So, I mean, little John, not middle John or big John. There's three Johns all back there in one row. So, alright. He's raring to go. Alright.

Being sanctified in Christ and if you would take your Bibles turned up second Timothy chapter two Actually first Timothy chapter two. Let's see. No that's not it. It's second Timothy anyway. Second Timothy two nineteen that's it.

I was right the first time. How dare I doubt myself? Second Timothy two nineteen. Second Timothy two nineteen, we'll read verses 19 through 21. And then we will continue.

Verse nineteen, second Timothy chapter two verse 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let everyone that name it the name of Christ depart from iniquity but in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also wood of earth, wood and of earth, some to honor, and some to dishonor. If any man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel on the honor.

Sanctified and meet for the master's use and prepared unto every good work. Should be our desire as children of God, to depart from iniquity, and to be vessels of honor Ready and fit for the master's use. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord today for your word. The opportunity to look into it together.

Lord, we pray in accordance with your word and your will that it would not return void today. It is quick and powerful as a two edged sword. Lord, we pray that you would use it as it goes forth. Lord, we pray that you would be magnified and we pray that lives would be changed. In Jesus name, amen.

Sanctification. That is our subject today. Over the last few weeks, we've looked at several words in scripture, the meanings of which are vital to our understanding of salvation. These words include redemption which means to be bought back. For God has bought us back with the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ spilled on the cross for us.

Justification which means being declared guiltless before God. We who have put our faith in Christ based upon his sacrifice on the cross for our sins have been declared guiltless before God. We were guilty. Yes, indeed but we have been declared guiltless through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We looked at the word grace, the word grace.

That is God's gracious nature and is giving to us those things which we have not earned and we do not deserve. Salvation is by God's grace. Now, there are many other works that God wants to do in our life that are also by his grace each and every day. Last week, we studied sanctification. The act of God at salvation by which we are set apart in Christ Jesus unto eternal life, washed or pardoned from all of our sins.

If you are, if you are born again, if you've been saved through faith in Jesus Christ, you are a child of God and you are have been sanctified, that is you have been set apart from the rest of this world unto eternal life in Jesus Christ. This word sanctified comes from the word word for holy. The word holy means itself. Cleanse, pure, set apart. God is a holy God.

He is set apart from all others particularly in his moral nature. He is without sin. As Jesus came to this world without sin and died on a cross not for his sin but for my sin. God is holy, set apart. The word sanctify means to set apart for a purpose, to consecrate, cleanse, or to make holy.

First Peter two verse chapter two verse nine verse nine is Peter's explanation of who we are in Christ now. Who are we? We were as Paul mentioned in first Corinthians six last week, we could be defined by many terrible things before we came to Christ. All these sins that beset us and ruled in our lives. We were lost and on our way to eternity separated from God but now, in Christ Jesus, we are these things.

First Peter two nine, but you are a chosen generation. You are a royal priesthood. You are a holy nation. A peculiar, special people that you should show forth that the praises of him who had called you out of darkness into his what? Marvelous light.

We have been taken out of the darkness of sin, confusion, and on the path that leads to destruction and we've been put on the narrow way that leads to life. We've been brought out of the darkness and into the light of Jesus Christ and in that light now, we are on our way to a new destination in Christ Jesus. We have been sanctified in Christ. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus. We are peculiar or special people chosen in Christ Jesus to serve and glorify him. In the Old Testament, Old Testament, that was the nation of Israel.

They were set apart and sanctified by God to serve and bring glory to him but in the New Testament, Jesus says, to his to believers who have put their trust in him, you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Let your light shine, so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father. Which is in heaven. We have become the children of God through faith in his son.

You're no lord the children of sin and destruction and ruin. And wrath. You are now the children of God. And he's preparing a place for his children in heaven that is reserved for us there. You are now a child of God.

We are no longer citizens of this world but strangers. Strangers here looking for that city. The same as Abraham, whose maker and builder is God. Yes, we have been set apart, sanctified in Christ Jesus. We are saints.

The word saint simply means sanctified one. We are sanctified. We are saints in Christ. Children of the most high God. The same as the believers to whom Paul wrote this letter of first Corinthians when he writes here under the church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours.

Who's he talking? He's talking to believers in Christ and he says to them, you are sanctified in Christ Jesus. You've been set aside. You've been set apart to the Lord. You are saints.

You are saints. Every believer is a saint. Who says so? God says so. He makes that clear at the end of the verse.

With all that in every place call upon the name of who? Jesus Christ. If you call upon the name of Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior by faith, you are a saint and a child of God. This leads us today to a doctrine some call progressive sanctification. Last week, we looked at positional sanctification.

That is our position has now changed. We were the children of wrath condemned in sin and now, if you put your faith and trust in Jesus, you be have have become a child of who? A child of God. Reserved by God's power to a place that he is preparing for us. We now have eternal life in him.

We have been set apart in Christ Jesus positionally, okay? But now, this morning, we'll talk about progressive sanctification. That is the lifelong process by which God changes us more and more into the image and the likeness of his son, Jesus Christ. In other words, Christ set us apart. Not only so we would get to heaven but he set us apart to change us.

To start that process, the day you trusted Christ as your savior. He wants to change you, transform you. Inside and out. Into the image of his son. This is a process.

This does not happen overnight. You became a child of God overnight when you trusted Christ. You were given eternal life overnight when you trusted Christ but the process by which we become more like Christ throughout this life, well, that doesn't happen what? Overnight. That takes time.

It is progressive in other words. This is God's work in us but one which we can fight or embrace. The process of progressive sanctification is the work of who? It is the work of God. It is by his grace for without his grace and without him, we would never change.

But by God's grace and his work in us, you can change but it is a work which you can fight or embrace. It is one which happens quicker and fuller in some than in others. How we respond to the Lord and his word as his children does affect our progressive sanctification. Our growth as you might say, our maturity in Christ is affected. By our response to the Lord.

And to his word. Back to second Timothy two Okay, yeah, back. Alright, second Timothy chapter two and verse 19 again. Nevertheless, the foundation of God stand the shore having this seal. What is the foundation of God?

The foundation is who? Foundation is Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the cross. That's the foundation. The Lord knoweth them that are his. If you have been sanctified in Christ through faith in him, does God know?

Yes, he does. God knows his sheep and they hear his voice and they what? And they follow him. God knows those that are his. You might look around, you say, well, I think I know and maybe people tell you they are.

The fact is, who knows for sure? God does. And we personally can know if we have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. But as I look at you today, I think I know. I could be wrong but is God ever wrong?

The answer is no. He knows his children. He has sealed them with his holy what? Holy Spirit. Until the day we stand before God in heaven.

He knows those who who are his and there's an and there. You see that and? God knows who are sanctified. God knows who are the saints and who are the ain't so to speak. But here's an and and let everyone that name it the name of Christ.

Now, everyone of you that says, yes, I believe in Jesus. Yes, I'm a Christian. If you name the name of Christ, depart from what? Depart from iniquity. What does that mean?

That means change from your old self into the new self. Put off the old and put on the what? The new. God wants to transform you and change you and make you like Christ. And it should be your desire.

And it should be your aim. To depart from that old self. By God's grace, and become each day more and more that new self. In Jesus Christ. God has the desire, the purpose, and the power to transform us little by little each day back into his image which was marred by sin way back in the garden.

He is transforming us back into that image that we might be to the praise of his glory, fit and ready for the master's use to bring souls to the savior and glory once again to our maker. God didn't save you just to take you to heaven. If he did, where would you be? Would you be here? The answer is no.

If the only reason God saved you was to take you to heaven, you would be in heaven. But as I look at you now, you're not there yet. Which means God has also has a purpose for you where? Right here. Right here.

That as he changes you and transforms you into the image of your son, you might be to the praise and glory of the one who saved you and the one who made you. He saved you to mold you into the image of his dear son. Now, that's a process. It takes time. The Bible says, he knows our frame that we are but what?

But dust. He is a long suffering and a patient God. Praise the Lord. Because he's still working on who? He's still working on me.

I've still got a lot of kinks and I still got a lot of flaws. And I'm not I'm not perfect by any means. He's still working on me. We're at different places in that process. But if you are a child of God, you can be sure that he is working on you.

You can be sure if you're here, he's not given up on you and he's not done with you. He's working on you. He's molding you. Yes, sometimes you stumble and fall. Yes, sometimes you struggle to do what you ought.

Don't give up. He's not giving up on you. He's working, molding you into the image of son. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed or molded into the image of his son. That he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

He's working on you. He's molding you. He's remaking you into the image of his son and one day, when you stand before God in heaven, you will be like him. We'll we'll we'll have shed this this this corrupt immortal body. We will have shed the the sin nature that we were born with into this world and we will be we will be like him but for now, God is working in and through us in in our lives to make us more and more like his son, to remold us into that image.

To the praise and glory of our maker. He saved you that he that you might show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. That's at the end of this verse we read earlier that he might that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness in his marvelous light. Why did he save you? Why?

Did he choose you? Why? Did he make you a a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people? Why? So that you in this world would show forth the praises of him who is changing you.

He is an almighty God. He is an all powerful God. He is a god of love and mercy and grace and other people need to see that. That he might be glorified. But that is somewhat up to us.

He's working. Are you embracing it or are you what? Are you fighting it? Which one? He saved you that he might do good works through you.

I I like this passage of scripture. In baptist circles, we usually quote the first two verses and we don't get to the third one, okay? So, let's do the first two verses. Here we go. For by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of what?

Works, lest any man should boast, okay? Can you be saved by works? The answer is no. You can only be be saved by God's grace through faith in his son, Jesus Christ, who died to purchase that gift for you and who offers it if you will receive it by grace through faith in him. Not by works, by grace through faith.

That's usually where we stop. We don't get to verse 10, okay? So, why did God give us this gift? Why did God do this work in us? He continues.

For we are his workmanship, his masterpiece. Created in Christ Jesus unto what? Good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. God saves you to change you, to make you more like who? To make you more like Jesus, to make you more like him, that you might do the works of who?

That you might do the works of God, not the works of the flesh, not the works of Satan, not the works of the world, but the works that are to the praise and glory of your maker. Good works. That's what good works are. Their works that bring glory to God. Their works that are effective in service to God and produce the fruit that God desires in this world as salt and light in it.

God saved you for that. He's working in you. You are his masterpiece. He's painting your life. He's molding you as a piece of clay.

He's the potter. We're the what? We're the clay and he's molding us into the image of Christ. Sometimes, that's pleasant. Sometimes, that's delightful.

Sometimes, that's exciting. Sometimes, it's hurt. Sometimes, it hurts. Sometimes, it's painful. James says in James chapter one, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations or trials knowing this that the trying or testing of your faith worketh patience but let patience have a perfect work that you may be perfect or complete and entire wanting or lacking nothing.

God says, count it all joy when you're going through difficult times and you go, oh but oh but that's so hard. And it is and God knows that but nonetheless, God says, you can. Count it all joy. If you know that those rough times you're going through, God is using those to mold you and make you more like who? More like Jesus.

For your good and for his glory because it is always for our good. It is always in our best interest to be more like who? To be more like Jesus. That's right. That is good.

That is good. Sometimes, that is painful. Sometimes, that is delightful. But it is always why? Romans twelve one and two, it says, he saved us that we might give our our bodies a living sacrifice to be used in his service.

As he transforms us. Into the image of his son. Read this with me I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. Why is it reasonable? Well, it says beginning the verse, but I beseech you therefore, brother, by the what?

By the mercies of God because of God's mercy that he shown toward us and his son, Jesus Christ, it is reasonable for us. To look for opportunities in our life to allow him to use the talents and the mental abilities and the physical abilities and all of those to bring glory to him and to do his work. And he continues on and be not conformed to this world. Don't conform to this world. Is is the world very busy, very determined to to mold you back into its image?

It is. And many different means in order to do that today. You can get in your car and drive down the road and look at the billboards. Many of them are trying to mold you back into the world's image. Turn your TV set on.

What is its main purpose for the most part? To mold you back in the world's image. Listen to the world's music. What is the world's music trying to do? Conform you back into its image.

God says, don't do it. Don't let it happen because God is working to conform you into a different image, the image of who? The image of Jesus Christ. God's working at it. God's doing.

He is faithful. Embrace it. Cast off. Run away from flee the world and those desires. He saved you.

He says, that you might be holy as he is holy. This is I don't have on the screen but I'll read it for you. First Peter chapter one verse 14, as obedient children, that's what we are now in Christ. We are now his children. As obedient children because certainly you want to be obedient to God, right?

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust and your ignorance before you knew Christ. But as he which hath called you as holy, so be you holy and all manner of conversation or conduct because it is written, be you holy for I am holy. God says, I want you to be like me and in your moral conduct and behavior, you need to change. I'm working to change you. I am able to change you.

That's called progressive sanctification Embrace that. Don't fight it. Embrace it. God not only not only expects us to be more holy like him. But he commands it.

He has set us apart in Christ Jesus but he's also set us apart from the world and sin. Unto his purpose He commands us to abstain, to depart from sin, and iniquity. It is part of the process. It is that which brings glory to God when we say no to the flesh. When we say no to sin and in Christ, you can say what?

No. To sin and Satan and the world and you can say yes to Jesus Christ. This is part of that process. First Thessalonians four three. A matter of fact, Paul uses the word sanctification here.

It says, this is the will of God even your what? Sanctification. This is part of your process of being sanctified, set apart that you should abstain from what? Fornication. Fornication.

World today, immorality. Particularly sexual immorality. God says, this is my will for you. This is part of your sanctification that you be set apart from sexual immorality. Now, does the world have any desire to be set apart from that today?

The answer is no. It celebrates it. We've moved from being shamed, ashamed of it to now to where people are bragging about it and celebrating it and expecting us all to do the what? To do the same. Who doesn't expect you to do the same?

God. Who is working to change you? God. And he says, depart from iniquity. Abstain from fornication.

Do not look at that as oh it's just a small thing. No, it's not just a small thing. It ruins the testimony of the child of God. It dishonors God who made us an an established marriage between a man and a woman. And the relationship that goes with that as a illustration of the love that Christ has for his church and the faithfulness that the church should have for Christ.

Abstain from fornication, he says. He commands us to flee youthful lusts. To flee useful lusts, he says, but follow after righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Flee the lust of the world. The youthful lust, those fleshly lusts.

That youth are so unfortunately known for letting go wild. Flee those. Don't let them run your life. Don't let them drive you. Whether you be young or old.

In Christ Jesus, instead, follow after the moral attributes of who? Of Jesus Christ. Let that be your drive. Righteousness, faith, love, charity means peace. He commands you to yield your members as instruments of righteousness and not sin.

Romans six thirteen, neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Those some people were complaining to Paul. They were accusing Paul of preaching a gospel that gave license to sin. They said, if you're saved by grace, in in Christ and you're not saved by works, then that's just giving people license to what? To sin.

And Paul says, no. You've got it completely upside down. Grace, by God's grace, we now have a reason not to what? Sin. By God's grace, we now have the power to depart from iniquity.

Right. To serve the living God. That's where we find this passage. This verse is in that passage. So, as members now of the body of Christ, use your members, your mind, and your body, your talents, and your thoughts.

As instruments to be used in the hand of almighty God to perform righteous works. Rather than unrighteous and he's working to do that. He's working in us each day. Embrace it. He commands you to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him.

Take off your cross daily. And follow him. Again, You don't pray one time and then poof. You know, you're you're perfect. Doesn't work that way.

You're saved but you're not yet perfected will be but for now, God's working on you and he's working on me and we need to embrace that process. We need to willingly take up our cross. God's will for our life. Even if that means enduring some pain. As Christ crossed brought him a lot of pain.

But take up that cross daily. Follow him. And he who sanctified us and is sanctifying and changing us each day Has not left us without the ability and the power and tools to help us in that endeavor. John 14, I think it's, yes, got it right. John fourteen eighteen through 26.

Jesus' disciples were concerned because can you imagine for three years, Jesus' disciples walked and talked with the savior? It, you know, wouldn't that be wonderful if if if Jesus was beside you and and when you were tempted to do wrong, he was watching. I mean, he was physically there. When you had a decision to make, you could just what? Ask him.

And he was helping you. Well, is he there? The answer is yes. He is there and he told his disciples when I'm going back, when I go back to heaven, I'm not going to leave you helpless or comfortless but I will send you a comforter, a helper. I will not leave you comfortless but the comforter which is the holy ghost whom the father will send in my name.

He shall teach you all things, bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have commanded you. God says to his disciples, I know you are scared of me leaving but I'm not really leaving. My body is leaving but I'm not leaving. When I get to heaven, I'm going to send you a helper and he'll help you and if you're a child of God, you have that helper in your life and he is working by his power and grace to change you and mold you into the image of his son. You're not having to do it all on your own.

He's also given us his word. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It is quick and it is powerful to change us. If you read it, if you hide it in your heart, if you will meditate on it, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may want. Grow.

Thereby. What's that word grow mean? Be sanctified. Thereby. It's good you're here today to hear it.

But I hope you won't forget it. The moment you walk out. And I hope that you have one of these at home to read during the week. Amen. God will change your life.

He will renew your mind, transform you as you dig into his word each day. And he hasn't finished yet with his work on us. The journey for many of us is just beginning and it will end for all of us who know Christ as savior one day before his throne. In Ephesians five twenty seven, God says, that he saved us that he might present us or yet the church to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish. One day, we will stand before Christ without what?

Without blemish in him. If you know him as savior. He says in Philippians one six, I like this. One of my favorite verses. Paul writes the church at Philippi.

They're struggling with certain things just like the other churches were and he says of this, being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will what? Perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. What's the day of Jesus? That's the day I stand before him complete. I'm Paul says, I'm confident this very thing that which God began in you, God's going to finish.

God's going to finish. And he is performing it even now. As we are here. He is performing it. He will not leave us nor forsake us.

God has done a work in you, saving your soul from hell and giving you life in Christ, eternal life but God is also doing a work in you here today, tomorrow, and the next day. Making you to be more like his son every day. Don't listen to the lies of the devil that you can't. God says, Paul says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Don't listen to the devil that says, give up.

Don't listen to the devil that says, well, it just isn't going to work for you. God keeps his promises. God is working in you. Embrace it by faith. God is working to make you like his son in your morality, your integrity, your conduct, your choices, your attitudes, your thoughts, words, and actions.

That Christ may be seen in you. You are becoming like him. When you fail, what are you supposed to do? Well, first John one nine, if we want, confess our sins. He's faithful and just forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That word cleanse is connected to that word sanctify. You want to be sanctified in Christ? You want to grow? Well, when you mess up, admit it. Confess it means to admit it to who?

To admit it to God and when you admit it to God, that's that that also indicates that you want to change it and you're asking him to help you and he will. Confess your failures. Read his word. Listen to his spirit. Take up your cross.

Follow him. Embrace the process. The purpose. And the power of God. Stop fighting it.

Trust him. Trust him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not unto your own understanding. All your ways acknowledge him.

He shall direct your paths. Stop excusing your sin. And confess it before him. Stop excusing it. Stop trying to explain it away.

Admit what it it is what it is. So, God can cleanse you of it and change you. Stop listening to the flesh and the devil who says you can and listen to the Lord who says you want. You can. And says, I will and I am.

Embrace. That process in your life. He is working on you. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord.

That you haven't given up on me but you're still working on me and in me. Lord, forgive my sins. Forgive all of our sins and our failures before you. Lord, cleanse us. Lord, sanctify and work in us to make us more like your son, Jesus Christ.

We do desire to depart from iniquity. Lord, forgive us for our complacency in that fight. Forgive us for our lack of faith in you. And willingness to let go of the things of the world for the things of Christ and make us more like you this week, this day, and if there be one here that's never trusted Christ as a lord and savior if they're alive. They're still on the other side.

Lord, I pray that they would recognize your love, your power, your mercy, and grace. And as we sing this hymn of invitation in just a moment, they would come. We could share with them how they can be saved today and know it. Lord, I pray if you worked in our hearts today, if there's something you're putting your finger on that that we would deal with you. And not put it off.

In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Hymn