Sabbath: Overcoming Sin
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Read for This Week’s Study: Romans 6; 1 John 1:8-2:1.
Memory Text: “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
If works can’t save us, why bother with them at all? Why not just keep on sinning?
Chapter 6 is Paul’s answer to this important question. Paul here is dealing with what commonly is understood as “sanctification,” the process by which we overcome sin and more and more reflect the character of Christ. The word sanctification appears only twice in Romans. It appears in Romans 6:19, Romans 6:22 as the Greek word hagiasmos, which means sanctification. In English, it appears in these two texts as the word “holiness.”
Does this mean that Paul has nothing to say about what commonly is understood by sanctification? Not at all.
In the Bible “to sanctify” means “to dedicate,” usually to God. Thus, to be sanctified is often presented as a past completed act. For example, “all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). The sanctified ones in this definition are the ones who are dedicated to God.
But this biblical usage of “sanctify” in no way denies the important doctrine of sanctification or the fact that sanctification is the work of a lifetime. The Bible strongly endorses this doctrine, but it generally uses other terms to describe it.
This week we’ll look at another side of salvation by faith, one that easily can be misunderstood: the promises of victory over sin in the life of one saved by Jesus.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 18.
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So, what specifically is the doctrine of Sanctification that is being referred to - and which the Bible strongly endorses?
the attempt at keeping the commandments, knowing that I can't really keep them to LORD GOD'S true satisfaction, but practicing them either way out of the gratitude of my heart and mind.
Jim, I believe when we give our hearts to the Lord in sincerity and do our best to be in harmony with His will, the Lord is totally satisfied. I don't know whether you are a parent or not, but I do know that as a parent, I was (and still am) delighted with my children's efforts to please me - whether or not they do things precisely the way I would have done them. And that's just the way our Creator God delights in His children's efforts to please Him. Prov 18:8 KJV, Prov 12:22 KJV, Prov 11:20 KJV, Ps 18:19 KJV.
He also wants us to "delight" in Him, not only on the Sabbath, but on all days. Isa 58:13 KJV; Ps 27:4 KJV;
I do not see this verse dealing directly with sanctification or the commandments while both are certainly involved.
For example, isn't it interesting that we believe this verse talks about commandments when no such word is used? If we are not under the law and the law is the commandments then wouldn't that mean we are not under the commandments?
However, if we look at Romans 8:2 with the concept of the law in mind do we find a much different law that we are no longer under?
... "Christ Jesus hath made me free from the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH."
Simply put - if you sin you will die. That's been the case since long before Lucifer fell and Adam and Eve transgressed.
There is hope...
As long as we choose to embrace the law of faith as described in Romans 3:27?
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the LAW OF FAITH.
We will find ourselves keeping the commandments as a privilege rather than an obligation and in the process sanctification taking place.
I think the best description of Sancitification in the whole bible is Romans 6:19. Paul says, " I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery ( service ) to impurity and ever increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery ( or service ) to righteousness leading to holiness. " The process is not complete until we are changed in the twinkling of an eye, from a corruptible to an incorruptible body ready to enter the gates of heaven. Praise God for His grace and power to change our desires now and completely transform us then.
Sanctification is the process of growing in Christ!!
Jesus’ victory gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church. We can live with Him now and for ever. By faith accepting His Grace, by our hand on Christ, so that His merits can flow from Him through us. All this is implying a response from us, which is as necessary as His open door invitation to to return home. All God asks from us is to accept His forgiveness, and trust Him to change us from sinners to willing obedient sons and daughters. John.
Justifcation is the work of a moment, although it reamins effective all our believing lives. Sanctification is a lifelong work that has to be experienced daily through a living faith in Jesus Christ.
Sanctification is a troublesome concept until we strip it off the mystical meaning acquired by wrong usage.
People also use it often as if it was a way to fill a Vaccum left by justification. They reason that we were justified but something still is missing and sanctification came to the rescue. For obvious reasons, that interpretation does a disservice to the justification already performed by Jesus Christ that was complete.
Sanctification refers to becoming saints and this is another troublesome concept needing clarification. Being a saint is desirable and indispensable for a Christian. It gives us two fundamental things: A sense of identity and a purpose. We are saints when we recognize that we are God’s people, that is very useful in a world where many voices speak to the contrary, and we are saints when we grow to be what we were meant to be (loving and kind). Both are God-given conditions and we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit for not interfering with his calling and work in that respect. The bible gives a lot of examples of the character shown by saint people and sanctification paves our way to that true character, not defined as a sum of our moral achievements, but as an unbreakable loyalty that is needed to repopulate the new earth without challenging or questioning God’s wisdom anymore. God will transform everything in us, but that character (unbreakable loyalty) is the one thing that has being forged through our struggle on earth and the only thing depending greatly upon us (Son, give me your heart, says the Lord). I like the way Ellen White perceives and indirectly defines character: The greatest want of the world is the want of men - men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
I believe the best depiction of sanctification is the story of the Christian and later his wife Christiana in Pilgrims Progress. We see justification, sanctification, and glorification in this story. We see that Christian is working out his salvation with fear and trembling. Christian is justified, when he gets the Golden Letter, and saved the day he leaves the Town of Destruction, the beginning of sanctification. If he did die being faithful on any step of the way he would have made it to the Celestial City. But we see that Christian and later his wife both struggle with sin and its consequences. Both main protagonists fall but like a the righteous fall and get get up they too do the same. We also see that both come to a point of overcoming sin before death. And I do believe that we as Christians can stop sinning before Christ comes again. Will we know it or boast how sinless we are? NOPE. We like the Master will be just as humble even more so, never saying we have attained or we are perfect. But like Him shunning every evil and sinful thing not because we want a spotless record but because we love Him so much that we would rather die than break His heart. We can take supreme hope in this wonderful story. For those who haven't read it, make a habit of doing do, and for us who have read it. It wouldn't hurt journeying with these two again.y
It's important to understand the message from the PICTURE OF THE WEEK. I see person leg chained. The CROSS that acts as an axe cuts the chain. This therefore supports the THEME / MEMORY TEXT “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14 ). Because of the a amazing grace we should then dedicate / sanctify our ways and lives to God.
Through the death of christ on the cross, it breaks the chains of slavery to sin and so sin will not have power over us because as a beliver we now live under amazing grace of christ. Sanctification comes our way when we live for chrst.
And may you all join me in prayers so that i may have permanent freedom from sin. A new walk with the Lord on day to day basis. a walk destined for eternity.
Denis, your prayer is much like a multitude of others. Let me reason a bit with other questions. The text in Romans 7:20-24, Paul had much the same problem and similar questions as we have. It gets a little complicated. God does not want us to sin,and He knows that we are sinful humans, and that Jesus has the answer to our requests for forgiveness. It is a dilemma so to speak. A helpful reference is 1Corinthians 10:12,13. Our intentions are our priority. Our weaknesses override our intentions and now we are wishing we had been stronger than yielding to the temptation. We do some serious thinking when remembering that God is omnipotent, and God hates sin. Some will say, but He doesn't hate the sinners. It is close to going in circles. Any way Denis just a few thoughts and prayers that may be somewhat helpful.
Of course Dennis i will pray for you. I will only ask that the same be done for me. Thanks