December 20th, 2023 Issue

Sanctification Comes With Knowing Christ

Sanctification Comes With Knowing Christ

Sanctification is the journey, or process we must go through, in order to be conformed to the image of Christ. This isn’t something we achieve in our own efforts, but rather is dependent upon an intimate relationship with God. The Biblical passage we are going to consider today, was so important to the Apostle that wrote it, that this is what he emphasized after sharing it.

2Peter 1:12-15  Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 13  Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14  Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 15  Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

“Always in remembrance”. What I am going to share with you today is extremely important. If you have been reading the previous newsletters in this series, you are aware of the emphasis that I have been placing on knowing Christ, and interacting with Him, to get to know Him personally. The fruit you will bear, and your very salvation is dependent upon it. Here is how he sums up what will happen, depending on their response to what he has shared.

2Pe 1:8-10  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

“ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”

What kind of knowledge is this? Just head knowledge? No, what I refer to as experiential knowledge. That which will result in Him saying on the day of judgment, “I knew you”.

So let us start at the beginning of the chapter, and see what this really important message is, that he says “to have these things always in remembrance”.

2Pe 1:1-2  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

So what is the vehicle in which we are able to have Grace and Peace multiplied to us? “Through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.”

So just what is Grace? Many people have received a very watered down definition, of something that is very important to understand. Most people would say it is simply God’s unmerited favor. Here is how Strongs defined it:

“The divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life” I will often refer to it as, God’s enabling power, to have the Life of Christ flow through us. Here is one of my favorite passages, to illustrate how Christ used this word in His teaching. Every time He says “thank”, insert Grace.

Luk 6:32-36  For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34  And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Now look at this verse with the Strong’s numbers.

Luk 6:32  For G2532  if G1487  ye love G25  them which love G25  you, G5209  what G4169  thank G5485  have G2076  ye? G5213  for G1063  sinners G268  also G2532  love G25  those that love G25  them. G846 

The word thank is Grace. So what is the Lord wanting us to understand about Grace? Well He is contrasting even the things that might seem good or reasonable, that a sinner might be able to pull off in their own efforts, with works that someone could only preform if God was enabling them to do so. “ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” He IS NOT calling us to a life of “good works”, that we could preform in our own strength. No, he has asked us to be willing to die, so He can be manifest in us. That is what Peter is going to teach you in this passage. How to have God’s Grace or Power growing in you more and more, as you are being conformed into His image, or sanctified. So let us see if the next verse agrees with what has been said thus far.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

His divine power (Grace) gives us, “all things that pertain unto life and godliness”. What is godliness? God likeness. Christ likeness. What is the vehicle? That experiential knowledge of Him. What has He called us to? Glory and Virtue. Who’s glory? Not ours, we were created to glorify Him. Who’s virtue, or character? Obviously His character.

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

“that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature” What are these promises of being partakers of the divine nature? Let us look at a passage where Jesus is talking about bearing fruit, just like Peter is.

Jhn 15:1-8  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

“He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” This verse makes it abundantly clear, that unless Christ is dwelling in you, and His Grace (the vines sap) is flowing through you, you can do nothing.

Did you catch vs 8? “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples”. You are called to do the Fathers will, called to bring glory to the Father, called to bear MUCH fruit. This is what it means to be a disciple.

Verse 5-7, of the passage in 2 Peter, will take us through this sanctification process, where we are enabled to bear much fruit. The way you define many of the words in these next few verses will be critical to your understanding of how Christ desires to live His Life through you. Remember these verses are seeking to show you the nuts and bolts of how this works.

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

“Giving all diligence”. This reminds me of our study from October 24th.

Luke 6:46-49  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

The wise man was the one that had dug deep. He had “given all diligence”. Given all diligence to what? “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them” Yes those that hear Christ’s teachings and do them. Now remember, this is relationship based. This is not you reading His teaching, picking out just any old verse, and then in your own efforts trying to make it happen. That would be an attempt at being self righteous. Our righteousness comes from Christ being manifest in us. His Life dwelling and flowing through us in very practical edifying ways to those Christ desires to love and reach. Remember we get to be His hands and feet. Let’s read verse 5 again.

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

What are we to give all this diligence to? Add to our faith virtue. We have to clearly define what faith is, and virtue. Remember this is relationship based. Who was a man of faith, that had an intimate relationship with God? Abraham.

Jas 2:21-24  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

These are very controversial verses too many people. Generally people though, that have a poor understanding of a relationship based sanctification. These verses are so bothersome to them because James comes right out and says Abraham was “justified by works”. Doesn’t that contradict what Paul taught us in Ephesians?

Eph 2:8-10  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ninety percent of the time, I hear these verses quoted, verse ten is not spoken. If all you were ever taught was verses 8-9, then understandably the comment James makes is quite unsettling. But if you understand verse 10, then you will see that what James is trying to teach you, is the key to the relational obedience that is critical to your salvation. We are not saved by our own dead works, that are the result of our own plans and desires. The works that will justify us, as James puts it, are those works that were the result of Christ directing us by His Spirit and our willingness to obey, resulting in His righteousness being manifest in us. I hope you are catching this.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

God has ordained ahead of time, special works that He made us individually to walk in. Created IN, let me say it again IN Christ Jesus. Why did He fashion and create us? So we could enter into very special works, that He desires us to accomplish in Him! Everyone that has truly been born again, has been given Spiritual Gifts, that He will use to bring to fruition these works He planned ahead of time for us. Remember those puzzle pieces we considered in an earlier newsletter.

Abraham was the example that was given to us. So just what did Abraham do? He heard God’s voice and obeyed Him. Faith is hearing God’s voice and obeying. That is why we call someone faithful, that is diligent to accomplish what has been entrusted to them. So let’s go back and read verse 5 again.

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

So there is a progression here. We add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge. So we need a clear definition for virtue to understand what he is saying. Another word for virtue is character. Some definitions are like, moral strength or integrity. Some people make lists of different character qualities, like honesty, diligence, punctuality. What I believe the Apostle is trying to convey to us is that if we walk by faith and obey what God has relationally ask of us, the result will be the Character qualities of Christ being manifest in us. When that happens then knowledge is added to the virtue. Remember not head knowledge, relational knowledge, knowing Him more. We have experienced Him. But God doesn’t stop there. No this is just the beginning.

2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

Now we have to define temperance. Voluntary self restraint. You are learning to die to self. Temperance is also referred to as self control. One of my favorite definitions is, “instant obedience, to the initial promptings of God’s Spirit” You have learned to humble yourself and die to your own dead work, and are desirous of knowing the will of the Father, and are prepared to obey.

Is it surprising, that it is patience that is added to this? Not to those that have walked with God. The only way your voluntary self restraint can be tested, is to ask you to wait, to see if you will eventually take matters into your own hands. This one can be very painful, especially for those spirited stallions I talked about in our last lesson.

James 1:2-4  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

“The trying of your faith”. How does our faith come on trial? Well waiting patiently on God can be very trying. It was so trying for Abraham, he grew impatient at one point and received Ishmael. But He promises that if we will allow patience to have its perfect work, we will be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. What a promise! So what does Peter say is added to this patience?

2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

Godliness! Christlikeness! If we are yielded, and faithful, eventually the world gets to experience Christ in us. Let’s look at verse 7.

2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

As we have godliness manifest in our lives, we get to add to it, true brotherly kindness. Once we have experienced this brotherly kindness we learn to add Love. Love in all its dimensions. Tenderness, and at times tough rebukes. But all the result, of us being dead, and yielded to Christ, manifesting whatever form of Love is needed, to minister Life at that moment. Bearing fruit, because it was the will of the Father brought to fruition.

One of the things that we need to realize, is that this process, that is given in the passage, is happening all the time. It manifests itself in big, and small ways. It can be as small as the Lord showing you a need, like the chairs after the fellowship meal needing to be put away, and you do it gladly, with kindness and love in your heart, and it meets a real need at the moment and others are encouraged by your faithfulness. The character qualities of diligence, kindness, and helpfulness are manifest through you. He that is faithful in little, will be faithful also in much. When you learn to consistently yield yourself in these small things, they prepare you to face the bigger things.

It can also be in very big things, like God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son on the altar. He heard God clearly, he made preparations and traveled to the location, he willing began to make the sacrifice, and God stopped him. This was a great trial of Abraham’s faith. But he loved the Lord, and was willing to be faithful to whatever his Lord and Master would ask of him.

Let’s consider one more time, what Peter said the results would be, based on how we respond to this process.

2Pe 1:8-10  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Now the Lord brings to my mind what He has said in Hebrews 6.

Hebrews 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

If you haven’t, repent of living your own dead works, and exercise your faith towards God. Listen to what He is asking of you, no matter how hard it is. Turn to Him and ask for the Grace to be enabled to have His Life be manifest through you. Then this dark world, will get to see the Life of Christ in you, and know the full expression of His Love, in all its many forms. Forms of Love, that were preordained, that you were created to walk in, by His Spirit IN Christ. God bless you as you seek to KNOW Him more!