Recap

Authentically Christian

Step one – Surrender
Step two – Realize that there is help
Step three – turn your will and your life over to the care of God
Step four – Take stock of your life.

To that end, we’ll talk about sanctification and how we can participate in it.
To truly be Christian, one needs to take an inventory of your present life.

The first step towards solving any problem is to recognize that you have one.

Introduction

Measuring talent according to one standard when another is far more appropriate.

What if we were to consider judging a flying contest and somehow a bear got into the contest?

The bear wouldn’t do well, would it?

In a similar way, if we measure ourselves by the standards of the world around us, we can come up with

The measure we Christians evaluate ourselves is through comparison to Jesus.

The Christian is called to the ongoing work of self-evaluation in order to be sanctified in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Sanctification

It may surprise you but the goal of the Christian life isn’t to make it into heaven.

Instead, the goal is to expand our relationship with Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ IS life

John 1:4 – “In him was life, and the life was the light of men
John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Sanctification is a never-ending process.

Origen – There is always more of God to know and love (He’s infinite)

Justification and sanctification

Being made holy – set apart for God.
Different than justification – that is the means by which God in Christ moves us out of the darkness and into his glorious light

Justification is entirely the work of God.
Jesus “justifies us” through his death and resurrection

We are “Set right” with God

Romans 5:18 – “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.”

Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit occurring within us.

Now, make no mistake about it, it FEELS very much like we’re doing all the heavy lifting, but we are being powered by God.

Calvin once wrote that where there is no spirit of sanctification, there may not be justification.

God is going to make Holy those who He has saved.