So, there's this great and really a powerful and beautiful truth that is taught in scripture
and it's a doctrine that we're all familiar with and it's the doctrine of sanctification.
And really when you start to wrap your head around this doctrine of sanctification and
what it means to be sanctified in Christ, you know, often we should find ourselves,
you know, very moved by that and very made to feel very secure in Christ. It's what
sanctifies us, is what secures us, that we go into the doctor of eternal security. But
it's a very powerful truth in the scripture that once we're saved, we've been sanctified
in Christ and we can never lose that. And really when you start to think about it, the
doctrine of sanctification is actually two-fold in the scripture. There's actually, you know,
two different, I don't want to say forms of sanctification, but there's definitely two
aspects when it comes to this doctrine of being sanctified in Christ. One, you know,
is the doctrine that we have been sanctified thoroughly and eternally in Christ. You know,
once we're sanctified in Christ through His blood, through faith in His death, burial,
and resurrection, you know, we're sanctified, we're set apart unto God through Christ, you
know, we can never lose that. That's something that we're always going to have and that's
a very powerful truth. And that's really something that, again, should set in on us. That's something
that we should meditate and think about. You know, no matter how many other things might
go wrong in our life, no matter how many other trials or tribulations or struggles
we might have, no matter how much everything else might fall apart, no matter how much
uncertainty there might be in our lives, one thing we can be certain of is that we are
sanctified in Christ, that we are eternally bound to Him through His blood and that we
will spend eternity in the glory of God in heaven. And that's a very powerful truth that
we need to get ahold of and never let go of and never forget. So that's definitely one
aspect of sanctification. But another aspect of sanctification that we see in the Scripture
is that not only are we eternally sanctified in Christ, but we have also been commanded
to live a sanctified life here and now. That's another aspect of this doctrine of sanctification.
One, that we are sanctified, secure, eternally in Christ. Two, we are to be living a sanctified
life in Christ. And it's important to understand these two aspects because it seems to me that
those who more deeply understand the eternal sanctification that they have in Christ, that
they're more in touch with that, that is more of a reality to them, that they have a deeper
understanding, those that understand that are the first aspect that we talked about
when it comes to sanctification, that they're secure in Christ, those that have a firm grasp
on that, those that, as Paul says it, have laid hold on eternal life, those that have
a firm grip on that truth of sanctification are more readily able to live that sanctified
life in Christ. Because of the fact that living a sanctified life means that you're going
to be separate from the world. You're going to separate from sin, you're going to separate
from the sinful, and you're going to live a sanctified and holy life, which is going
to be putting you at odds with the world. It's going to put you at odds with your own
flesh and with your mind. It's going to put you at enmity with your own carnal nature.
When you decide that I'm going to live a sanctified life unto Christ, you're going to be at odds.
So that's why it's important that we understand that deeper, I don't want to say deeper, but
that other aspect of sanctification that we are eternally bound in Christ. The more we
understand that the more that sets in on us, the more readily we will be able to live
that sanctified life here on earth. We'll say I'm more than willing, I'm more than ready,
I'm more than wanting to live a sanctified life when we understand what we truly have
in Christ, the eternal security that we have in him and what he's done for us. So going
into this, that's the two aspects of sanctification that I want to look at tonight. But going
into it, first of all, what does sanctification even mean? Because that's not a word that
you hear used often. We don't use that word a lot. Hey, are you sanctified? I'm sanctified.
We don't really use that word. And really, if you would, keep something there in Ephesians
and just go back to Exodus chapter 13. Exodus chapter number 13. You know, sanctification,
it's not a very complicated word. It simply means to be set apart. It means to be set
apart. It means to be declared holy. You know, if you're somebody who is sanctified, you
know, you've been declared holy. You've been set apart. That's all it means really. And
you can see an example of this, you know, in the first use of the word here in Exodus
chapter 13 verse 2 where he says, sanctify unto me all the firstborn whatsoever open
at the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast, it is mine. Horses
the Lord speaking to Moses, but notice he says that he wants him to sanctify unto who?
Unto me. And he's saying what you're sanctifying is mine, meaning it's going to be separated
from everything else. It's not going to belong to somebody else. It's been separated. It's
been sanctified unto me. That's really all sanctification means, is to be set apart,
to be declared holy. That first definition there is, you know, shows us how it means
to be set apart. Go over to Exodus chapter 19, Exodus chapter 19, because not only does
it mean to be set apart, it also means to be declared holy. And look, if we're going
to be set apart unto God, we are going to have to be declared holy. And it says here
in Exodus 19 verse 10, and the Lord said unto Moses, go unto the people and sanctify them
today and tomorrow and let them wash their clothes and be ready against the third day
for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all Israel, all the people
unto Mount Sinai. Jump down to verse 22 and it says, and let the priests also which come
near to the Lord, sanctify themselves lest the Lord break forth upon them. So in verse
10 he's saying, go unto the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow and let them, what,
wash their clothes, make them clean, make them holy. So this idea of being separated,
this idea of being sanctified also means that you are declared holy. We have sanctified
these people, they are clean, they have been done which is right in order to be able to
approach unto God. And here's why sanctification is important, it's because of the fact that
you cannot approach unto a holy God in your sinful condition. You know, people have this
idea today that they can just, you know, make up some God in their own imagination,
that they can just, you know, go out in the woods and call that church or they can just
at any time want to just, you know, call upon God. People who don't even know the Lord Jesus
Christ, people who don't believe in the God of the Bible and they think that they have
just this access to God just because they said so. And you have to ask yourself, what
kind of a God are you worshiping if that's your attitude? Because the Bible teaches us
that the God of the Bible is a holy and righteous God. That He is so much more holy than us,
He's so far high above us, His thoughts are not our thoughts. You know, the God of the
Bible is a holy and righteous God and we are very sinful people, all of us. Obviously some
people are more sinful than others but we all are sinful. And we can't just march up
to God and act like, you know, we have this direct access outside of Christ. In order
to go to God you have to come through Christ, that's what He said. No man cometh unto the
Father but by Me. That there's one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
You know, we have that mediator, we have that access to God through Christ but that's it.
And how do we, you know, and again, that going through Christ, what does that do? It sanctifies
us, we're sanctified by His blood, we're redeemed, we're sanctified through His holiness. You
know, He became sin for us who know no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. So we can't approach unto a holy God in our sinful condition without having
been sanctified. There's a picture of this here in Exodus 19 where He's saying, hey,
I'm gonna come down to Sinai and speak with the people, make sure they wash their clothes,
make sure the priests are cleaned up and they sanctify themselves as well and be ready,
be separated, be made holy and I will come and speak with you. If you're there go back
to Ephesians chapter 2, Ephesians chapter number 2. Look, we can't just approach a holy God
in our sinful condition without being sanctified. The Bible says in Isaiah 64 that we are all
as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. And you talk to people
and they'll say, oh yeah, I'm going to heaven because I'm so good. They'll say, oh, I'm
going to heaven because I keep the commandments or I did this good work or I don't do this
or I don't do that. And the Bible says that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags
before God. I mean, what are we gonna hold up before a holy and righteous God and say,
this warrants my being able to have communion with you. I know you're holy and you're righteous
and that no man can even look upon you and live, Lord, as the Bible says. But because,
you know, I haven't committed adultery or because I haven't committed fornication or
because I haven't, you know, committed some sin or because I've done some good thing,
that is what warrants me being able to stand in your presence and be in fellowship with
you. The Bible says that's a filthy rag before God. That's the equivalent of you lifting
up some filthy, disgusting rag and waiting before God and saying, this is why I get to
have fellowship with the holy God, because it's something you did, your righteousness.
It's a filthy rag, the Bible says. That's why you have to be sanctified. You have to
be set apart and declared holy by God and not by ourselves. And that's why Christ came.
Look at Ephesians chapter two, verse 12. I mean, Ephesians is a great book, you know,
it's a very uplifting book. We get these great promises, but it also reminds us of
what a, you know, dire situation we were in without Christ. It says there in verse 12
that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Look, when we were without Christ, we had no hope. I mean, we might not have lived a
life of despair. We might not have been depressed. We might have been happy people. We might
have been, you know, just going about our merry way. But as far as, you know, our eternal
destination where we were going to end up in eternity, our hope of having any fellowship
or anything to do with the holy God wasn't there. We were without hope in the world.
We were without God in the world when we were without Christ. It's Christ that sanctifies
us. Again, and I know we know this, but I'm driving this home tonight because of the fact
that this doctrine, if we'll really let this sink in, this is what's going to help us live
a sanctified life here and now. We understand we're sanctified forever. We understand that
we are eternally secure in Christ, that through His blood we've been set apart, we've been
declared holy before righteous God through faith in His blood, but in order to live a
sanctified life here and now, you have to get ahold of that and understand what it is
that you truly have in Christ. You know, consider the fact that sanctification is something
that's given to us. You know, being sanctified in Christ isn't something that we earned.
I read from Isaiah already where people that want to stand up and say, oh my righteousness,
that God says that's a filthy rag before me. We can't even begin to comprehend the holiness
of God. And yet we have people that want to act like they've earned the right to stand
before holy God. Look, no one's earned that right. Sanctification, being set apart, being
made holy, it's not something that you earn, it's something that's given unto you. Salvation
is a free gift. There again in Ephesians chapter 2, look at verse 13, but now, remember before
we were without Christ, verse 12, before we had no hope in verse 12, before we were without
God in the world in verse 12, verse 13, but now in Christ, Jesus, ye who sometimes were
far off. But now because you've straightened up your life, but now because you've repented
of your sin, because now because you've cleaned up and started to walk right and get on the
straight and narrow, now you are made nigh. No. You didn't earn that. You don't earn the
right to be sanctified before holy God. It says now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh. Made nigh by what? By the blood of Christ. We all know Ephesians
chapter 2, verse 8, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. We've got that one memorized.
Keep something there in Ephesians 2 and go over to 1 Corinthians chapter number 1. Look,
we need to understand what it is that we have in Christ and why we have it. We don't have
it because of something special about us. We don't have it because we're so great or
because we, you know, are living such a holy life or, you know, we're something special
in us. Look, we all inherently are wicked sinful people. And I get it some people are
worse than others, but you know, God's not going to compare us to other sinners and say
oh well you're less sinful. He's just going to look at every single one of us and either
say sinner, sinner, sinner, son, sinner, sinner, sinner, son. He's either going to see filthy
rags, filthy rags, filthy lags, and then he'll say the blood of my dear son. The blood of
Christ. The blood of Christ. Filthy rags, filthy rags, filthy rags, blood of Christ.
That's all he's going to see. Not oh you weren't as bad as this person. But this is how people
think out in the world. Well I'm not as bad as that guy, so I'm not Hitler, so obviously
I'm going to heaven. You know, that's not the bar. Look, I'm glad you're not Hitler.
You know, we need less Hitlers in the world. But that's not the standard that God holds
us to. The standard is holy, sanctified, righteous, like the son of God, or you know, or you're
a sinner. That's it. Those are your options. And that's why it's through the blood of Christ
that we're made in I. And again, I'm trying to drive this home so we understand what we
have in Christ, what's been given to us in salvation, that sanctification that we have,
so that we'll be willing and more able and more, you know, just readily available to
live the sanctified life that we're called to here. Because look, Christians struggle
with this. They're saved. They know it. There's no doubt about it. But then they struggle
to live a godly life that's pleasing unto God. But then they struggle to get sin out
of their life. Then they struggle to get the right things into their life. They don't
want to separate and live a sanctified life as they've been called to do. And I think
it's because they're short-sighted. It's because they really don't understand the fullness
of what they have in Christ. And look, none of us is going to fully comprehend that. But
the more we meditate upon it, the more we read the Word of God, the more we pray, the
more we think about what Christ has done for us, the blood that was shed in order for us
to be saved, the sanctification, the eternal security that we have in Christ, the more
willing we're going to be to live that sanctified life. Yay, not even willing, but wanting to
live that sanctified life. We're going to get to a place where we're going to want to
read our Bibles and want to pray and want to go to church and want to win souls and
be content living a godly life in Christ. It's going to be something we desire. If we'll
get ahold of this and let this sink in. You're there in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Look at
verse 26. He said, for you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world, the things
which are despised, God hath chosen, yay, and the things which are not to bring to not
the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. You know, we're not
going to get there and say, I did this. That's like we read in Ephesians 2. It's by grace
through faith. It's not of works. Why? Lest any man should boast. Look at verse 30. But
of him, why is it we're not going to glory in his presence? Because of him are ye in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
These are the things that Christ is to us, that God has made unto us. He's made unto
Christ, he's made unto us Christ, what? Wisdom. Our right, any wisdom that we have has been
given from God. It's come from the word of God. Any righteousness that we have is not
our own righteousness. It's the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed unto us. And
the sanctification that we have is in Christ. We didn't earn it. It was given to us. Praise
God. You know, you start reading Ephesians and it's just to the praise of his glory.
To the praise of his glory. To the praise of his glory. You know, the more we begin
to think about these things, the more we might just start finding ourselves just saying,
praise God I'm saved. Praise God I'm saved. Praise God I'm sanctified. And look, if it's
been a while since you've been able to just say genuinely from your heart, praise God
I'm saved, maybe you really haven't understood what it is you have in Christ. Maybe you need
to start thinking about the fact that you are sanctified in Christ. That you are made
righteous in Christ. That we are a new creature in him. That's why he says in verse 31 that
according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And look, when
this sets in, when you start to really understand what we have, you will glory in the Lord.
When we start to understand that sanctification is not something that we earn through our
own righteousness, but it's something that God has given unto us by faith. Another point
I want to drive home to help us to understand and help us to live a sanctified life here
and now, is that sanctification is an eternal condition. And I know I've already kind of
alluded to this, but go with me. Did I have you keep some Ephesians 2 if I didn't go back
there? I love Ephesians, and I love so many of them. Sometimes people say if you could
be stranded on an island and only have one book of the Bible, what would it be? That's
a hard question. That changes. What's your favorite book? There's so many good ones.
But you know what? At least where I'm at right now, Ephesians is up there. It's good. And
I love what Paul drives home in Ephesians here in chapter 2 about the fact that sanctification
is something that is eternal. And again, if we're going to live it, the sanctified life
here and now, let this sink in tonight. Your sanctification is eternal. Yeah, I know I'm
always safe. Let it sink in, what that really means. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 4, but God
who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved us. Why are you going to heaven?
Well, because I love God. I gave my life to Jesus. I hate it when people say that.
Well, how do you know you're going to heaven? I gave my life to Jesus. Oh, bravo. I thought
it was that He gave Himself a ransom for sin. I thought it was that He gave Himself for
us. I thought that He laid down His life for us. People get it completely backwards out
there. God who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were
dead and since. He didn't wait for us to clean up our life. He said, I love you anyway.
Hath quickened us together with Christ by grace are you saved, verse 6, and hath raised
us up together and made us to sit, made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. That's what we have in Christ. And look, we have to start to see through, you
know, this veil of the flesh. We have to start to get a spiritual mind and start to
see things that are to come. You have to start to look unto Jesus as we talked about this
morning. You have to start to understand what it is that we have in Christ. Look, if you're
sanctified in Christ, if you're saved, God has made you, I love how it says, and made
us sit. It's like it's already done. He hath raised us up together. It's like it's already
done. Look, your resurrection, your salvation, it's as good as done. It's as good as, you
might as well be in heaven right now. It's that sure of a thing. I mean, that's how Paul
talks about it. Hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. You know, there's a seat in heaven right now if you're saved with your
name on it. It says reserved for so and so. It's a sure thing. That's what we have in
sanctification, friend. And it's an eternal condition. You're not going to get there and
God's going to say, well, you know, I changed my mind. No, because look at verse 7. That
in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus. In the ages to come. You know, the older I'm getting, I'm starting
to wish I was more like the guys back in the Old Testament. You know, I was like, why can't
I be more, why can't we have it like Methuselah did? Why can't we live 969 years? Why can't
we die at 800 years old? Why can't we live for centuries? You know, that's what the Bible
says. I mean, for a long time, men lived for literally hundreds of years of time. Because
it just seems like, man, I'm turning 42 in a couple months. And it's like, it's half
over at least. It might be more than half over at this point. Who knows, you know? But
in Christ, in the sanctification that I have in Christ, I'm going to go there into heaven
and I'm going to take that seat and I'm going to be there for the ages to come. For ages.
Say how long? It's endless. It's eternal life that we have. And I love how it ends
that verse, verse 7. That He might show the exceeding riches of His grace. How is He going
to show the exceeding riches of God's grace? How is God and the ages to come to show how
gracious He is? How is He going to show His goodness and His love and His kindness and
His mercy? How is He going to make that known? He's going to show His exceeding riches
of His grace and His kindness toward us. Meaning this, that we're going to, through the ages
to come, we're going to look around and see all the other saints and say, God's so good.
Look at you, God is good. We're going to know some of those people up there and I'm
going to walk up to some of you and say, I know you don't deserve to be here. And I
know I don't deserve to be here. I know for a fact this guy doesn't belong here.
Man, God's good. That's how we're going to know God's good because we're all going
to be in heaven for eternal ages to come. Through Christ Jesus. Because we've been
what? Sanctified through Him. That's what we have in our eternal sanctification. Go
back to chapter 1, verse 13, it says, in whom you also trusted after you heard the word
of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after you believed you were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of promise. It's eternal. It's sealed. It's done. After you believed.
It's a sure thing. Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession under the praise of His glory. Go over to Hebrews chapter number 10.
Actually you know what? Go over to Romans 8. I know we all know Romans 8. Look, our
sanctification is an eternal condition. I mean, for the ages to come. It's permanent.
It can't be taken away. We can't lose it. He says in Hebrews 10, I'll just read to you,
by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus. Say, man
that sounds good. Sanctified forever? I'm going to be a testimony of God's grace and
mercy in heaven forever? Man, that's good. And it is. Under the praise of His glory.
I mean, sometimes you wonder, are we really going to be able to just sit there and praise
God for all eternity? Yes. Yes. Because that's how good God is. Because we don't even know
even a fraction of the goodness of God. The glory of God. We haven't even begun to behold
that. And when we see Him in His fullness, when we behold the glory of God, look folks,
an eternity of praise in God that's going to be as natural as anything else. Unto the
praise of His glory. But notice again, it's how are we going to attain all that? How is
it that we're going to know such mercy and grace? How is it that we're going to be able
to praise God because of the body of Jesus? Because of the offering. We're sanctified
by the offering of Christ's body once and for all. Because of what He did for us. For
by one offering, it says in Hebrews 10, hath He perfected forever them that are sanctified.
For by one offering, by one, when Christ died on the cross, was buried and rose again. That
one offering. Once for all. For by one offering hath He perfected forever them that are sanctified.
You are made perfect here and now. And when you receive that new body, it will be complete.
You'll be perfected. It's as good as done forever through Christ. The Bible says in
Jude, I'll just read to you the servant of Jesus Christ, the brother of James, to them
that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called. Look,
you got sanctified, we got saved, we got saved and we got preserved. Praise God. Look at
the year in Romans chapter 8 verse 33. We all know these verses. But maybe they'll sink
down a little deeper tonight. Maybe I can just push them a little bit further down into
your heart tonight. Maybe they'll take a little bit more meaning when we read these words.
He said, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies it.
Who is he that condemneth? It is God that died, yea, rather that is risen again. Who
is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us? Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? It's a hypothetical question. Who? No one. There's nothing that's
going to separate us from the love of Christ. That's why it goes on and says, shall tribulation?
No. Shall distress? No. Shall persecution? No. What about famine? No. Nakedness? No.
Peril? No. Sword? No. Nothing. It's going to separate us from the love of God that we
have in Christ. As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are
counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors.
Again, present tense. It's already as good as done. Because we're already sanctified.
We are already more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things
to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Are you beginning to see what you have
when you got saved? Are you beginning to see what it means to be sanctified in Christ?
That it's freely given to you. That it's eternal. That it cannot be taken away. That's that
eternal sanctification. That's that first aspect I talked about in the opening of the
sermon. And it's an important aspect to understand and let sink in because the other aspect is
that you begin to live a sanctified life here on earth. And the people that struggle to
live a sanctified life here on earth are the ones I think that haven't really fully grasped
what it is they have in Christ. They just look at the Christian life and they just say,
oh, it's just a bunch of dos and don'ts. It's just a bunch of rules and standards.
It's just a bunch of old fuddy duddies, a bunch of sticks in the mud trying to ruin
my fun. No, it's us trying to get you to live like you already are in Christ. Trying to
live a holy life in Christ because you've been made holy in Christ. And like you're
going to get to heaven and say, well, that wasn't worth it. You're going to get to heaven
and God will reward you for all the works that you did. God will reward you and make
you to sit in heavenly places in Christ. That he'll make you the testimony of his grace
and his mercy for eternal ages. And you're going to get there and say, well, I just wish
I would have done more drinking. I wish I would have fornicated more. You know, I'm
looking around, Lord, and I'm just thinking, you know, I gave up all that on earth for
this. Do you think anyone's going to say that? No. It's not even going to pass through
anyone's mind. But that's exactly how people think down here, isn't it? Well, I'm not
going to start being a, you know, I know I'm saved, but I'm not going to start living
that Christian life because, you know, it's just so much fun to go out and there's just
so much sin to get involved in. I don't want to give it all up. But you know what? There
will be plenty of people who get to heaven and they'll say, I wish I hadn't done so
much of that. You know, I wish I had quit fornicating. I wish I hadn't committed all
that adultery. I wish I hadn't done all that drinking and using drugs. You know, I wish
I had been in church more often. I wish I had cared more about the things of God. That
will be said in heaven. Mark it down. And I'm trying to get us to understand this tonight
because we still have the earthly sanctification to live out here on earth. I didn't have you
go there, but go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. I'll begin reading in verse 1 of 1 Thessalonians
4 verse 1. We still have that we have the eternal sanctification of Christ to come.
That's done. It's as good as done. But we also still have the sanctification, that earthly
process that we have to live out here. Verse 1 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 it says, Furthermore
then we beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as you have received
of us how you ought to walk and to please God. You know, there is a way you ought to
walk to please God. And so you would abound more and more. For you know that what commandments
we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God. You know, God saves us by
His grace. God freely sanctifies us and seals us eternally. And that's very, you know, praise
God. To the praise of the glory of His grace. Amen. But you know what? God still has a will
for you down here. And what is it? Even your sanctification. This is the will of God. Your
sanctification that you should abstain from fornication. And you know what? Then that's
just one sin that He mentions. You know, there's a lot of sins obviously and the Bible, you
know, can't name every single sin that's out there. But you know, that should tell us something
when it actually does name a sin. When it's actually getting specific and calling out
certain sins. That should cause us to pause and say, boy, God must really not like the
sin of fornication for Him to mention it. He's saying here, this is the will of God.
Look, this isn't the will of your parents. Although it probably, hopefully it is. This
isn't the will of the preacher. And I guarantee you that it is. And it isn't just the will
of what we here believe in. Hopefully that's the truth too. But I'll tell you whose will
it is that you abstain from fornication. God's will. That's whose will it is. And when you
want to, if you want to run around and sleep around and live a loose life, like the world's
going to tell you it's okay to do. You know, and there's going to be plenty of people that
are going to slap you on the back and say, attaboy. And there's plenty of people that
say, you go girl. And there's plenty of people out there that are just going to want to know
what your body count is. You know, there's plenty of people out there that are going
to be more than happy to encourage you to go out and be a fornicator. But you know who's
not going to be encouraging you to do that? God. God's going to be very disappointed and
God is going to judge you. Bible says, adulterers and fornicators God will judge. Whatsoever
man soweth actually also reap. That's just the law of the universe. That's just one of
God's immutable laws that have been written down. And he's saying right here, this is
the will of God. Your sanctification. So what does sanctification mean? That you should
abstain from fornication? That you should set yourself apart? That you should be clean
and holy before God? Look, fornication is a dirty sin. I mean, it's dirty. I don't want
to get graphic about it but it's nasty. People sleeping around with each other, it's disgusting.
People swapping all these fluids and all these diseases. You get with some person, you don't
know who they've been with. It's disgusting. That's why when you're not partaking that,
God says, oh you're holy, you're living a clean life, you're sanctified. It goes on
that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor. Not
in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God. You know, people
that are just going out there and living a sinful life, that's just evidence that they
don't know anything about God. You know, but we who are saved, who are sanctified in
Christ, who have heard the preaching of the word of God, who have read the word of God,
we know some things about God that the Gentiles, the world, doesn't know. And one of them is
is that God wants us to abstain from fornication among many other things. That we should know
how to possess our vessel in sanctification and honor. You know, and a great irony is
is that you have Christians on this earth who are, you know, they don't really realize
what they have in Christ and they think that, you know, all the fun and everything, it's
out there in the world to be found and they just need to get out for mom and dad and just
get out from the church and just go out there and have their fun. And what they're going
to find out is that the people out there are just as miserable as anybody else, if not
more so. You know, and the carnal Christian is still discontent. You know, if you're sitting
in here tonight and you're discontent with the things of God, if the idea of living a
sanctified life doesn't appeal to you, if keeping your vessel in honor and abstaining
from fornication, you know, really doesn't satisfy you, well, you know, let me just break
it to you right now. Going out there and living like a fornicator that doesn't know God, that's
not going to satisfy you either. You're still going to be discontent. The Bible says that
contentment with godliness is great gain. I'll just read to you from Proverbs chapter
19. If you would, go over to Psalms chapter 17. Psalms chapter 17. The Bible says that
the fear of the Lord tendeth to life. The fear of the Lord tendeth to life. You know,
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever, the Bible says. The fear of the Lord tendeth
to life and he that hath it, hath what? The fear of the Lord shall abide satisfied. That's
a promise from the word of God. That if we have the fear of God, we will live a satisfied
life. If we have a godly life and we're content with that, you know, that is great gain. But
people get it all backwards today and they think that no, contentment's out there in
the world, living like them, running around, not living a sanctified life. Nope, they're
just as miserable, just as discontent. I mean, they never say it's enough out there. They
have to keep chasing more and more and more and going after it and going after it and
numbing themselves and just more and more sin. It's never enough because it will never
satisfy. But the Bible does say here, the Bible says that the fear of the Lord tendeth
to life and he that hath it shall abide satisfied. You know, I live a very satisfied life. Praise
God. So why is that, Brother Corbin? It's because you just go out and enjoy all the
sin? No. In fact, if most people looked at me day to day, they'd probably say, that's
kind of dull. So you just work and read your Bible and memorize scripture and go to church
and go soul winning? Yep. You don't drink? No. You don't fill your head with a bunch
of ungodly entertainment? No. You don't partake in all these sinful pleasures? No. Sounds
kind of boring. Yeah, well you know what? It's funny because I'm pretty satisfied in
life. I've been abiding pretty satisfied. You know, and anybody else who's been fearing
the Lord has the same testimony. He shall abide satisfied and he shall not be visited
with evil. He shall not be visited with evil. It's pretty satisfying to know that I'm not
going to wake up with some disease I got from sleeping around with somebody. It's pretty
satisfying to know that I'm not going to wake up on Sunday morning trying to sleep one off
from the night before. It's pretty satisfying I'm not going to be visited with that evil.
It's pretty satisfying that I have a godly wife that fears the Lord and I have to worry
about her running around behind my back and committing adultery. It's pretty satisfying
to have the fear of the Lord. It's pretty satisfying to know I'm not going to be visited
with evil. But people, even Christians, they get so discontented with this because they
do not keep the eternal in mind. They don't want to live the earthly, I mean they'll take
the sanctified life in Christ, they'll take that sanctification all day long. You know,
they can't help but have that in salvation. They'll say, oh, give me that. But then when
it comes to living a sanctified life here on earth, they're like, I don't know about
that. And what they're failing to do is they're failing to keep the eternal in mind. And that's
what I'm preaching tonight. That's why I spent the first half or so of this sermon trying
to drive home the eternal, what we have in Christ eternally. So then we'd be more willing
to live a sanctified life here and now. Look at, did I have you go to Psalm 17? Look at
verse 15. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when
I awake with thy likeness. Brother Corbin, what keeps you going? What keeps you living
the Christian life, knowing that I'm going to behold God's face in righteousness? And
that's not just some Baptist fairytale. That's not just something that I conjured up. That's
what the Bible says, that we are going to behold God's face in righteousness. And that
I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. When we see him, we shall be as
he is. And every man that hath this hope in him keepeth himself pure. Go to Psalm chapter
4. Psalm chapter 4. This is what people need. If you're discontent with the Christian life,
think about these verses tonight. Think about Psalm 17 verse 15. That you're going to behold
God's face in righteousness. That one day you will see him as he is. You're going to
awake with his likeness. Psalm 4 verse 3. Look there. It says, but know that the Lord
hath set apart him that is godly for himself. Set apart. He has sanctified him that is godly
for himself. You want to be used of God in this life? You want God to bless you and use
you? Then you know what? Live a godly life. Because the Bible is saying right here that
the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself. And the Lord will hear when I
call unto him. You know, they might not hear me, hear my voice in a lot of other places
in this world. They might not hear me down at the bar at 2 a.m. at last call calling
for that next shot. They might not hear me, you know, calling out for this. They might
not hear me calling out for that. They might not hear my voice in a lot of the dark, you
know, shady, seedy corners of this world. You know, there's a holy God in heaven that
will hear when I call. And the same promise is true for every one of God's children.
If they will set, they will be set apart, they will be heard of God if they live a godly
life in Christ Jesus. The Bible says if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will
not hear my prayer. You can still be saved and still have God ignore you. Did you know
that? You can still be saved on your way to heaven and God just say, I'm not going to
listen to you. You know, if we deny the law, I'm paraphrasing, you know, even our prayer
shall be an abomination, the Bible says. Did I have you go to Psalm 4? Oh, that's where
we are. Look at verse 4. Stand in awe and sin not. What are you preaching about? What
are you trying to get at tonight, brother? I'm trying to get some people to stand in
awe of what they have in being sanctified in Christ. I mean, I know I do. I mean, I'll
just hear some song about something about God and it's just like, I'm just amazed at
what we have in Christ. You know, I want everyone in this room to feel that same way. There
should be times in our Christian life, more often than not, that we just stand back and
understand what it is we have in Christ and just be in awe of what we have. Eternally
sanctified forever in Christ, made to sit in heavenly places, a testimony of the mercy
and grace of God throughout all ages. That's us. You know, I hear that, I read that, and
I stand in awe. And I sin not. Notice that. Stand in awe and sin not. If we would just
get ahold of this and be just taken with this truth, a lot of those sins, a lot of those
temptations will just fall away. We just look at that and say, not worth it. It's not worth
it. Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still. These are things that we
ought to be meditating about. And we're living in a world today, as I alluded to this morning,
that where we're just constantly being bombarded with entertainment and information and stimulation.
People are just, today it's just like they constantly have to be stimulated. They constantly
have to have some feed, some scroll, some screen, some button, some thing, keep them
entertained constantly. It's insane. And the Bible says that, you know, we would be wise
if we would just stand in awe, be still, if we would just commune with our heart upon
our own, just meditate upon these things. Give ourselves wholly to them that our profiting
may appear to all. Think about these things that are written in the word of God. Think
about the fact that we're sanctified in Christ forever. That might cause you to be more willing
to live a sanctified life here and now, not just in forever. You'll be more compelled
to live a sanctified life here and now when you understand really what it is to be sanctified
forever in Christ. Let's go ahead and pray.