What is the purpose of God in giving a Savior and the gospel? To save the people in their sins? No, indeed. But to save them from their sins.

What is the purpose of God in giving a Savior and the gospel? To save the people in their sins? No, indeed. But to save them from their sins.

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Amazing Facts

Joe Crews

Sanctification

01 Sanctification

02 Sanctification


A top-level spokesman for the United States Defense Department declared that it's the government's inherent right to lie under certain conditions. Now a leading theologian has announced that tax evasion is not a sin. More and more often the question is raised, Can an average citizen live a completely honest life? I'll be back in a moment with the amazing facts. Hello, this is Joe Cruz and the amazing facts broadcast, facts which affect you.

You know, friends, the moral strength of our society seems to be crumbling dangerously from the very top down to the bottom. Some public utterances by men in high position have been both startling and upsetting. A House subcommittee estimated that one-third of American workers have lied about their work record. A more recent release of a statement published in a leading religious newspaper boldly declares that tax evasion is not a sin. Now, whether we agree or disagree with either of these important statements, we must admit that they indicate a very obvious trend in our modern world.

The least bit of encouragement from either government or church officials to misrepresent the truth reveals a flagrant departure from those moral principles that once ruled our society. How long can this erosion continue before a complete collapse takes place, friends? Listen to Paul's words in Romans 1.16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation. Now it was said of Jesus, you remember, in Matthew 1.21, Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And then of course that gospel is called the power of God.

Now what is the purpose of God in giving a Savior and in giving the gospel? To save the people in their sins? Of course not. Not to save them in their sins, but from their sins. According to the Bible, sin is a transgression of God's law.

And preparation for heaven is more than just a beautiful theory. It is a matter of character, a character produced by a power above man, but which is available to him through the gospel. The plan of God is expressed by the great Apostle Paul in this language found in Galatians 2.20. He said, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.

And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Now this whole experience of Jesus living His life in me leaves no room for sin in the life, friends. Notice 1 thing. It is not I who lives without sin, but it is Christ in me who thus lives. And this is the secret of a sinless life, and it is the only way. If 1 is dead, he does not respond to lust.

That is what Paul declares when he says, I am crucified with Christ. When I am dead, my selfish nature am dead, then Christ has a chance to live in me. But when I am alive to sin and assert my own carnal desires, Christ does not and cannot live in me, so I may sin. But when He comes in and lives in me, there is power not to sin, for He does not sin. Now do you understand this, friends, from our text?

This is the same thought expressed in another scripture where it is called the New Birth. He that is born of God cannot sin, for his seed, that is, Jesus Christ, remaineth in him. I John 3.9. Now this passage has been greatly misunderstood, and men have been led to misinterpret to teach that a man once in grace is always in grace despite his own wishes even. But listen, my living a daily life acceptable to God does not depend solely upon a transaction which took place when I was born again, but upon a daily renewal of that inner life by faith, and prayer, and a daily surrender of self.

When that connection with Jesus Christ is broken, then I go back into that old former carnal path, for I am cut off from Him. I can't receive that spiritual life that can keep me from sinning. But it doesn't need to be that way. He is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him. And this lies entirely in my will and in my relationship to Jesus.

The theory that once a man has been born again, he can't afterwards sin or slip out of God's hands is a very dangerous theory, friends. According to it, men may do as they please once they have been converted, and they still may be called the children of God, and be saved in the kingdom of heaven in spite of themselves. But this is not the teaching of the Bible. For it tells us that if a man has once tasted of the grace of God, and then falls away, there is a fearful future waiting for him. You read that in Hebrews 10, verses 26 and 27.

For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for a judgment and a fiery indignation. Now this 1 passage alone is so clear on this point that nobody needs to misunderstand it. When we read the scores of other passages voicing the same solemn truth, when we read the heart-burning appeals of God to backsliding Israel to return to Him. There can be no doubt that man is in danger of slipping away from his experience with God. Man's position of living a daily life of victory over sin must be maintained constantly.

No man, no circumstances, no devil, neither height nor depth can remove a man from God's hands. He holds his children tightly, and we may safely commit our all to Him, to keep, every day. The only 1 who can remove you from God's hand is you yourself. Now God is not arbitrary. He won't hold you against your will.

But when you will to remain in His hand, He will hold you there fast. When you will to leave Him in a desire to indulge in sin, he will let you go. Therefore, the devil tries to control the will. He may even try to force the will by circumstances and pressures that is created by the artificial society of sin around us. I think we can illustrate that by observing a father and his little son out for a walk.

Let's say the road is rough for the little feet, so Daddy reaches out to take the small hand in his and holds it firmly for supporting the little boy. Everything goes well, but then the child says, Daddy, let me hold your hand. And with his little hand at the end of his small slender arm, he took hold of his father's hand. And for a little time everything went well, but then suddenly the little fellow stepped into a hole and lost his balance. The strain was too much for his small fingers, which slipped loose, and down he went.

Looking woefully up into his father's faith, he said, Daddy, you hold my hand. And oh, how much that is like our life with the Saviour! We need to let Him hold us, because we don't have the strength or the power to really hold on to Him. Now let's look at another passage of scripture. In 1 John 3, verse 4, Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.

And then in verse 6, Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not, whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. And verse 8 declares, He that commiteth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. Continue on in verse 9, Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Now friends, looking very carefully at these striking passages, we learn first that sin is a transgression of the law, second, that before we can abide in Him we must be born again, and third, when we are born again Christ comes in to live within us, and fourth, while Christ abides within He will not practice sin, And fifth, the conclusion then must be that our only hope of living above sin is to have Christ living in us by faith, and that the evidence of this is the keeping of God's law, and attaining to that Bible standard of a perfect character. To the very degree that we allow Christ to abide and rule in our life, to that degree we overcome sin every day.

Now, if men think that after being born again they can still flout the law of God and transgress it. They grossly misrepresent the holy scriptures. The power of the gospel is not to save men in sin, but rather from sin. On the other hand, men had better be a bit reluctant also about saying, I have not sinned for a year or for 10 years. Would to God that could truthfully be said!

But again the Bible speaks out, If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1.8. You see, the nearer the apostle Paul came to Jesus, the more he sensed his own unworthiness, and so it will be with every true Christian. Yet in spite of man's nature and tendency to sin, There is no provision in God's plan for man to keep on living in transgression. He says, These things write unto you, that ye sin not.

And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. I John 2.1. Now do you notice what a foolproof plan God has? First we are given power to keep us from falling, and then if we do fall by the subtle tricks of the devil, we may have forgiveness through Christ. Now this foresees the possibility of man sinning and makes provision for it.

But it also declares that God does not make provision for man to live in sin. He makes provision for him only if he should stumble into sin. Yes, Jesus is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. And the great secret is being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of the word of God that liveth and abideth for ever." How do we know this transaction has been completed, friends? Let John answer that.

1 John 5, verse 2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. I John 5, 2. Again, for this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. And John further presses home that truth in the following language, And hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2, 3 and 4. O friends, there is power in the gospel to save us from every sin. There is provision in the blood of Jesus to atone for and wipe out every sin, no matter how dark and ugly it is. Thank God there is power in Christ to enable man to keep God's commandments and live above sin.

David said, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Psalm 66, 18. Now there is a great difference, of course, between deliberate, planned, cherished sin and the sin which 1 might stumble into because of weakness. Now on this I am sure we agree. The sin that is planned and cherished will rule the life, whereas the 1 committed because of a stumbling or being tripped into it by Satan will bring remorse and sorrow and a decision to gain the victory over it and never to sin again.

Now I hope we can see the difference in this, friend, because there is a big difference. Now I am not saying, of course, that the child of God should sin. I think that provision has been made for him not to. I think the promises of God are given that he does not have to, and the power of the gospel will maintain and protect him and preserve him from sin. But if Satan should trip him up and cause him to stumble inadvertently, without planning for it, without deliberation about it, then there is forgiveness, of course, through Christ.

Well, I hope you will feel the urgency to write for today's message and study it deeply and carefully. I don't think we could ever talk about something that is more important than this matter of sanctification and of living a life in harmony with God's will and God's Word. To be a Christian today requires much more than just honest motives or good intentions. There must be a dynamic spiritual power vibrating in the life to bring deliverance from the bondage of sin. You know there is a strange doctrine abroad in the world today that sin is normal and natural even in the life of a Christian, and that God will be understanding of our weakness and save us in spite of our continuing in sin.

Yes, I found that a lot of church people even believe this. They say, well, you know, Jesus kept the law for us anyway. He obeyed for us and we don't have to be concerned about it. Listen, this is a fatal delusion. If the Bible teaches anything without a single reservation, it is that sin will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

If God could save man in his sin, He certainly would never have sent His Son here to suffer and die to take those sins away. The whole plan of salvation would have been unnecessary if man could have been saved in their transgressions. Well, My little book entitled, Is It Possible to Live Without Sinning? Is available on request. It covers much of the material in this special series on sanctification.

And now, this is Joe Cruz saying, good-bye for today. Saying goodbye for today. ♪ you

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