I did say sanctification is a process and not a one time event when I said
Sanctification is never instantaneous and it occurs as the believer grows in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), spends time in God's word and gradually learns how to walk in the Spirit and not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Gal 5:16). At least that's what I was trying to say, although sometimes what I'm trying to say and what's understood by the reader aren't the same thing.
We're in agreement; we're just describing it somewhat differently.
The one time event that 90% of the time we refer to as our salvation is actually our conversion experience. When I say "I was saved on Nov 20 1997," for example, I'm talking about the day I came to Christ as a sinner and accepted His payment of the penalty for my sins: I made the decision that justified me in God's sight. Most times, sure, we simply call it salvation, but what I'm saying is that the
process of salvation goes beyond our conversion.
I believe I would defer here in that our salvation is our conversion experience as it is a one time event, but the sanctification process which is also known as discipleship, is an ongoing walk with Him which has to be done by the same grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd.
For example, if someone were to ask the question ''saved from what?" I'd answer that I've been saved from much more than just (just??) the penalty of my sin. I'm also being saved presently from its power in my life and in eternity will be saved from its presence in my life.
When I was saved (converted), you betcha I received the actual sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. I was set apart from the world and the sin I used to serve to God and His purposes for my life. Then as you said, "we go through this sanctification process by walking in the light as He has done as the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins until He brings us Home to the redemption of our glorified body."
I reckon I separate the salvation as a done deal from the ongoing sanctification wherein we are to walk in newness of life as His disciple totally dependent on Him to help us to follow Him.
The truth that you can call God Father means by His word which cannot be undone, He cannot cease to be our Father. Psalm 89th chapter testifies to what God does when His children are disobedient wherein He will keep His word and yet give stripes to those under the New Covenant that Jesus ( His seed ) is behind in.
Psalm 89:27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
I really do see this portion as a hidden prophesy to the New Covenant for why those saints left behind for not departing from iniquity are still His as they would receive stripes for that reasons as Jesus warned here.
Luke 12:.40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
For Him to call those cut off and having their portions with unbelievers and yet still be called His servants in getting stripes for the degree of knowledge for lack of preparedness but yet in iniquity, they are still His as in saved for that to happen. So salvation has to be succinctly a one tome event; a dine deal; that foundation cannot be removed that was laid by Christ Jesus; the seal of adoption is forever unto the day of redemption for why we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit or risk stripes..
Right. That's why we're told to ''work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12).
Philippians 2:13 tells us why.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
That means no saved believer can make a promise nor a commitment to Christ that is His to keep and to finish which is why the just shall live by faith in Him & all His promises to us that no promises from us is needed. No man can add to the New Covenant nor take away from it. It is a done deal by believing in Him as our Saviour that we are saved and by that same grace of God, we live by faith in Him as our Good Shepherd in following Him as our confidence is to rest in Him.
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:....9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.....5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
I believe it is important to signify the one time deal of our salvation and not as an ongoing process of salvation but as an ongoing process of sanctification which is not about obtaining salvation but abiding in Him as His disciple; hence discipleship.
We accept Jesus' death to save us from the penalty of our sin: it's all Him; but we're partly responsible for our own sanctification (ongoing process toward spiritual growth and maturity that you and I have both mentioned) from the present power of sin in that we are the ones who need to obey God in matters of renewing our mind (Romans 12:1-2), putting off the old man and putting on the new man (Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3), walking in the Spirit and not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:16), reckoning ourselves to be dead to sin (Romans 6:11), obeying the authorities even when we disagree with them because we understand from Romans 13:1 that the powers that be are ordained of God, etc. He won't do it for us, nor force us to.
We are accountable to what we sows towards; the works of the flesh which includes heresy as any iniquity that denies Him, He will deny us by, and to the fruits of the Spirit.
Also, that Heb 12:5 chastening is a tool that God uses in our growth and maturity to encourage us to make those decisions to live in a way that honours Him.
We do largely seem to agree; but we're coming at it from different angles.
I know we can make decisions, but by His words, there is no power in that decision. I know that when the Lord warned me ahead of time what was about to come my way and that was to decide this day Whom I will serve; the Lord Jesus Christ or something else in His name. I could not fathom why what I had just read leapt out at me as there was a sense of urgency, but I said ou tloud, "You of course," but the sense of urgency remained and so I said, Please help me to do it" and then the sense of urgency left. About a week later when I had visited my aunt several states over with my folks, I was confronted with the "holy laughter" movement in my aunt's church in 1994. I did not know what it was but I felt a hand pushed me 3 times to go forward, and later on by His words, He helped me to discern that was the spirit of the antichrist that was in the world and He kept me from falling after it in serving those seducing spirits in that apostate movement.
So there is no power in that decision when things are beyond my wits end in meeting that, wherein my Good Shepherd was faithful to me in keeping me from falling to its supernatural powers to chase after them for a sign in serving that movement and sharing in the glory of that movement thereof.
So He has set me free from all commitments and promises to rest in Him as my Good Shepherd to follow Him by faith for He is the power for living that reconciled relationship with God thru Jesus Christ.
