Sanctification is not reforming the flesh. It is renewing the mind.

Sanctification is not reforming the flesh. It is renewing the mind.

A false notion about sanctification is to reform the flesh. Common expectations placed upon new believers are to conform to traditions, prescribed patterns, or programs that the church dictates, and growth is determined by how well they perform and conform in these pious works of the flesh. The fruit of this system is self-glory through achievements and admiration. It grows the outer man, the carnal nature. There is no spiritual knowledge or understanding imparted, and spiritual growth is stunted, producing nothing more than babes and children who can only function under laws. The result of this carnal immaturity is envying, and strife, and divisions.

1Co 3:1-3  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  (2)  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  (3)  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 7): Our Blessings

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 7 of 7): Our Blessings

Start with Part 1 of the series here.

Romans 5:1 begins, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have..." and then proceeds to speak of the blessings that we have as believers. These are blessings given to every person who has been justified by faith. In previous lessons we have already seen that we have peace with God, a standing in grace, a hope of glory, and are sealed with the Holy Spirit. As wonderful as this is, there is even more! In this lesson we will learn more about the marvellous blessings that we have in Christ.

Regeneration

Titus 3:3 describes each one of us before we were justified by faith: "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another." Certainly not a very pretty picture! We were enemies of God and were spiritually dead. However, that is not the end of the matter! "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour" (Titus 3:4-6). This passage tells us about another spiritual blessing we have. We have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The word "regeneration" means, to be produced anew. The Holy Spirit has quickened us in our spirit. We are no longer "dead in trespasses and sins," but have spiritual life within us.

What is ‘the faith’ and ‘obedience of faith’

What is ‘the faith’ and ‘obedience of faith’

In the epistle of Romans, Paul lays out the foundational doctrine of the grace believer. He writes about the key elements of our faith, how to walk effectually in the faith, and what the resulting fruits of living in that faith would be. Before the dispensation of grace, Israel had to walk in obedience to the rigid letter of the Mosaic law, Exo 31:18; Exo 32:16, but now, grace believers are expected to walk in obedience to a new doctrine, not of the letter, but of the spirit, Rom 7:6, imparted into their hearts by the Word of God.

THE FAITH

The Journey: Part 14 - Confirmation of our Spiritual Foundation

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 14 - Confirmation of our Spiritual Foundation

Having come through many of the key points in the foundational book of Romans, and having learned from Romans chapters 6 and 7, and from the lessons learned by the Corinthian and Galatian churches about the perils of living by the flesh or by the law, we are now reaching a milestone in our journey of learning to grow in spirit and maturity in Christ.

Of course, we should not press forward without ensuring that we practice the things we have learned. We need to ensure that our learning is not just head-knowledge, but that it is truly edifying the spirit of our mind, that it is becoming a lifestyle, not just a fleeting burst of revelation that is soon forgotten again.

The Journey: Part 7 - Sanctification, an Introduction and Motivation

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 7 - Sanctification, an Introduction and Motivation

What is sanctification?

In its basic definition, sanctification is,

• the action of separating or declaring something holy:
• the action or process of being freed from sin or purified:

So, if sanctification is the means of being separated unto God through a process of purification, the next important question to ask is, how are we sanctified? Jesus provides us a concise and powerful answer during a prayer He prayed, saying the following,

The Journey: Part 1 - Salvation

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 1 - Salvation

What is this journey I'm referring to? Simply put, it is the period of time BETWEEN salvation and glorification. The journey begins when you get saved, and it ends on that great day when Christ presents the church, His body, glorious, holy, and without blemish, before the Father, (Eph.5:26).

Rom.8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

OBS: ACTS - The Transition (Part 5 - Insights into the New Covenant)

OBS: ACTS, The Transition (Part 5) The focus is not so much on studying Acts, as it is on using the book to teach us about dispensation truths.

Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

See the video lesson of this study here.

Insights into the New Covenant