sanctification
March 2nd, 2009 by Todd JohnsonPhil 2:12-13ESV Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
The PLEA for self-renunciation and humility in the opening verses of CH 2 was fittingly followed by the PATTERN of Jesus Himself Who was, is, and will always be the benchmark. The verses above speak to us about the PROCESS whereby we can become more like Jesus, a process called SANCTIFICATION.
Unlike salvation which is all of God and is the miracle of a moment, sanctification is the process of a lifetime and it is accomplished in a concert of God’s power and our effort. I think this grates on some that don’t appreciate words like effort, work & struggle to be in the Christian’s vocabulary, but they ARE in the Christian’s vocabulary every bit as much as grace, peace & rest.
Let’s do our best to avoid two common mistakes:
1. THE MISTAKE of thinking that God starts us off & then it’s up to us to get it done.
No..
- We didn’t start this
- We cannot keep it going
- We cannot finish this
- We need God and His power start to finish!
2. THE MISTAKE of thinking that If GOD is at work in me… then I don’t need to work hard at following Jesus.
THAT’S the bigger lie!
Why do you think Paul added, “with fear and trembling”?
- The “fear and trembling” comes in when we realized our liability to err
- The responsibility we have to God & to each other …
- And the holiness of the One Whom we are called to live for!
Any thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Annoyed?
Bring it.
Really enjoyed the sermon, Todd. I’m loving this whole series in Philippians so far.
I did think it was funny that when you quoted Piper, you wouldn’t use his name, but just said “the author”.
Three reasons I can think of that you might have done that:
1) On accident
2) Hoping to annoy Perry
3) He’s so good that he doesn’t need to be named, but is just the author.
I actually hadn’t determined to say his name or not say his name, but when it came time to read from the book, I “felt” I wasn’t supposed to say his name. That happens to me from time to time in the pulpit and when it happens I take it from the Lord. Maybe it would have been a distraction for some reason, maybe it would have taken away from the words (which were not Piper’s but Barna’s). Subconsciously I might have been thinking that I wasn’t quoting Piper, but I was quoting Piper quoting Barna.. my mind does that kinda thing.
All that to say.. didn’t avoid saying the name, just didn’t say it.
The name? Piper Piper Piper Piper Piper………..
happy.
Great. Now this whole discussion thread is ruined
On the topic of the sermon…
I think what I enjoyed was the line that Paul walks here. It reminds me a lot of the line we walked all through 1 John.
We have total confidence in God and His saving work, and yet we work it out and don’t take it for granted. I understand why it has to be that way with us, and at the same time, I can barely wrap my mind around it.
And to go back off topic: A couple of us were really hoping you’d announce the game feed. Purely because of the potential for pre-sermon riffing that an insert with deer and bullseyes held.
Now THAT (the game feed) I PURPOSELY did not announce. I couldn’t believe there was an insert for it. I told the guys before first service, (quotes) “really!?.. I don’t need to announce this DO I?!”
Back to the sermon, “I think what I enjoyed was the line that Paul walks here. It reminds me a lot of the line we walked all through 1 John.” – - That’s the operative word, WALK.
God saves.. we walk
God empowers.. we walk
God commands.. we walk
Jesus intercedes.. we walk
We die and receive a crown.. and we give it back!
Eph 4:1″.. walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called”
1 Thess 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it”
When you made the point that God has put the desire and will to do his work in my heart all ready, and that I must respond in following Him daily, I was deeply convicted. I lean towards waiting for God to do “everything” in my sanctification and I have never in my life heard it explained so clearly my part in the process.
I always fear I will step into legalism and self righteousness if I start to “work out” my salvation. When you said that the work is to daily “know Jesus” and follow Him I finally got it. Especially the part about how thats were the empowering flows, through daily seeking and feeding from Him.
Thank you for this sermon. This subject is something I wrestle with in my mind WAY to much. Simplicity is good.
Oh and Chris. Would you stop the divisiveness already? Piper again? What is with your sick fascination? *snicker*
I’m still camping out on that passing comment you made a few weeks ago about falling on the rock and being broken to pieces vs. having the rock fall on you. I needed that reminder that being broken to pieces is okay, and even right… This week’s sermon just continued working that concept into my heart. Somehow, it is through the works that I best comprehend the grace.
I like that Sarah – “Somehow, it is through the works that I best comprehend the grace.”
Honest, real & refreshing.
thank you.
hi todd can you recomend a good , simple , not to exaustive read on sanctification . tanks in advance
Todd, I’m sure you’ve heard this story before, but the guy from Florida I brought to church on Sunday, after the service he said to me, “You talked to the Pastor about me, didn’t you…” I had to convince him that was the Spirit, not Todd Johnson.
BTW – connected with CC of Sarasota and they’ve already hooked the guy up with a mentor who works with new Christians. That’s the church being the church – very cool.
Jeff, I hate to break this to you but I think Todd is actually stalking your friend.
BTW, happy No Line on the Horizon release day, Todd.
Thank you Levi. Happy No Line on the Horizon day to you too.
I am very happy.
U2? You too? Are you two for U2, too?
Todd, presenting Piper properly from the pulpit is problematic when piecing prior passages which Piper presented previously. It was probably perceptive of you preventing possible perplexities.
Plea, Pattern, Process, and PROGRESS. Oh, and of course, Piper.
Life doesn’t get much better than that!
Mr. Crabby – Positively perfect prose.
GOOD MORNING…
(as they call it) Half of the blog, I haven’t a CLUE what you are talking about. HELP!! 
Paul added: “WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING”
A.B Simpson wrote:
“Once it was the Blessings, now it is the Lord.
Once it was the Feeling, now it is His Word.
Once His Gifts I wanted, now the Giver alone.
Once I sought Healing, now himself alone.”
GOOD STUFF, HUH!!!
Boy, am I out of the loop.
Blessings…
Mr. Crabby, that was impressive. Did you read a lot of Dr. Suess as a child?
Each Sunday I am blessed by your message. But this Sunday was an aha! moment. I think I have it right we put out the effort and God puts out the energy (like Moses stepping into the Red Sea and God parting the sea)and He gives us the will and the power. His divine power is my effort. I am still wrapping my head around that one.Obedience Obedience Obedience Blessings Blessings Blessings. It is God who works in me both to will and do for His pleasure. I was so struck that He wills it; nothing to do with me.
Michele – yes, Dr. Suess was the best. I also have listened to lots of preachers over the years and am always tickled by their “memory” points. As you can tell, Todd knows his “p’s” now the great one will be if he knows his “q’s”!
I am sorry we missed the potluck…it was not a good day for us to get out.
Sarah – I too appreciate what you said, “Somehow, it is through the works that I best comprehend the grace.” I think that this is not a teaching that we can or will ever understand; how God works grace, how we respond in/through His grace and how it is all Him. It is every bit as mysterious as Creation (something out of nothing), the Triune God, or the incarnation.
I have struggled for many years with secret sin. I know and teach Psalm 119:9-11. I’ve been in a church that was very “grace oriented” and KNEW that Eph 2:8,9 had verse 10 following on the walk of the follower who was saved. Impure thoughts have been tolerated and fed and my family has no idea, at least I hope. I have been distant and irritable and critical–actually signs of this sort of sin.
Sundays message was not new to me, but God used it to motivate me to delete some things in my life and the desire is less already. I know that there have been breakthroughs for me before, usually by following Ps 119 directive.
Thank you for faithfully preaching the Word. I have a feeling that there are many of us that are under conviction and the church as a whole is going to be stronger through being purer.
The most half quoted verses:
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,/// who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
28 And we know that all things work together for good/// to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
If I were to give this a title, it would be “Conditional Promises”, we have the responsibility of obedience. The ultimate is obedience because of love so deep that it hates anything that breaches that love.
Todd, It is amazing that God even wills in us to do of His good pleasure. My prayer is, to ask for an open and willing heart to do His good pleasure. There is really no better place, and He put even that desire in my heart. If we are busy doing His pleasure, we won’t have time for that which is displeasing.
God Bless Each of You With a Holy Hunger
Sinner – my mind has been going a thousand directions (nothing new for someone who is generally ADD, ADHD, COFFEE infected) regarding this series in Philippians and the past series in James. When I land I always seem to land on this issue of humility. We have discussed some of this elsewhere in these blogs. You bring it back to this issue, which is the core of understanding these passages. I have never been more impressed or more excited about the reality of God than when I went to a couple of AA meetings. Men were standing up and confessing their “sin” knowing that all around them were men who were struggling with the same issues. They were applying James’ admonition, “Confess your sins to one another, pray for on another that you may be healed.” If I were to stand up in church and make a confession of my public (much less my secret sins) what would happen? In AA it is okay to share (but even then, only specific sins), why not amongst the body of Christ? I think it may come down to humility. If I stand up and confess, I have to humble myself before you (not an easy thing to do). If you stand up and confess I have to acknowledge not only your sin but mine as well. And not only acknowledge it but recognize that I AM a sinner and let you know as well. This brings me around to the original point that Todd taught, it is the work of God. I quote from a little book by Andrew Murray, “Humility” that has helped me immensely over the last few years and which I keep going back to:
“How can I die to self? Death to self is not your work; it is God’s work. In Christ you are dead to sin; your life has gone through the process of death and resurrection. But the full manifestation of the power of this death in your disposition and conduct depends upon the measure in which the Holy Spirit imparts the power of the death of Christ… If you would enter into full fellowship with Christ in His death, and know the full deliverance from self, humble yourself…Place yourself before God in your helplessness; consent to the fact that you are powerless to slay yourself; give yourself in patient and trustful surrender to God. Accept every humiliation; look upon every person who tries or troubles you as a means of grace to humble you.”
Todd, you said “Just because we receive the gift of salvation doesn”t mean we know what to do with it” and that is so true. I think that is why I was so late in walking with the Lord after I received the gift. Maybe others are too. I didn’t understand what I had for a long time because I wasn’t in a teaching church to encourage my growth. I like that Santification is a progressive work, meaning that God is not done with me and I’m not done either. I’m glad He didn’t give up on me. I’m still learning what to do with the gift and how to share it with others and I am thankful that I have found this church to learn in and from. Keep up the ‘good work’!
Sinner~ I loved what you shared. Conviction, and now Grace…and power to overcome as well.Beautiful!
Mr. Crabby~ Nice response to Sinner. Humility is the road to seeing and hearing from Jesus. All the other roads are illusions and dead ends.
God bless you guys.
Sinner, I hope this isn’t weird to bring up, but if your struggles are of a sexual nature, one of the best books I’ve ever read to offer real help is “Sex is Not the Problem, Lust is” by Joshua Harris. It’s actually a great book for any sin that would overwhelm and beset, not just sex. Wretched (google it) also offers a DVD that, I hear, is very powerful and helpful called “Slaying the Dragon”. Their resources are quite reasonable.
Mr. Crabby, you were missed. Maybe someday, you and Mrs. C will appear to me in a vision or something so I can meet you. I’d like that. I did meet jspg, though, and now I have a face to love when I see her comments.
Todd, if you get time, would you post that quote from FB Meyer that you closed with? I thought I’d made it through the sermon, happily unconvicted, and that nailed me. You did a great job of making sure we understood the difference between justification and sanctification. Thanks. Good job last night on Devotion. Could you believe how many new folks were there, that don’t usually come on Wednesday? We talked to 2 separate people that said, “Well, I figured I could handle 4 weeks.” So, that’s the trick, to give people a number I guess. It was also interesting how many tall people were there, an unusual amount. (You may not be able to tell this from the pulpit.)
There you go Michele – the quote is up.
Sinner – thanks for sharing. I know of another gentleman that went home from church on Sunday and moved out of his girlfriend’s bedroom. You’re not the only one being worked on and working out.
I’m sure there’s lots that feel as you do, and by God’s good grace will discover power and victory in Christ.
Check this passage out:
1 Cor 1:27-30ESV
God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Yep, I used to boast in the presence of God–no more.
I have so much more compassion for other prisoners and a lot less smug thinking that I have the insight to help them.
Thanks for the comments guys. I’ll look into those resources, Michele.
Sinner, (we could all use that name)…
I hope you visit this old site one more time. I want to thank you for sharing the fact of your “secret sin”. It is not easy, even on a blog, but it can and is a start (or re-start) for any of us who do (by the prompting of the Spirit). I believe one of Todd’s closing points was that God does not start us and leaves us to make it. In my younger days (and until now) Philippians 1:6 was my refuge verse when I had to revisit something I was not proud about. “Being confident of this very thing, that He who began the good work in you shall continue it until the Day of Christ Jesus.” (I like the C’s = Confident, Continue, Christ). Sorry for the ol King James translation but that tells how old I am… But the point is that it is a PROCESS with a starting point and an ending point (the Day of Christ Jesus) and Not an event. That is SANTIFICATION! There is a satisfying thing about it, you may not see it even as it is happening but looking back you can sometimes get a glimpse of progress. I think Todd’s next point was: “Once we are in HIM, we need to continue to work” toward the goal that only comes as we yield to Him. I know these things to be true because I continue to be reminded in my own life.
An especially encouraging thing to hear was your sharing that you are concerned that your family might not know. That is good motivation and likely coming from the Holy Spirit. Better than them not knowing (or discovering) is to be able to someday share with them the victory that Jesus can and wants to bring. I sure there are a number that have already come along side of you in prayer for that victory.
I had really thought I was just going to say to Todd how thankful I was to get a copy of the cd on Sunday to give to my son who needed to hear those words, just like the guy in Florida…
Thanks.
Sinner, or anyone else interested in the book “Sex is Not the Problem, Lust is” by Josh Harris: I noticed yesterday in the Church bookstore that it’s stocked under it’s former title “Not Even a Hint”. Just didn’t want you to go in there, and leave thinking they don’t have it. It’s sort of an embarrasing title to have to discuss, so I thought I’d spare you that moment. It is there.
Very thoughtful of you, Michele. Thank you.
Что касается темы, то мне кажется что ее актаульность будет известна только через некоторое время.
Круто написанно, я наверное бы так не смог.