A relationship to God measured by growth toward sanctification (holiness) must eventually shift the foundation of that
relationship from Christ's covering, to my own holiness. My motivation
for battling sin also shifts to a self centered pride in achieving
my goal. Pride forces me to look for evidence that I really am
becoming more and more like Christ. Pride also forces me to measure
my progress against that of others. Soon, my Christian life becomes
a pride filled pursuit of personal holiness, based on faith in myself, and not in God's Son. When I finally get comfortable
judging myself to be holier than others, it becomes impossible for me to
identify with them as a fellow sinner. If I can no longer identify with
others as a fellow sinner, I have proof that my faith has truly shifted from
Christ, to my own holiness.
THE TRUTH IS... if we are not absolutely holy, fully and completely sanctified, we dare not approach a holy God. The question then becomes... Is sanctification a lifelong PROCESS? ... or... Is sanctification a FACT OF FAITH? Scripture clearly teaches that we can approach God now, and being able to approach God now, refutes the idea that sanctification is a lifelong process. Being able to approach God now proves that we already are fully and completely sanctified by our faith in Christ.
Paul said... "...we HAVE BEEN sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all..." "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who ARE sanctified." (Hebrews 10:10-14) About entering into the very presence of God, Paul wrote... "Since therefore, brethren, we have CONFIDENCE to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus..." ".. .let us draw near with a sincere heart in FULL ASSURANCE of faith..." (Hebrew 10: 19-23) "And such CONFIDENCE we have through CHRIST toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God." (2Corinthians 3:4-5)
And, finally, for those who would dare waver from absolute faith and trust in Christ alone, Paul said this... "How much severer the punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under-foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he WAS sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:28-29) God knows that it is impossible for us to become holy. To be holy, everything we THINK, SAY and DO must agree with the Law of God and the will of God… EVERYTHING! This is impossible for us! Only Jesus was capable of this kind of sinless perfection, therefore only Jesus is HOLY. "...Thou ALONE are HOLY..." (Revelation 15:4)
Jesus said very clearly in (John 8:23-24) that "...unless you believe that I am He (God), you shall die in your sins." We MUST believe that Jesus is God! But... how is it possible to believe that Jesus is God, and truly honor him as God, if we also believe that we will one day be just like him? Nowhere in Scripture, did God say that anyone could ever be like him.
The truth is... it is IMPOSSIBLE for a true Christian to believe that they can be like Jesus! If we try to do it, and we're honest about it... we will soon discover that we're forced to either believe that Jesus is someone other than God, which according to Jesus, assures us that we will die in our sins without hope of salvation. Or.... we must join with Satan, and believe that we actually can be like God, which also guarantees that we will die in our sins without hope of salvation! This popular idea, that we can believe that Jesus is God, and at the same time believe that we can become just like him, is very dangerous! What is not dangerous is to believe what the Bible actually teaches. Jesus is God... and NO ONE will ever be LIKE GOD!
Sanctification is a fact of our faith in Christ Jesus! There is no separate process of sanctification! You can choose to believe this or not. But, before you make up your mind, shouldn't you listen to what Jesus himself said about sanctification? On the road to Damascus, Saul (Paul before his conversion) is confronted by Christ. Out of the brightness of Christ's glory, Saul is blinded physically at the same time he is given spiritual vision and faith in the truth. Christ himself said, that those Saul (Paul) will reach with the gospel, will be among those who "...HAVE BEEN sanctified by FAITH IN ME..." (Acts 26:18)
AMEN !
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