In Christ’s high priestly prayer, recorded in John 17, He prayed that all who would believe on His name would also be sanctified. He then went to the cross where He laid down His life and shed His blood to make this possible.
One of the most urgent needs in the Church, today, is for the proclamation of the message of holiness of heart and life. Tragically, a high percentage of what is being preached is a touchy-feely message with very little substance. We hear very little about genuine repentance and complete consecration. The result is the Church has too often lost its moral authority in today’s world.
God has called us to be holy as He is holy. The possibility of being holy was accomplished by Christ’s atoning death at Calvary. Christ had to die to provide for our redemption. Full salvation includes both justification and sanctification. Both have been made possible through the shed blood of Christ on the cross.
Ezekiel prophesied that a day would come when God would give us a new heart and put a new spirit within us. He said, in that day He would remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. He also prophesied that God would put His Spirit in us and move us to follow His decrees and to keep His laws (Ezk. 36: 26&27). This all became possible on the day of Pentecost.
He is not talking about increasing legalism but about a new moral power within us enabling us to live a holy life.
I want to urge you to come to a place of full surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Let go of all bitterness, unforgiveness, self seeking and seek His sanctifying grace.
My prayer for you is expressed in Paul’s prayer in 1 Thess. 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself, sanctify you entirely and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved completely without blemish at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When you are in Christ and living a Christ centered life, you will then clearly see that the ways of the world are false and sinful. Its hold on your life will be broken. The glamour of the world will fade when you see the beauty of Christ and get a glimpse of eternal realities. Your values will change dramatically.
You can have victory over the world, the flesh and the devil. This is the power of the Holy Spirit working in the heart that has been cleansed from its sinful disposition.
God will cleanse your heart and fill you with the Holy Spirit when you are fully yielded to His will. “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”
I urge you to bow low before Him today and ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit. He will do it. Please don’t delay!
