Posted by Chris on 8/2/2006, 3:34 am Holiness: Holiness of life and walk is God’s will for His children; as it is, or should be, their own earnest desire. God’s will on this matter has been declared and revealed. “This is the will of God, even your sanctification”. (1 Thess. 4:3). God has not left His will, or the means for its accomplishment, to chance. 1) God’s Way One of God’s methods for securing holiness of life is by “HOPE.” This hope is set upon a person - Christ (1 John 3:3). “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” It is part of the foundation of true Christian standing to be waiting for God’s Son from heaven (1 Thess. 1:9,10). “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” Thus, looking for Christ, we are, of necessity, looking to Christ, and are occupied with Christ, and in this manner we are “conformed to His image.” “We beholding-as-in-a mirror the glory of the Lord, ARE changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:18). Here is no restless effort, no anxious toiling, no spiritual dissipation, no occupation with “the ordinances of men,” but occupation of heart with a heavenly object, producing a heavenly character and walk - and this by secret transmutation - without an effort! This is God’s one, simple, and, withal, efficacious method for securing the accomplishment of His will in those who believe God as described in Rom. 5:12-8:39, and are thus counted righteous by Him. 2) Man’s Way Now, man has always thought that he can improve on God’s plans: and he has ever sought to do so, or to substitute his own for them. As in the matter of justification, in Genesis 4, so in the matter of sanctification, This has been so from the first, and it is seen in all the various forms of false religion. They all say, “Something in my hand I bring.” though they quarrel bitterly as to what that “something” is to be. But that it is to be “something,” they are all at one, and are all agreed. True religion, on the other hand, says, “Nothing in my hand I bring.” As it is with justification, so it is with sanctification. And those who hold that they are “justified by His grace,” too often act as though they were deceived by the specious delusion that they are to be sanctified by works. Whereas Christ, of God, is made unto us sanctification, as well as righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30), ... “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” and in precisely the same way, God having made His people righteous in Christ, has not afterwards left them to seek their sanctification in themselves. 'Selected Writings 2' Chris
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Dear Forum,
God’s Way Better Then Man’s
“the way of Cain” is contrary to “the way of God.”
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