Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
We have been getting some pretty nice days recently, and the deer are finally finding some fresh patches of grass to eat. After the winter months, people have slowly come out of hibernation, and started to clean up their yards and their homes. They have started tuning up their lawn mowers, and getting ready to paint the fence. But, when you drive around the area, you will notice that the rummage sales are beginning to pop up all over the place. When they finish sweeping out the garage, they start setting up tables in preparation for the following weekend. From upstairs to the basement, from the kitchen cupboards, to the bedroom closets, family members are given a few boxes so they can pack up all of the items that they ready to get rid of.
This reminds me the Christian Life
Spring is normally the time that people do a lot of house cleaning, but Spiritual housekeeping knows no season. Like cleaning out your attic, we must clean out our hearts each morning, completely ridding ourselves of sin and purifying ourselves in Holiness.
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17
In order to become purified from sin, we must undergo the process of sanctification. Like cleaning out your home of unwanted items, we must remove things in our hearts that God doesn’t want in our lives. To purify means to free ourselves from anything that debases, pollutes or contaminates. This is done by accepting scriptural truth, and repenting of things that are outside the will of God. In order to enter into eternal life, we must rid ourselves of these things right now. Nothing sinful is going to enter into heaven, and that’s why we need to completely renounce them. It makes sense that nothing will get cleaned up in your basement if you don’t lift a finger to do anything about it. Likewise, we must activate our faith and become doers of the word, purifying ourselves through the application of Truth and the mortification of the flesh. The truest freedom of all, is the freedom from sinful living.
John 8 ³¹ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; ³² And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ³³ They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? ³⁴ Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. ³⁵ And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. ³⁶ If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Those who continue to live in sin are the servants of sin. If they remain in that state, they are not going to inherit eternal life. This is why the gospel of repentance has been preached throughout the centuries. It is the message of turning away from your sins, to live in holiness. It is to reject darkness to walk in the light.
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” James 4:8
The Apostle Paul was called to turn people from their sins so they could be forgiven. If somebody continues sinning and makes no effort to change, then they have received God’s grace in vain.
“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Acts 26:18
Genuine faith will cause a Christian to do the will of God. We are purified by faith, and the proof of this is our humble submission to the truth. If you truly abide in biblical hope, you will shun sin.
“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:3
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19
To sanctify actually means to purify or free from sin. Our hearts and minds are purified through repentance and submission to God’s Holy Word. The only way that we can truly repent of our sins is by believing the truth of scripture. This is why the disciples warned the church over and over again, not to be deceived by the lusts of this world.
Galatians 6 ⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. ⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
In order to be sanctified, we have to walk in the truth of scripture. Without obedience to scripture, a person can never change from darkness to light. Without obedience to biblical truth, the sinful person that they used to be, can never become a saint. This transformation has to happen in order to finally get to heaven. Sanctification also means to make something Holy, but in order for us to become Holy requires yielding ourselves to scriptural truth.
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” John 15:3
A man is supposed to lead his wife into the teachings of Christ. In this manner he purifies her by the truth.
“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” Ephesians 5:26
1 Thessalonians 4 ² For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: ⁴ That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; ⁵ Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:” 2 Thessalonians 2:13
The Christian life is about obedience to the teachings of our faith.
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ………….1 Peter 1:2
True freedom is learning to go and sin no more. It is the acceptance of biblical truth to the point that you permanently turn away from behavior that is outside the parameters of our faith. Our hearts need to be purified from sin, and the only way this is going to happen is by the removal of sinful desires and activities. It’s like bagging up the garbage in your bedroom and throwing it out in the trash can.
Many people are going to box up things to get rid of this year, but it’s best to begin by getting rid of everything in your heart that needs to go. After all, that is the best type of…..
……. Spring Cleaning
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 