Sanctified Through The Truth “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” – John 17:17 Every one of the New Testament epistles is divided into two sections — doctrine and the application of the doctrine. Paul, for example, puts it so perfectly in Romans 6:1, ‘What shall we say then? Shall we continue in …
“Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4
He who wishes to attain right views about Christian holiness must begin by examining the vast and solemn subject of sin. He must dig down very low if he would build high. A mistake here is most mischievous. Wrong views about holiness are generally traceable to wrong views about human corruption. I make no apology for beginning this volume of messages about holiness by making some plain statements about sin.
My brethren, this is a lesson for us; let us never reckon that we have learned a doctrine till we have seen its bearing upon our lives. Whatever we discover in God’s word, let us pray the Holy Spirit to make us feel the sanctifying influence of it. You know not a man because you recognize his features, you must also know his spirit, and so the mere acquaintance with the letter of truth is of small account — you must feel its influence and know its tendency.
Let it be a settled principle in our minds that the true Christian must always enter the kingdom of God “through much tribulation” (Acts 14:22). His best things are yet to come. This world is not our home. If we are faithful and decided servants of Christ, the world will certainly hate us, as it hated our Master. In one way or another grace will always be persecuted. No consistency of conduct, however faultless, no kindness and amiability of character, however striking, will exempt a believer from the world’s dislike, so long as he lives.
Not in the least embarrassed to share of enduring high regard for the book of Jude. Today, more so, there are preachers who stay well clear of the beseeching letter of Jude when it comes to preaching and teaching in the Churches. Truly, seldom proclaimed from the pulpit toward my ears, of which are keen to hear the truth of the Word of God, rightly divided. 2 Tim 2:15.
Jude had intended to write a treatise on salvation, whereupon he was led to write the New Testament’s strongest condemnation of false teachers, wherein he warns against certain persons having gained admission to the church, “crept in unnoticed,” who were perverting the grace of God, denying “our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). Jude used Old Testament examples to warn of these “blemishes” on the church. He wrote multiple denunciations of these ungodly people who “defile the flesh” and “reject authority” (Jude 8). Jude urged Christians to continue in godliness and love toward such people, in some cases reasoning with them, in other cases “snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 23). Jude closes with one of the most magnificent doxologies in all of Scripture (Jude 24–25).
Many people who claim to be point to some event in the past to substantiate their claim. But inviting Jesus to come into your life in the past is not proof that you are genuinely saved. In 2 Corinthians 13:5 Paul says to the Corinthian church, “Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves (emphasis added).” He wouldn’t have said that if some event in the past were obviously the answer. The Bible never verifies anyone’s salvation by the past but by the present. If there is no evidence of salvation in your life now, you need to face the fact that you may not be a Christian. You need to examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith. How does one do that? Jesus shows us in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).