This message was given at Grace Community Church in Minden, Nevada. At the end, we will give information about how to contact us to receive a copy of this or other messages. Well, it's a joy to be back with you again now and continuing the little mini-series that I'm doing with you. It's interesting, just these two I mean, Tom and I kind of picked our own thing separately from each other, and the Lord must have orchestrated it because, my goodness, there's just a lot of reinforcement that I think is really healthy, kind of from two different ways, going through one text together, which is just a delight to kind of track through those chapters in Ephesians. And my approach being more kind of holistic on the doctrine of sanctification and taking a look at a lot of passages together, but a lot of overlap and reinforcement that I think will be helpful to all of us. As you know, last night we began with session one on our new identity in Christ, what the Bible teaches us about who we now are as Christians. Christian, do you know who you are? and to be able to think through those things. I mean, honestly, I would just encourage you to spend enough time thinking through them that quickly what can come to mind are these identity markers so that you remember during times of temptation, who am I? What is it that God has done that has transferred me from the dominion of Satan into the kingdom of his beloved Son? And how is it that I am a new creature in Christ? He chose me to be this and called me and made it happen and so on. The Spirit has come within, the temple of the Spirit. To think through those things is tremendously important and powerful as we think through how we then are to live. So now in the session, Now and in the one tomorrow as well, we're taking a look at how that sanctification works out in our lives, how the position that we have in Christ provides the platform for growth in holiness, how the indicative provides the foundation for the imperative and what that means. And we're looking at two areas today in the time we have together in session two, growing in holiness, sanctification's agency and means, agency and means. And these are both, you know, very significant areas. What brings about sanctification? What is the agency that actually produces it? That's the first thing we'll look at. And then what are the means that are used by that agency? It's actually co-agency, as we'll see in a bit here. It's divine and human agency that come together. in this, and in a particular way we'll talk about. But what are the means, then, that God has designed for us to make that growth in holiness? So this is really a very important area of reflection for Christian people to have well in mind because, I mean, honestly, there aren't many questions in life more important than, how do I become more like Christ? How do I grow in being the holy person that God in eternity past elected me to be? How does that growth take place? You know, it's just, it rates way up there, you know, in terms of importance. And so may God help us just to embrace the Bible's teaching on how that progresses by His grace and power. So first of all, now, Sanctifications Agency, again, I hope you have a handout. If you don't, get one, because it'll help a lot to be able to look at these passages together. Well, when you look at the question of agency for bringing about sanctification, it's very clear that the Bible speaks in terms of both divine agency and human agency. God is the one who brings about sanctification in our lives, and we are responsible for sanctification. These two things have to go together. In other words, it's one of those areas, like many in the Bible, you think of Co-agency happens in so many places. Like, how do you answer the question, how did Christ get put on that cross? How do you answer that question? Do you say God did it? Well, of course you do. Delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. Of course you say God did it. God so loved the world that he gave his only son. But is that the whole answer? Oh, no. Delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death. Human agency. I mean, you cannot answer the question, how did Christ get on that cross without appeal to both divine agency and human agency together, right? This is called compatibilism. These two things are compatible, that God works through human agency, accomplishing His perfect will. Well, guess what? Sanctification is a beautiful example of co-agency, where God and us are involved in this in a particular way. And we start with divine agency, and even here it gets more complicated than just saying God does it, because the whole Trinity is involved. It's very clear in the scriptures that the Father and Son and Spirit are involved in our sanctification. So first of all, Look particularly at a few passages where God, and I would argue in every one of these, this is really a reference to God the Father. You can tell in context that's the reference particularly is the Father. I mean, Paul often uses theos, the Greek word for God, as shorthand for God the Father in many, many cases, especially in Trinitarian contexts, he will do that. So for example, Romans 8, 29 and 30, for those whom he foreknew, now who is the he? You know, when you read your English Bibles and you see those divine pronouns, learn to ask yourself the question, is that divine pronoun referred to generically God, the one God, which it may refer in certain cases to that, or is that one or another Trinitarian person? And honestly, it's amazing how much opens up to you in regard to the doctrine of the Trinity. if you pay attention to the pronouns and you see that this is one or another Trinitarian person. Well, the he here has to be who? The father because what follows? He predestined us to become conformed to the image of his father. Son, well, so we know this has to be then God the Father. Okay, so, for those whom he foreknew, the Father, he, the Father, predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Whom he predestined, he, the Father, called. Whom he called, he, the Father, justified. Whom he justified, he, the Father, glorified. So there is a sense in which the entire plan of our becoming like Christ is the design of the Father. And everything that happens by Son redeeming, Spirit sanctifying, all that happens is the outworking of the Father's plan to make us like His Son, that He designed in eternity past. I mean, this fits very closely with Ephesians 1-4, does it not? God chose us in Christ, so who would that God be? The Father, I mean, verse 3 of Ephesians 1, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, just as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless. So the design of the Father is that we be holy people, that we be sanctified, that we be, Romans 8.29, like Christ, conformed to the image of His Son, honestly, honestly. It doesn't get better. It cannot get better than to be conformed to the image of His Son. This is the epitome of life at its best for mere creatures, to be like the Son of the Father. What an incredible privilege. And the Father is the one that brings this to pass. Now, how does He bring it to pass? Through the Son, through the Spirit, and Through us, okay, we'll get to that. Ephesians 1.4, yes, I just talked about that, so I'll skip there. Philippians 1.6, I'm confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you, I think in context is again the Father, He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5.23 and 24, may the God of peace sanctify you entirely. May your spirit, soul, and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls you, who will, you see that word, bring it to pass. This is the Father who does everything necessary to ensure it will happen. You know, I'm looking at a group of people right now who are, if I had a mirror here, I would see myself in the mix, who are growing to be like Christ, but not there yet. But I'm also looking at a group of people who one day will be in each of our own distinctive reflections exactly like the character of Christ. Can you imagine what heaven is gonna be like? I mean, just, I mean, will there still be diversity? Oh, yes. I mean, goodness, you look at how God creates things and you realize he loves diversity in unity. Does he not? He relishes the ways in which he plans the differences among us. You even see this in the Trinity. Father, Son, and Spirit distinct from each other in the roles they do, and yet one in their purpose and goal in carrying out the one work of God, as it were. So yes, indeed, all made like Christ, and yet each with our own distinctive uniqueness. Yes, indeed, what a glorious thing. So the Father planned it, will bring it about, in the end with certainty. Jude 24 and 25, now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling. And to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So again, Sometimes you have to read a while until you can tell who the divine pronouns are referring to or who God is referring to. Here it's very clear again, this is God the Father who keeps you from stumbling, makes you stand in His presence blameless and with great joy. So He will do this work in us. So is that all the Bible says about our sanctification? The Father does it. No, there's more, okay? The Son clearly is involved in our sanctification in very significant ways. So we saw last night John 15, abide in me and I in you, as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me, for apart from me you can do nothing. So this work of Christ within to empower I mean, the branch out there, the branch has no ability to produce fruit on its own. Cut the branch off, no fruit. But when that branch is united to the vine, then fruit comes. Because of the union of the branch with the vine, by drawing strength, nutrition from the vine, so the branch bears fruit. So we draw from Christ what we don't have. We need His life in us in order to to grow in the ways that he intends us to grow. Ephesians 5, that Tom just so helpfully took us through in the last hour together, notice Christ's role in this. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, so that, here it is, for what purpose? Not just so that the church is justified, not just so forgiveness is true for us, which is a glorious thing, but that's the platform for then changing our natures. Justification is of sinners. Sanctification makes us righteous. I mean, this is glorious. It's the one-two punch of the cross, isn't it? I mean, the forgiveness of sins and the power over sin is accomplished through Christ so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing with the Word, that He might present to Himself the church in all of her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she would be Ephesians 1.4, holy and blameless, right? So Christ accomplishes what the Father elected us to be, to be a holy people in the end, but it's done by Christ. Here, Paul indicates this is the work of Christ. He does this. He makes us pure and spotless. He sanctifies us. Titus 2, 13 and 14, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, to purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds. I mean, aren't those beautiful statements? And they help us right now to realize more of what we should be. Am I truly zealous for good deeds? Am I someone marked by this longing to have every lawless deed removed from my life, to be a purified person? Well, Christ is intent on bringing this to pass in His fullness. He will not fail until it is done. Hebrews 10, every priest stands daily ministering, offering time after time, sacrifices which never can take away sins. But he having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until his enemies be put under his feet. For by one offering, he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. So here, I think this is a statement that is parallel to what you have in Ephesians 8.30, where glorified, whom he justified, he glorified, is in the past tense. You know, where you go, wait a minute, we're not glorified yet, but in the plan and purpose of God, in the design of God, it's a done deal. There is absolutely nothing that can hinder this from coming to its complete fruition. And so he sees the whole of it, and so says in past tense, glorified. I think it's the same idea with this statement. By one offering, he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. So indeed, if you are set apart into Christ, your complete sanctification is assured. First Peter 2.24, he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by his wounds you were healed. So I mean, just a number of passages indicate this is the work of Christ. Okay, then why in the world, Bruce, you might ask, did you define progressive sanctification the way you did? You remember how you defined it? Let me remind you. Progressive sanctification, the continuous operation of The Holy Spirit. In joining the believer's willful participation to strengthen our newly imparted disposition toward holiness, freeing us increasingly from the power of sin and renewing us increasingly into the image of Christ. Why not mention the Father? Why not mention the Spirit? Why the Spirit? Why not mention Christ? Why the Spirit as the focal point? Okay, well here I think we see with the Spirit that the design of the Father that is brought about through the accomplished work of the Son is, as it were, implemented in us. the work of Father and Son implemented in us subjectively, experientially, really taking place in our lives through the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell within. It is the Spirit who comes that is the agent of the transformation sent by the Father and the Son, filioque, right? I mean, so the Father and the Son send the Spirit, and the Spirit comes as the agent of the Son to carry out this work as designed by the Father. So there is a special place the Spirit has in sanctification in particular. So here are just a few passages. Romans 7, 6, we've been released to the law, having died to that by which we're bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit. The letter cannot make us holy. It tells us the holiness we ought to live out. It can't make us do it. But the Spirit makes us holy. He writes the law on our hearts. He's the one who works within us, internally. The law is external. The Spirit works internally to remake us. Paul focuses here on the spirit, the newness of the spirit. Romans 8, 3 and 4, what the law could not do. Same idea. It can't make us holy. It can't make us obedient. Weak as it was through the flesh. God did sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh in order that, here comes the purpose clause of this, in order that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. So again, the spirit is the one who subjectively makes this a reality. Notice that Paul says that God does two things to bring this about. What the law couldn't do, God did, sending his son. So forgiveness of sins has to be accomplished by the work of Christ. We can't be made holy until the sin of our lives is forgiven. We can't be brought into relationship with God until the sin of our lives is forgiven. But that work of Christ also not only pays the full penalty of that sin, it defeats sin's power, which then is implemented when He sends the Spirit. Have you ever wondered why Jesus said to His disciples, I mean, honestly, they were really puzzled by this. In John 16, He says, you know, I've been telling you about... I'm too excited here. I've been telling you about the fact that I'm leaving, and none of you seems to be excited about this, right? I've been saying I'm going away, and you are discouraged about this. But here's what I have to say to you. It is to your advantage that I'm going away. Now, how do you imagine that fell upon the ears of those disciples? It is to your advantage that I'm leaving." I mean, they would say, you have got to be kidding. There is no way it could be advantageous for the long-awaited Messiah. We've been waiting, praying, longing for the day when Messiah would come, that He would come and then leave. There can't be any advantage to this. So what is the advantage? For when I go, I'll send the Spirit to you. So Jesus, Acts 2.33, Jesus having ascended to the right hand of the Father, having received from the Father the gift of the Holy Spirit, He pours forth that which you both see and hear. So Jesus receives the Spirit, lives His life in the power of the Spirit, demonstrating new covenant life for us in full color, as it were. Visually displayed, physically displayed, new covenant life, human life lived in the power of the Spirit. And then says, good news, you get that Spirit too. So God does two things. He sends Christ, and then he sends the Spirit to be the one who then, as it were, implements the work of Christ in our lives subjectively. This is the great gift of the Spirit. Romans 8 goes on with this. I won't read all of this with you, but look at the beginning here. We're not under obligation, Romans 8 verse 12, under obligation not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you must die. But if by the spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. So how does the Spirit work to bring about growth in holiness? In part, He helps us put to death deeds of the flesh, deeds that are wrong, inclinations that we still have because of sin within, abiding sin within, that urges us to go against God in His ways. The Spirit helps us fight for obedience, fight against temptation. The Spirit within is a tremendous gift. to us and the spirit conforms us to be like Christ second Corinthians 318 we all with unveiled faces beholding as an Amir the glory of the Lord Jesus that that use of Lord there is of Christ beholding as an Amir the glory of the Lord Jesus are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory in a incrementally increasing degrees of glory this is from the Lord the Spirit, I mean, it's one of the arguments for the deity of the Spirit is right here, is that Lord is used both of Christ, who is God, and the Spirit, who is God. I mean, it's very clear Paul understands both of them in terms of their deity, but here the Spirit focuses our attention on Jesus. And through that, we see his glory and long to be like the one we love. I know I've shared this with you before, I learned this principle from A.W. Tozer in my freshman year of college. I mean, how long ago was that? Wow. And honestly, I could start crying right now. I just, I am so grateful to the Lord for his kindness to open my eyes to see this principle. I call it Tozer's principle because that's where I learned it. That God has so made us that we instinctively, naturally seek to become like whatever it is we esteem most highly. God has so made us that we instinctively naturally seek to become like whatever it is we adore we love we cherish we long to be like what we love you know what I saw that I realized wow the great commandment takes on a new significance. It's not only love the Lord your God because he deserves it, but love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, because in doing that, you become like the one you love. So what does the Spirit do here? He puts Christ in front of us, beholding as an emir the glory of the Lord. Isn't this what happens in conversion? 2 Corinthians 4, for the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that they may not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, but then the God who said, let light shine out of darkness is the one who has shown in our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. So the spirit opens our eyes to behold Jesus and to see him as he is in increasing measure from glory to glory, increasingly to understand who he is and become conformed more and more like him. I'm a little bit on a rabbit trail here. I think this explains what otherwise might be a very strange sounding request by Jesus in John 17 verse 24, where he prays to the Father in regard to us who believe in him through their witness. He prays and he says, I want them, that's us, I want them to be with me also so that they can behold my glory. I want them to be with me so they can look at me. So after lunch is over and the sessions is over, this afternoon, I'm gonna stay here standing right up here at four o'clock this afternoon, and any of you is welcome to come and sit here and look at me. See? I mean, on the surface, it's kind of a strange request. Father, I want them to be with me so they can look at me, so they can behold my glory. Well, here is what I think is going on. It's in beholding his glory that attaches us to him forever. So our perfect obedience forever in heaven is not automatic. It's an every moment decision to long to be like the one we love, the one we adore as we see his glory and say, oh, I want to be like that forever, forever, every new day. If we have days, no sun, I don't know how this works. But, you know, however that works in heaven, heaven's unearthed. But, you know, I don't know how God will arrange things. But nonetheless, as time goes by, And there is time, by the way. It's the hymn who says that when time will be no more. That's when the role is called up yonder. But that's not in the Bible. When time shall be no more. We're a temporal creation. We're in a physical environment. And every day that we experience life in heaven, every day we will behold the glory of Christ. And in every decision we make, we will long to to be like the one we have come to see as so glorious well if that's the case then what do you think the spirit wants to do now put before us Jesus why are there four gospels in the Bible. I want you to see my son. I want you to behold his glory. I want you to see how magnificent, how wise, how merciful, how compassionate, how righteous, how obedient. I want you to look at him and marvel, because when you do that, you'll be more like him. So this is the Spirit working within us. Galatians 5, boy, the Spirit is the one, Galatians 5, 16 and following, who helps us fight against sin. The fight of faith is a reality we face through all of life. Indeed, the Spirit is there to work, to help us to resist these desires of the flesh and instead walk in Him and bear fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, and so on. 1 Thessalonians 4.8 This is in this passage where Paul says, this is the will of God for you, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality. That's how that passage begins earlier in 1 Thessalonians 4. And this is how it ends, verse 8. I mean, this section of the passage. So he who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Why do you suppose he put it that way? Why not just say, because it would be true, why not just say, if you reject this, you're not rejecting man, you're rejecting God. True, right? But he doesn't say it just that way. He says, if you reject this, you're not rejecting man, but you're rejecting the God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Do you see it? Why does he give the Holy Spirit to you? to make you holy to sanctify you I mean his purpose in coming is to make you like Jesus that that's just it in a nutshell his purpose is to make you like Jesus so don't reject the one who has come to to sanctify you says Paul. Second Corinthians 2.13, we should always give thanks to God for you, brother and beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. So the Spirit is the one who promotes within us faith and by that sanctifies us. Okay, now, so we have Father, Son, and Spirit. So this question is in front of us of how we put this together in terms of a Trinitarian conception. One thing I think that is important to say is something the early church fathers insisted upon all the way through, and that is something that's called the inseparable operations of the Father and the Son and the Spirit, that you cannot say that the Father works as an independent agent. Right? And the Son does something on His own. And the Spirit is over here acting, and the Father and Son go, huh, I wonder what He's doing. You know? I mean, this just doesn't work this way within the Trinity. The inseparable operations is a way of understanding the Trinity the early church came to that understands all of the work of every Trinitarian person is involves and is endorsed by the fullness of the other Trinitarian persons. So there is a unity of the work of God in every work that Father, Son, and Spirit does. Okay, now, but don't push inseparable operations so far as to think that every work of the Father is the identical work of the Son. What do you do with redemption in that case? Who becomes incarnate? I mean, do you want to say when the son becomes incarnate, the father also becomes incarnate? Well, that's patraposhianism, you know, that's a heresy of the early church. No, they don't mean that. So what they do mean, though, is there has to be a unity of the work of the triune God in the work of any one person of the Spirit. And yet, one person in particular ways may take the lead. The Father is clearly the lead person of the Trinity in design. The Son is clearly the lead person in the Trinity of accomplishment. How does creation take place? Think prepositions. 1 Corinthians 8.6, for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through him. You hear it? from the father through the son. So son is agent of the father, carrying out the work, accomplishing the work of the father. God so loved the world that he gave his only son. How does redemption happen? Father, not my will but yours be done. Huh, this is the father's will that the son is accomplishing. Okay, so father is designer, son, accomplisher, and then spirit, a plier. application, taking the finished work of Christ and bringing it to, as it were, reality in us. So there is a sense in which it's right to speak of a primacy in sanctification of the operation of the Spirit, even though the Spirit is doing only that which Father designed and Son accomplished the work to make real. The spirit does nothing on his own. Jesus said that when the spirit comes, he will not speak on his own initiative. John 16, he will take of mine and disclose it. He will glorify me. John 16, 14, the Spirit in no way is acting as an independent agent. Everything he does is promoting Christ and carrying out the work of Christ and advancing the mission of Christ and all the rest. And so it is the Spirit who does this, but in everything he does, it fulfills the will of the Father as accomplished by the work of the Son. Okay, so I think that's how we should think of this. So in a definition like I gave you with the emphasis on the spirit, don't think it's spirit alone. It's spirit with the background of Father's Son clearly there as well. Okay, we must move ahead. Human agency is involved also. Again, my definition says this that I gave you earlier last night of progressive sanctification. The continuous operation of the Holy Spirit, listen to the next phrase, and joining the believer's willful participation. In other words, we are not passive in sanctification. Now, there is a model of sanctification. It's actually not really sanctification, but it's called that, a model of sanctification that is very, very popular. At least it has had tremendous popularity in evangelicalism in our conservative churches called Keswick, the Keswick movement. It looks like Keswick, that's how we English, or Americans I should say, would pronounce the word, K-E-S-W-I-C-K, from a movement in England that took place. And what the Keswick position is, is it really sanctification, we are passive, we let go and let God. This higher Christian life idea, we yield, we surrender, the only active thing we do is give up. The only active thing we do is surrender. The only active thing we do is let go and let God, and it gives the impression that at that point, God just, I don't know, kind of mystically does this work in and through us, so it's not I but Christ. They love that phrase in Galatians 2.20. It's not I but Christ. Now, and I was trained in this. I took one year between my sophomore and junior year of college and spent it in England at Cape and Ray Bible School in Carnforth, England. Lived in a castle for a year. Sounds romantic, doesn't it? It was cold. It was just plain cold. I scoured the place for blankets to put on my bed because I was just shivering under five or six wool blankets in this castle. It was just absolutely damp and freezing. Anyway, romantic place, yeah. So for a whole year I heard Alan Redpath and John Hunter and Ian Thomas, Stuart Briscoe, a bunch of these Keswick speakers, and I wanted to buy in. It sounds so good. Just let Christ live His life through you. You can't do it. And of course, there is truth to this. You can't do it. I can't do it. But here's where the problem comes with Keswick. They think that when we admit we can't do it, Christ must do it, it means Christ instead of us, rather than Christ transforming us. Huge difference. It's not a replacement model in the Bible. It is an indwelling, transformational model where Christ comes within and remakes us from the ground up, from the head down, we are remade so that we We do think his thoughts after him, but it's actually our mind that thinks those thoughts, a mind that has been retrained. It's our affections that are remade. Okay, so what I wanna go through here with you, and we'll have to do this quickly, but I have passages here for you to look at on your own, is 10 areas. I'm not claiming these are comprehensive, but it is a fairly good list of areas where we are involved as human beings in, oh, yeah, I'm jumping way ahead of myself, aren't I? Yeah, I'm not there yet. I thought I was there, but I'm not. Okay, so human agency, I just got carried away, okay. We, let me back up a bit, we are involved in our sanctification and it's very clear from the Bible, for example, the imperatives that come to us are so clear in scripture. So for example, in Romans 6, this is a very good example, Romans 6. After he has told us in the earlier part of the chapter that we have died with Christ and been buried with him and raised with him to newness of life, after he has established that we are in Christ, united with him in his death and resurrection, now he says, even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, therefore, do not let sin reign over your mortal body that you obey its lust. Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of righteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. So the imperative comes based on the indicative. The live it out is based on the newness within. You see it. The nude identity is the basis for this. And let's see, let me... Well, Ephesians 4, 1 to 3, of course, we started with this last night with Tom's first message. Ephesians 4, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. With all humility and gentleness, patience, showing tolerance for one another and love, being diligent to preserve, the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. So again, Paul moves in chapter 4 primarily to the imperatival section, the indicative section had preceded. I mean, it's not divided that neatly, but nonetheless, predominantly indicatives in 1 to 3, predominantly the imperatives, the outworking of it in 4 to 6. And so we see that we are called to live this out. So it involves us individual believers to make these decisions. to take these steps, to do these things that the New Testament calls us to do in the power granted us in Christ, the indwelling spirit, the new creation that we are, living that out, okay? But it's not just us at the human agency, it's other categories we see in the New Testament. There's a role for gifted leaders. You know, I think the Mennonites, for example, just have blown it here with a failure to acknowledge leadership. that is gifted by God and responsible to do certain things that the laity, for the most part, cannot do. They don't have the equipment, the ability, the time to devote themselves to the study and preparation that some are assigned to do. I mean, even the apostles in Acts 6, we will not, they say, when they're told about the overlooking of the serving of the food to the Hellenistic women, we will not, what's the word, we will not forsake the study of the word and prayer for the sake of serving tables. And it was not because they were snobbish. This was not because the apostles thought too much of themselves. It's because they knew they had this obligation. And if they don't do it, the people will suffer. So praise be to God for a pastor who knows he must study and prepare. How important this is, well, here, you know, so Ephesians 4, again, passages we've looked at and bring to mind things that Tom has shared with us, but he gave gifts to men. He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for the equipping of the saints. for the work of ministry. But the equipping is from those gifted leaders. Or in Galatians 4, I just love this phrase, this statement by the Apostle Paul. It shows what a pastor he was, what a heart he had for his people. My children, with whom I again am in labor. I think my daughter is in labor right now, as I speak. She is speaking with my wife, Jody, together at a seminar held on campus at Southern Seminary. And Jody texted me and she said, Bethany had five contractions during our first session. So some of you out here know better than I do what that means. Does that mean a baby is coming? Well anyway, I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you. This is the weight that he feels of his responsibility for those people. I am anguishing over seeing Christ formed in you. Hebrews 13, likewise, obey your leader, submit to them. for they keep watch over your souls." So indeed, they have that responsibility. But then, so it's each one of us individually, it's leadership given to us, and then it is us together. So there's a third category of believers' gifts in the body of Christ, which are to produce edification of the whole. building up of the whole for the common good, as Paul will say, 1 Corinthians 12.7, each one of us is given a gift of the Spirit for the common good. Likewise, 14.12, you also, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. Hebrews 10, consider how to stimulate one another, one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembly and so on, encouraging one another as the day draws near. So indeed, we bear responsibility together collectively, hence how important it is not only to come together and meet, are you listening? Not only to come together to meet, not only to come together and receive, but to come together to give. You know, we can easily develop the mindset that when we come to church, the professional clergy are the ones who give and we're the ones to receive. Oh, my friends, we need to rethink this. They, the professional clergy, need to receive as well as give. and all of us together must learn to give as well as receive we've been given gifts to give to benefit others may may God help us to catch the vision for that so now now both divine and human agencies are together together Look at, for example, 1 Corinthians 10, 15, where Paul says, He's not boasting in this. He's just stating a fact. He labored more than all of them. Isn't that a great statement? So you realize, boy, the labor that we expend when It is done in faith when it's done in trust of the Lord. Dependence upon Him is a labor ultimately that is not of us. We feel it, but God does it. Let me give you an illustration here. It's not a perfect illustration, but I think it helps. Imagine a machine that has the engine over here, and a large rod that comes out of it with a cog, a wheel on it with cogs. And that's what really will drive the rest of the machine. And over here is another very large and heavy rod which runs all the machinery, all right? Well, this rod is connected to the engine, the source of power is here with its wheel and cogs. And this one is over here, it's free-floating. Unless it's connected, it does nothing. But when it is connected, it drives the whole rest of the machine. Everything that is there is run by this rod that turns everything, okay? Notice on its own it can do nothing, but when it's connected, oh my, this turns, and now it feels the force of the work that it is doing. But none of the work that it does is from it. Not I, but the grace of God with me. So there has to be this acknowledgement on our part that we are dependent people. We look to another to provide for us what we don't have. The strength, the wisdom, the endurance, the patience, oh yes, the faithfulness to stay with the task and to do what we're called to do. Ephesians 2.10, similarly, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Philippians 2.12 and 13, just as you obeyed not in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Look at the force of that imperative at the end of verse 12. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. That's how much we need to devote ourselves to our growth in holiness and to the work that God has called us to do. Work it out with fear and trembling for it's up to you to do it. For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. So let me ask you, what is involved in the doing of something that isn't the willing of it to be done and the working of it to bring it to pass? Both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Hence, people will see our good works, as Jesus said, and glorify us who did them. No, they will see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven because it is His work. Well, other passages there, I won't take time to look at them with you, but other ones that say, also indicate this is God at work in us by which this is accomplished. Okay, now, I jumped ahead before, now I'm at the point in the outline. to think together about the means by which this comes to pass. And I'm just gonna touch on each one of them without going into detail with them, but all of these are very important areas of transformation that God wants to see happen in us so that we will grow to be more like Christ, grow in holiness. And I start with what I think is the most important one. I think arguably this is, without this first one right here, nothing else is gonna happen. transformed mind. And the reason is is because everything flows out of truth that we know. Jesus said, you shall know the truth, know the truth, and the truth will set you free. If you don't know the truth, there is no way that your life will be able to exhibit in its own affections and in its willing and its operations what in fact represents Christ until your mind is reshaped to be like Christ's. increasingly to think like Christ thinks. May the mind of Christ my Savior live in me from day to day, as the hymn says. Indeed, but how does that happen? It isn't automatic. You don't just lay your head in the pillow and say, okay Christ, give me your mind. It doesn't happen that way. I mean, we might wish it did, but it doesn't. How does it happen? And the answer is through diligence of having a mind retrained. So Paul will say in Romans 12, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. So indeed the mind becomes then the first and most important, not that this is the end all and be all, it's not that, but it is the beginning point without which nothing else will happen. So transform minds in order that everything else that flows from this will also happen, which includes what? Well, a transformed heart. There is a very clear passageway or route that God intends truth to travel. God intends truth to travel first into our heads. But the idea there is not for that to end up being in a cul-de-sac or a dead end, where that's all that it does. Oh, no. He means truth to travel into our heads, through our heads to our hearts. so that our hearts are inflamed, energized, activated by the glory of that truth. To see the truth is necessary to glory in that truth. To see the truth as truth is necessary to see the truth as beautiful, wondrous, glorious, rich, Life, life-giving. And the affections must then embrace that truth. So, so much in the Bible emphasizes the role of the affections, which is not quite the same as emotions. Emotions are very fickle. Affections are much more resilient. The difference, for example, between at least our usage of the word joy and happiness. You might have a worker with children who's had the preacher preach long, that never happens here, does it? The preacher preached long and had those children for an extra 25 minutes and is pulling her hair out. You ask her, is she happy? Probably not. You ask her if she's joyful in serving those children, oh yes. Oh yes, it is my love to have this privilege of serving these children. So there is a sense in which affections are more resilient and they are created within us through meditation upon truth. By thinking deeply about truth, our hearts then begin to see the luster, the beauty, the radiance of that truth and our hearts go, wow, oh my. That is incredible. And those truths then become the basis for character transformation as they take hold in our affections. So again, look yourself through these passages that speak of the importance of the heart in this. Let me just mention one. The top of page five, Psalm 1 verses 1 to 3. Top of page five, Psalm 1123, how blessed is a man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his what? Delight is in the law of the Lord. In that law, he meditates day and night. So look at the transformation that happens in his life as he delights in the law of the Lord. So here's my, you know, I'm often asked this when I talk about this. You know, a person will come up and say to me, honestly, honestly, I do my devotions and many times I don't delight in it. It's just dutiful, not delightful. So, my encouragement to that person and to all of us, to myself included, is this. Continue to do your duty. Don't forsake your duty. But as you do your duty, pray. with all of your heart that God will help you wed what he never intended to be separated, and that is duty and delight. He intends what we do dutifully, obediently, because it is his will to do it. He intends that to be the delight of our lives. So pray, pray, pray that God would work within you to delight in the word that you read. And I think one means of helping you get there is meditation. Meditation, where you take some little part of it and just think deeply about what is there. Look carefully at details of what is there. Read it over and over and pray for the Spirit to open it up to you as you do so. Meditate upon rich truths in the Bible. that particular verses and passages that are rich meditate upon them. And those, then the spirit opens your eyes to see things that you didn't see before that are right there. And you go, oh my, what a beautiful truth that is. So treasuring, I'm jumping in here, taking that into your heart is important. Then transform will, our wills work out of our affections. Do you know that? You do what you do, not on the basis of what you know per se. You do what you do because of what you love and hate, what you cherish and despise. We act out of our affections. Ask an addict if they know better. Yeah, of course they do. But why do they do it anyway? Because they love whatever it is they're addicted to. That's why. So our loves have to be changed for our action, for our wills to change in action. So the order really has to be head, heart, hands, right? Head, heart, hands. And then the transformed will is out of hearts that are committed to the truth that we have taken in and consider to be so precious. So passages here that highlight, goodness, it doesn't do simply to say, well, now I've got a head full of truth and I've got a heart that's been transformed and I'll just kind of stand here like a museum piece. You know, here I am transformed. No, that's not enough. Then do what God has called you to do. Live it out, but live out what is being transformed within. Another theme in the Bible on becoming like Christ is imitating Christ. I mean, I think many conservatives have almost dropped this theme out of their thinking because that's what liberals talked about. Liberals talked about being like Jesus, you know, because they didn't believe in substitutionary atonement, they didn't believe in original sin, and so they just thought, you know, yeah, Jesus is a good example for how we should live our lives, and they talked a lot about that. Of course, it was very selective even at that, right? the compassionate Jesus, the kind Jesus, not the righteous Jesus and the Jesus that talks about hell. So it's very selective. But nonetheless, it was the liberals who talked about being like Jesus. So we don't want to be liberals. But you know what the Bible says? Be like Christ. So don't throw it out, my friends. Look at these passages here that are so vivid in their encouraging us to be like Christ. The last one of them on the list, top of page six, last one of them, 1 Peter 2, you have been called for this purpose. since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth. While being reviled, he did not revile in return." So facing the worst things you can face in life, to exhibit Christ-like responses in that, we are called to do that. Again, not in a legalistic way, not in a moralistic way, but in a way that reflects transformation of heart Mind, heart, and action that then portrays what Christ is in this. Capital letter E, treasuring the word. Obviously, that word that is within us, the transformations of our minds and hearts has to be through treasuring the word. I thought this was significant enough to have a separate category for it, to look at passages here that talk about how important the word is. To see it as delightful, to find it your joy, to long to be in it, and to be transformed because of how good it is. This word of God that is living, this word of God that is life-giving, this word of God that is precious, that is more valuable than gold. Yes, than much fine gold. this Word of God that alone has the capacity to remake us as the Spirit uses that within. Spirit and Word, as you remember I mentioned before, go together. Why do you suppose the Spirit inspired this book? Answer, He intends to use it. Yeah, this is His main tool right here. This is His main tool to do the work within us that needs to be done. have letter F spiritual gifts and contributions of the community so indeed I mean many of these things are up to us individually to do right we have to submit to the word personally and and do do these things but but boy there are many things that we also submit to one another as Tom talked about earlier we do yield to one another in receiving from them and being admonished by them, being corrected by them, being encouraged by them. So the gifts in the body of Christ are given in part for the purpose, in large part, for the purpose of equipping us to be more and more like Christ. Okay, I'll leave you to look at the passages there. Cap Liturgy at the very bottom of the page there, page 7, strategic and central role of preaching, teaching, primarily from church elders and leaders. So I thought, again, this was a very important category to have. on the list here because, again, I think that we can, not this church, this church does not struggle with this, but many churches out there struggle with the significance of preaching. So, for example, the music ministry of the church explodes and it takes over so much of the time, and the sermons get shorter and shorter, and we get little sermonettes in a lot of churches because they love the music that is there. Well, the music may be glorious, but you know what? You need to hear the word preached. There is a centrality of preaching that without it, we just, this is how God has made it, made it to happen. So much will happen through preaching. It's just, I mean, you know this, don't you? You know this. I'm preaching to the choir. I know that, yeah. But that is just such an important part of our growth in godliness is through the preaching of the word. Have you ever thought about how odd preaching is in this culture that we live in? Where someone is given the right, and you accept this as you sit there, someone is given the right to talk to you for 45 minutes without you saying a word? Huh. This is not dialogue. This is monologue. And you have to listen, whether you like it or not. You have to listen to this word of God. Would you tolerate it if it was a dialogue? Oh, no. You would interrupt. You'd say, well, what about this? Well, I don't know. Let's qualify this, you know? So it's the preaching of the word that forces you to hear God speak. This is why that pastor has such an obligation to bring the word of the Lord to the people. But it is a forceful tool that God has designed to affect the change of his people. H, the fight of faith, the fight of faith. So faith all the way through is what we have to engage in battling unbelief. Every time we sin, we have exhibited unbelief in the promises of God, in the character of God. The only year my wife and I attended Bethlehem Baptist Church was the year that John Piper preached through his series on battling unbelief. And I have always thanked the Lord that we were actually there hearing those sermons as he preached them. That series then later was redone and published as Future Grace. But honestly, I think the sermon series is more powerful than the book, in this particular case, as much as I love John Piper's writings. But the sermon series, if you've never heard his sermon series entitled Battling Unbelief, I'd encourage you to go to Desiring God and listen through them. Because what he shows in this, he just takes sin by sin by sin by sin, and shows that every one of them is doubting some promise or characteristic of who God is. And it just shows that this is the fight of faith is to believe God, believe his word, believe his promise, believe his character day by day by day, and not believe the lies that we are being told by the world and by Satan and by our flesh. The surpassing power of a new affection, capital letter I, this new affection within is, is this principle that we will never truly, this is, I'm stealing here from Thomas Chalmers, Scottish pastor, whose most famous sermon was the expulsive power of a new affection. The expulsive power of a new affection. And the thesis of the sermon is this, that we will never expunge from us love of the world by simply convincing ourself how bad that stuff is. because we push it out. We say, oh, I can't, you know, that's dangerous. You know, goodness, I could get in such trouble and it would destroy my family. And so I'm going to push it all out. Well, the problem is if we push it out and remain with ourselves empty, and this is out of us now, well, it won't be long until we take it all back in because we don't like being empty. So what is the key to expelling this stuff from your life? And the key is to fill your life with something weightier, richer, denser, that pushes out love of the world and leaves you filled with something greater. You see it? So indeed, the best defense is an aggressive offense. the best defense. As important as it is to have accountability relationships and remind yourself of the damage that can be done and all of that. That's all good. That's fine. But as important as all that is, it will be ineffectual without a growing love affair with Jesus. A growing beholding the glory of Christ and wanting that to be within. Isn't that Philippians 3? that which I consider gain, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I consider all things to be loss in view of," here it is, the surpassing value, the greater affection. the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish that I may gain Christ. You hear it? Yes, indeed, the offense, getting Christ is the main effort, main endeavor that then enables us to say good riddance to what we loved before because of a greater love now. Then finally, last point here, again, you know, I ended the one last night on the negative side, right, by talking about, yes, but sin within. Well, here's a negative one that is very clearly part and parcel of our sanctification, suffering and affliction designed by God for our good. Don't despise the difficulties God in his providence brings into your lives. Don't assume that God is against you when all of a sudden things happen that you find are incredibly difficult. Assume instead, God who is for me is using this as a tool to bring about in my life greater well-being. greater holiness and eventual happiness in him through that. And for this, let me just point here to one passage of all these we could look at here, because we're running over, I know that. And I'll finish with this, just one passage of all these here, Hebrews 5, 8 and 9. This is powerful, my friends. This is Jesus. Although he was a son, get the significance of that. This is the son of the father. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered. Having been made perfect, he had to be made mature. Through his sufferings, through his afflictions, through agony, through persecution, through opposition, he had to be made strengthened in character, strengthened in his resolve, so that he could then become to all those who obey him the source of eternal salvation. How did that happen? Going to the cross. How was he able, although it was really difficult, How was he able to go to the cross? Father, if you'd be willing, let this cup pass from me. Three times crying out, weeping, sweating as it were drops of blood. It was really hard. How was he able to do it? He was strengthened in faith through afflictions that enabled him to see that God is faithful, trust his father's promises, believe that God was for him, believe that God's way is best every time so that he could embrace it. Now, not my will but yours be done. Well, it's very simple, my friends. If it took this for Jesus, to be matured, to be able to accomplish the work that he did. You think we're going to escape it? Really? No, indeed. God knows we need, many to many times, we need suffering. to bring us to a place of dependence and faith and hope in him that will strengthen us in ways that would never have happened apart from it. There are testimonies in this room abounding, I imagine, on that very point. So embrace the frowning providence behind which hides a smiling face. Oh my, know the smile is there. Let's pray together. Father, thank you for the opportunity we've had to go through some just wonderful truths from your word about the sanctification you intend to bring about in us through the work of your spirit as you've designed it and accomplished it in Christ, but are implementing it through the spirit as you engage us in it. Yes, indeed, you engage us in it. And we thank you, Lord, that we're not robots. We're not automatons. We are agents that choose and act and think and feel. And Lord, you have designed that all of those features about us are renewed to be like Christ. And we thank you that that is true. We thank you that we will be like him fully one day. Until that day, Lord, please give each one of us the determination and resolve and spirit empowerment to progress toward that end. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. We hope you've enjoyed this message from Grace Community Church in Minden, Nevada. To receive a copy of this or other messages, call us at area code 775-782-6516 or visit our website gracenevada.com.