into heaven without abiding. “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. One that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in you name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in you name? And then will I declare to them ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matt 7:21-23). To sin is to be out of fellowship with Him, which is to be a branch separated from its vine.
We Abide in Christ When We Pray
We are commanded to pray, and as such, it is an act of obedience. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18). But prayer is also relational, and therefore fits to the analogy of the vine and branch. Prayer is communal. It is interaction with God. To have a relationship with God without prayer is as absurd as a relationship with someone without conversation.
We abide when we worship. We are commanded to worship (Matt 4:10; Deut 6:13); but we are also told that God is “enthroned” on the praises of His people. The Hebrew word used for enthroned is ya.shav which means “to sit upon, to abide.” As we worship God, God abides upon our praises. Worship is a type of prayer. The soul of a believer intimately gives his adoration to the Godhead; God responds with His delight.
Finally, we are commanded to community, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb 10:24-25). But what is more, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matt 18:20). Whenever and wherever we gather in mutual adoration of the Godhead, there Christ is with us. To gather as a congregation in the name of Jesus is to gather to Him. This, too, is abiding.
Sanctification is God’s Will
We have seen that sanctification is the will of God for our lives. But we cannot do this by ourselves. We grow in sanctification as we abide in Christ, because just as a branch cannot bear fruit without the life-giving nutrients that come from the vine, we cannot grow in the Spirit or produce the fruit of the Spirit without Christ. We need the life-giving presence of Jesus. We must abide in Him; and we do this when we obey His commandments – we cannot have fellowship with God if we walk in disobedience to Him. To obey is to study and do His commandments; to pray is to converse with God; to worship the Godhead is to adore Him; and to fellowship in His name is to have Him among us. This is how we abide; therefore, this is how we are sanctified.
Mckenzie (Mack) Gardner – Guest Contributor
Mckenzie has a B.A. degree in Philosophy, as well as, a Master of Theological Studies Degree earned at Tyndale University. He is interested in Modern Theology and Philosophy, and hopes one day to earn a Ph.D.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification…For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. (1st Thessalonians 4:3, 7-8. ESV)
Here is the will of God for our lives: our sanctification. Paul is quite clear. We ought not consider or inquire beyond this point, seeking some particular or individual calling, without first becoming firmly convinced that this general call to all believers is the fundamental call for every believer.
There are two errors we may commit regarding sanctification: we might show a terrible apathy towards it (which is the mark of a false conversion); or, we might have a well-intentioned negligence in favour of a particular calling or work that God has for our life. The first is a pernicious lie which conceives Christianity as nothing more than the redirection of God’s wrath to His Son. Repentance from our own sins; our fellowship with the Godhead; even our Christian living do not gather much consideration. Faith is simply a mental assent; all the while the kindness and forbearance of God is presumed upon (Romans 2:3-5). Sanctification is not simply ignored – it is not even conceived; and to turn from one’s sin is not even known as a criterion of salvation.
The second error we can make is to preoccupy ourselves with the work God has for our life, without committing to what He has already revealed to be His work in our life. What will God use me for? Why was I made? We do not realize that the general will of God for every believer (sanctification) is also the foundational will of God for every believer. We misunderstand things if we believe that somehow God would call us to some great and mighty work without first securing a steady foundation to build from – an obedient heart. But, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much…”(Luke 16:10), and useful to the Master for every good work is the one who has cleansed himself from what is unholy (2 Timothy 2:21).
Sanctification is the first and fundamental work of God in every believing heart. No work or calling on one’s life exists apart from this; and whatever particular calling we do have will never extend beyond the obedience we have already demonstrated, or our willingness to be holy. Any desire to serve God that does not come from a heart that has focused on personal sanctification and a willingness to cooperate with the Spirit in that process is (at best) a well-intentioned recklessness – at worst, pride. The standard for every decision is our sanctification; and any particular calling God has for the believer is built upon this.
What Sanctification Is
To be sanctified is to be conformed to the image of Christ. It is cooperation with the Spirit to cleanse ourselves from the worldly and sinful influences that hinder our walk with God (1 John 1:5-7) and are contrary to who we really are – children of God (1 John 3:1). The continual call of the New Testament is not a call to special works of charity, but instead a call of continual repentance. Christ Himself says this in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” In James 4:7-8 we read: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Repentance bearing fruit over the course of one’s life is the will of God for His redeemed.
What Sanctification Is Not
Before we consider how we cooperate with this process, it would be worth noting what sanctification is not. Sanctification is not immediate perfection. As a process, it is a gradual transformation into the image of Christ. When we sin, our sanctification is not destroyed – it is only stalled, provided we confess our sin and move forward in the grace that Christ has acquired for us. For Christ is our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1); who is faithful to us when we are faithless to Him (2 Tim. 2:13); who is just and faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from every sin we confess to Him (1 John 1:9); who is sympathetic to us and our weaknesses because He was tempted in every respect; and who will provide help in our time of need (Heb. 4:15-16).
Nevertheless, we should not think that because sanctification is a process we have liberty to sin. Grace abounds to the sinner – but that does not mean we sin so grace might abound even more. Paul writes against this. He writes: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” The grace of our Lord is not a license to sin – rather, it is the freedom to pursue holiness without anxiety. The blood of Christ will cover us again and again – but the true believer will not look at this as an opportunity to indulge the flesh. “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9).
Finally, sanctification is not a journey towards salvation, but a process that takes place after we are saved. Sanctification is becoming what we are. Because we are saved, we are children of a holy God (1 John 3:1). Once we are justified in Christ, we grow to become like Him. We are saved – then we live out our salvation, gradually becoming more and more like Jesus. “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him…” (Col. 2:6).
Conclusion
The will of God for our life is our sanctification – to become more and more like Jesus. This is not an immediate transformation, but a process. Neither is it towards salvation, but the product of it. The most important thing we can do is cooperate with this process; the next question to address is how.
Mckenzie (Mack) Gardner – Guest Contributor
Mckenzie has a B.A. degree in Philosophy, as well as, a Master of Theological Studies Degree earned at Tyndale University. He is interested in Modern Theology and Philosophy, and hopes one day to earn a Ph.D.
Main Topics Covered Strong Warning Against Turning to Another Gospel Paul Received the Gospel from God via Revelation Paul was a Persecutor of the Church of God Who Became a Believer
