Christian Perspectives: Made holy by him

There is a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit moving and it is going to shake everything up except His Kingdom. His blood-bought people who are resting in His presence are going to mature and will be more than conquerors! The enemy of our soul wants to get us to believe we are defeated and that we don't have what it takes to be a conqueror. However, the truth is: he's the defeated one.

There is an acceleration taking place by God's Spirit. We need to take a good look at our lives and remember all the victories He has given us. Yes, Holy Spirit is speaking to us, His children, to keep our eyes on Him and to trust Him. It is His power of His Spirit that instantly started the sanctifying process in our lives when we first became born again and He is not going to stop sanctifying us. Sanctification is what has set us apart and made us holy for God and not for ourselves. This sanctification is the work of God's grace, but it is up to us to surrender to God for the process of sanctification to be completed. Jesus said in John 17:19, “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” This means that Jesus chose, out of His free will, to separate Himself and do the will of His Father in Heaven. He submitted and surrendered Himself wholly to the Father in total obedience to the Word. Jesus became the example for us to choose to do the will of God because He sanctified us. 

We must set out minds on what God wants and not lean on our own understanding or passions. We must have His view of things. One needs to have a deep passionate love and interest in God in order to remain one with Him. Jesus put it this way in John 17:21, “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us ....”

This can only happen by being in God's presence and atmosphere as we put on the mind of Christ daily. We must deny ourselves of relying on what our emotions or thoughts are telling us and simply believe God's Word. The fact is that there are some choices we make daily which we think are what God wants, but we are finding out that they are not part of His plan for our lives. God is convicting us of our wrong mind sets about Him. 

For example, even though sanctification was instant for us the day we were born again, many still pray and fast to be sanctified more fully. However, we can't sanctify ourselves for it is the work of God. Unfortunately, deception has crept in to lure us away from the power of Jesus Christ's grace and blood that saved us through faith. Salvation is a gift of God and not a result of our works, so that we may not boast as Ephesians 2:8-10 says. We are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, but it is God who is doing the work in us by our love and obedience to Him.

As Jesus taught in John 17, even our prayers are to be God's prayers and not what we want or think we need. Many times, our heart may condemn us when God is sanctifying us by His Truth. However, we must allow God to do what He wants to do in our lives and in our attitudes and hearts in order to be in right relationship with Him. We must be willing to let Him sanctify us at any cost. We must all come to the truth that we can't set ourselves free from sin. We can't change our hearts, but only Jesus Christ can change and heal our hearts. So, may we trust God and rest in Him as He is the one who is in control of our lives.

Pastor Carol McLean,

Jehovah Jireh Christian Ministries