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What Is The Truth About Our Sanctification? |
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All the false religions in the world teach in one manner or another that a person becomes righteous and earns his salvation by his own good works and efforts. God, on the other hand, teaches us that we are justified by faith without any works on our part. The righteousness that saves and eternal life are God’s gifts to us through Jesus Christ.
We might wonder, then, where do good works fit into our spiritual life under God? Surely God’s forgiveness of sins cannot be a license to sin all the more. The purpose of this lesson is to learn what God teaches us about our life of good works and about his law.
1. What does God’s justifying us by faith move us to do in return?
Ps.118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his love endures forever.
1 Jn.4:19 As for us, we love, because he himself first loved us.
Ro.12:1,2 Therefore I urge you, brothers, by reminding you of the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship; and keep from being conformed to this present age, but continue to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.
Jn.14:15 If you disciples love me, you will keep my commandments.
Ro.6:11 . . . keep considering yourselves to be dead to sin and living to God in Christ Jesus.
2 Cor.5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away, behold, new things have come.
2 Cor.5:14,15 For the love of Christ drives us, because we have come to conclude this, that one died for all; so, then they all died; and he died for all in order that those who are living no longer keep living for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Js.2:17,18 In the same way also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. . . I myself will show you my faith from my works
Gal.2:20 . . . the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
1 Jn.5:3 For this is this love for God, that we keep observing his commandments.
Ps.33:8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world revere him.
The Truth Is:
A good work is whatever we do by faith in keeping with the commandments to fear and love God.
3. Can we be saved by the good works we do according to God’s law?
Mt.5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
1 Jn.1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Gal.3:10 For as many as are of works of law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT KEEP ABIDING BY EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW TO DO THEM.”
Gal.2:16 . . . knowing that a man is not declared righteous as a result of works of law but by means of faith in Jesus Christ, even we have put our trust in Christ Jesus, in order that we might be declared righteous as a result of faith in Christ and not as a result of works of law, for as a result of works of law no person will be declared righteous.
The Truth Is:
Our good works cannot save us, because:
4. What, then, is the purpose of God’s law for us?
Ro.3:20 . . . for by means of law comes a consciousness of sin.
Gal.3:24 And so the law has been a childhood guide in charge of us to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be declared righteous as a result of faith.
1 Tim.1:9,10 . . . knowing this, that the law is not laid down for a righteous person but for lawless and undisciplined persons, for godless and sinful persons, for unholy and worldly persons, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murders, . . .
Ps.119:120 My flesh bristles with terror of you; And I am afraid of your judgments.
Ps.119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word.
Ps.119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.
The Truth Is:
The purpose of God’s law is threefold.
5. When was God’s law given?
Col.3:10 . . . and have clothed yourselves with the new man who is being renewed in a precise knowledge according to the likeness of Him who created him, . . .
Ro.2:15 . . . they (the Gentiles, unbelievers) are such ones as who demonstrate the practical proof of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying in support of it, and their thoughts going back and forth between accusing or even defending them). . .
Ex.34:28 And he (the Lord) wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant – the Ten Commandments.
God gave his law,
6. How has God’s law been summarized for us?
Isa.28:13 So the word of the Lord to them will be: Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, law upon law, law upon law, a little here, a little there, . . .
Ex.34:28 And he (the Lord) wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant – the Ten Commandments.
Mt.22:37-40 And he (Jesus) replied to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL’ and with all your mind; This is the greatest and most important commandment. And the second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF’ The whole Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus further summarized the moral law of God’s ten commandments into but two commandments: Love God above all, and love your neighbor as yourself.
The Truth Is:
For your personal study before the next lesson:
A. Read:
Genesis, chapter 50, Exodus, chapters 1-6, a chapter a day
Acts, chapters 5-11, a chapter a day
B. Complete the following review questions. Write out your answers in the spaces provided.
1. Define sanctification.
2. What is the relationship of sanctification to justification.
3. How can we express our thanks and love to God for his justifying us?
4. Define a good work.
5. Why can’t the good works we do by faith save us?
6. When asked why they think they will go to heaven, people often answer that they have tried to lead a good life. Evaluate their answer on the basis of what we have learned from the Bible in this lesson.
7. Those who try to save themselves by obeying God’s law will receive what from him in the end?
8. Why do you feel you should live by God’s commandments?
9. How do the three purposes of the law apply to you personally?
10. In what ways has God given you his law?
11. Summarize the law of God.
12. Why is love for God and for our neighbor the fulfillment of the law?
We might wonder, then, where do good works fit into our spiritual life under God? Surely God’s forgiveness of sins cannot be a license to sin all the more. The purpose of this lesson is to learn what God teaches us about our life of good works and about his law.
1. What does God’s justifying us by faith move us to do in return?
Ps.118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his love endures forever.
- God’s justifying us, that is forgiving us and declaring us righteous, moves us to thank him.
1 Jn.4:19 As for us, we love, because he himself first loved us.
- God’s justifying us moves us to love him.
Ro.12:1,2 Therefore I urge you, brothers, by reminding you of the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship; and keep from being conformed to this present age, but continue to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.
- To express our loving thanks to God for justifying us, we will give our bodies and lives to God to serve him.
- Having our minds spiritually renewed by God’s good news of justification and salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, we will serve him by living holy lives that are pleasing to him and carry out his moral will for us.
Jn.14:15 If you disciples love me, you will keep my commandments.
- God’s justifying us moves us to love him by obeying his commandments.
Ro.6:11 . . . keep considering yourselves to be dead to sin and living to God in Christ Jesus.
- God’s justifying us moves us to stop doing sinful things and to live for God by doing the right things that he wants us to do.
2 Cor.5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away, behold, new things have come.
- God’s justifying us moves us to be a new person spiritually. We do not live in sin as we formerly did, but we live holy lives as God’s holy people.
2 Cor.5:14,15 For the love of Christ drives us, because we have come to conclude this, that one died for all; so, then they all died; and he died for all in order that those who are living no longer keep living for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
- Christ’s love for us, and his sacrificial death to save us, move and urge us to serve him.
Js.2:17,18 In the same way also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. . . I myself will show you my faith from my works
- This new, holy life of loving service and thanksgiving is the fruit of our faith, the good work we do in response to God’s justifying us.
- God’s justifying us moves us to love and thank him by serving him with holy lives which obey his will and commandments.
- This new life of loving service and obedience is a fruit of our faith.
- Note: Our Christian life of loving service and of the good works of obedience to God’s commandments is called our sanctification. Sanctification follows justification, not in the sense of time, but in the sense of a logical sequence, like a cause and its effect.
Gal.2:20 . . . the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
- A good work is whatever we do by faith in Jesus, the Son of God.
1 Jn.5:3 For this is this love for God, that we keep observing his commandments.
- A good work is whatever we do in keeping with God’s commandments to express our love for him.
Ps.33:8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world revere him.
- A good work is whatever we do to fear, meaning to honor, God.
The Truth Is:
A good work is whatever we do by faith in keeping with the commandments to fear and love God.
3. Can we be saved by the good works we do according to God’s law?
Mt.5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- God’s law demands perfection from all of us. It does not permit the slightest sin.
1 Jn.1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
- God’s law demands that we be perfect, but we are sinners who fail to do what God’s law requires.
Gal.3:10 For as many as are of works of law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT KEEP ABIDING BY EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW TO DO THEM.”
- Our failing to do everything demanded in God’s law perfectly puts us under God’s curse of eternal punishment in hell.
Gal.2:16 . . . knowing that a man is not declared righteous as a result of works of law but by means of faith in Jesus Christ, even we have put our trust in Christ Jesus, in order that we might be declared righteous as a result of faith in Christ and not as a result of works of law, for as a result of works of law no person will be declared righteous.
- From the Bible we know that no one is justified and saved by doing works to keep God’s law. Rather a person is justified and saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ.
The Truth Is:
Our good works cannot save us, because:
- We are sinners who fail to do everything God’s law requires perfectly.
- Our failure to carry out all of God’s law perfectly puts us under the curse of God’s punishment in hell.
- No one is justified by his works of obedience to God’s law but through faith in Jesus Christ.
4. What, then, is the purpose of God’s law for us?
Ro.3:20 . . . for by means of law comes a consciousness of sin.
- The chief purpose of God’s law is to show us our sin.
Gal.3:24 And so the law has been a childhood guide in charge of us to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be declared righteous as a result of faith.
- By showing us our sin and God’s threats of punishment God’s law shows us our need for a Savior and prepares our hearts for the good news about Jesus Christ.
1 Tim.1:9,10 . . . knowing this, that the law is not laid down for a righteous person but for lawless and undisciplined persons, for godless and sinful persons, for unholy and worldly persons, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murders, . . .
- God’s law with its moral demands and threats of punishment was made for sinners who would disobey its commands.
Ps.119:120 My flesh bristles with terror of you; And I am afraid of your judgments.
- So another purpose of God’s law with its threats to punish all who disobey its commandments is to make us afraid of God’s punishment, so we hold our sinful nature in check and do not sin against his commandments.
Ps.119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word.
- This verse and the next teach us that another purpose of God’s law is to guide us in living a holy, God pleasing life according to his commandments.
Ps.119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.
The Truth Is:
The purpose of God’s law is threefold.
- It serves as a mirror to show us our sin and our need for the Savior Jesus. This is the chief purpose of the law.
- It serves as a curb to hold our sinful nature in check, which otherwise would lead us into sin.
- It serves as a guide to living a holy life, which is pleasing to God.
5. When was God’s law given?
Col.3:10 . . . and have clothed yourselves with the new man who is being renewed in a precise knowledge according to the likeness of Him who created him, . . .
- When God created Adam and Eve, he created them in his own image, which included having a perfect knowledge of his law written in their hearts.
- We Christians are being renewed in this knowledge.
Ro.2:15 . . . they (the Gentiles, unbelievers) are such ones as who demonstrate the practical proof of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying in support of it, and their thoughts going back and forth between accusing or even defending them). . .
- Even the unbelievers in the world show that the demands of God’s law are written in their hearts.
Ex.34:28 And he (the Lord) wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant – the Ten Commandments.
- Since our natural knowledge of God’s law was darkened by sin, God gave his law a second time, writing it down, first in stone for the Jews, and then in the Bible for us all.
God gave his law,
- First writing it in our hearts.
- Then writing it in the Bible.
6. How has God’s law been summarized for us?
Isa.28:13 So the word of the Lord to them will be: Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, law upon law, law upon law, a little here, a little there, . . .
- The wayward priests and prophets of the Old Testament had mocked God’s Word as a great many laws of do’s and don’ts and rules. God said this is just what his Word would become to them as his judgment on them.
- God’s law does consist of many moral do’s and don’ts for our learning and for our Christian life of faith.
Ex.34:28 And he (the Lord) wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant – the Ten Commandments.
- God summarized the do’s and don’ts of his moral law into ten, simple commandments, so we may better remember what his law forbids and demands.
Mt.22:37-40 And he (Jesus) replied to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL’ and with all your mind; This is the greatest and most important commandment. And the second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF’ The whole Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus further summarized the moral law of God’s ten commandments into but two commandments: Love God above all, and love your neighbor as yourself.
The Truth Is:
- God’s moral law contains many do’s and don’ts for our learning and life.
- God summarized his moral law in the ten commandments.
- Jesus further summarized God’s moral law into but two commandments: Love the Lord your God above all, and love your neighbor as yourself.
For your personal study before the next lesson:
A. Read:
Genesis, chapter 50, Exodus, chapters 1-6, a chapter a day
Acts, chapters 5-11, a chapter a day
B. Complete the following review questions. Write out your answers in the spaces provided.
1. Define sanctification.
2. What is the relationship of sanctification to justification.
3. How can we express our thanks and love to God for his justifying us?
4. Define a good work.
5. Why can’t the good works we do by faith save us?
6. When asked why they think they will go to heaven, people often answer that they have tried to lead a good life. Evaluate their answer on the basis of what we have learned from the Bible in this lesson.
7. Those who try to save themselves by obeying God’s law will receive what from him in the end?
8. Why do you feel you should live by God’s commandments?
9. How do the three purposes of the law apply to you personally?
10. In what ways has God given you his law?
11. Summarize the law of God.
12. Why is love for God and for our neighbor the fulfillment of the law?
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