The Lord Jesus said to the Father, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:1717Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17).) There is one truth, perhaps, beyond all others in scripture connected with holiness—it is the blessed hope of the Lord’s return to take His saints. This is often little thought of by those who speak and write on holiness.
We must, however, carefully distinguish the sanctification we have, that is, all believers, through the one offering of Jesus for us, and the sanctification wrought in us by the Spirit using the truth.
In the former it is all for us, and of God, in His infinite grace, according to the infinite value of the blood of Jesus. We shall see this very distinctly, if we turn to 1 Cor. 1.
Corinth was a city of Satan, of great darkness and gross iniquity. Yet the Lord told His servant that of that place—sink of iniquity as it was—He had “much people in this city.” (Acts 18:1010For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. (Acts 18:10).) And by the preaching of the gospel the Lord gathered them out to Himself; and thus the church of God was formed. Thus the apostle by calling addressed them: “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints [holy ones] by calling.” Yes, in Christ Jesus they were sanctified. They were constituted holy ones—they were holy. As children of the Father, they must have the same nature as the Father. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”
Thus, as to what they were in Christ, Christ was all, so that God can ever speak of them as sanctified in Christ Jesus. In Christ they are constituted holy ones by calling. And this is true of every one whom God calls by the gospel of His grace—he passes from death unto life. Nay, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new; and all things are of God.” (Cor. v. 17.) As to his standing, God does not see him in the flesh, or in his old Adam standing, but in Christ; Christ is his sanctification, therefore it must be complete.
But does this imply that his walk also is perfect? Far from it. Nay, these very persons who are addressed as sanctified in Christ Jesus, as holy by calling, are declared to be carnal, in the same epistle. (1 Cor. 3:33For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (1 Corinthians 3:3).) It would be utterly impossible to understand this, if we did not see the distinction between sanctification in Christ, and sanctification of walk. It is not that we must understand the word, “ carnal,’’ here as meaning sensuality, or persons practicing sin. No person practicing sin can think for a moment that he is sanctified in Christ Jesus. He that practiceth sin is of the devil. The carnality here spoken of was that which grieved the Spirit, and grieved the apostle. They were forming divisions in the church, and walked as men, showing that they who are sanctified in Christ Jesus may need much correction as to holiness of walk. No one can deny that the same persons are addressed as those that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, holy by calling, Christ Jesus made unto them righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; and also as to walk: “For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men.”
And further, before, or in order to rebuke them because of this low walk, he speaks of them thus: “so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end; that ye may he blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 1:77So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: (1 Corinthians 1:7).) Now, what a motive this is for all believers to seek unity, instead of division; one saying, I am Episcopal; another, I am Presbyterian, &c. If we were really waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ, and assured that He will confirm us unto the end blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, should we not be ashamed of our divisions? Thus the Spirit of God brings before us the riches of the grace of God to these Corinthians.
Read their previous character, in chapter vi. 9, 10. And then, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (Ver. 11.) Do not reverse this order. Do you say. Justification is an imperfect thing, and after that comes sanctification? Depend upon it, God knows better than we do, and He says, washed, sanctified, justified. Thus, if you are a believer, you are washed—yes, whiter than snow—set apart to God; yea, accounted righteous before God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And “God is faithful.”
Bead on, and you find that all this blessed certainty filling the soul, waiting for the Lord Jesus is the ground on which he rebukes them for their divisions. Thus the knowledge of the sanctification of every believer in Christy is not that he may sin, but that he may not grieve the heart of Christ. Do you really believe this? We are sanctified and holy by calling; therefore we should be holy in walk, and work, and devotedness to Christ.
We will now turn to 1 Cor. 15 Is not the great subject of this chapter the resurrection of those that are saved, that are Christ’s at His coming again? “But every man in his own order; Christ, the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” (Ver. 23.) Some had said that there was no resurrection of the dead. But the resurrection of Christ—which none could deny—had made the resurrection of ALL that are His an absolute certainty; just as His resurrection makes the fact of our sins being forgiven an absolute certainty. How wondrous! how blessed! If He be risen, we are forgiven. If He be raised in glory and incorruptibility, so must we be raised in glory and incorruptibility. “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” What an event! so near, and so certain! Mark, it is, “at his coming.” And not only so as to the millions who sleep with Jesus, but also, “Behold I show you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” Yes, all, all in Christ who are alive when He comes. Death shall then, to us, be swallowed up in victory. Yes, “thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Oh; all ye holy ones, sanctified in Christ Jesus, this is your glorious, soul-sustaining hope. Oh, think of that glorious moment! But what is the application of this blessed certainty as to our walk now? “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Weigh every word; could anything be more calculated to stir up our souls to devoted, steadfast, abounding service to our Lord, than the blessed hope of His coming again? Who can tell how near that day is!
Now turn to 2 Cor. 5:99Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. (2 Corinthians 5:9). “Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear [or, be manifested] before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Mark, we do not labor to be accepted in Christ We have seen that all the Christians at Corinth were sanctified in Christ. Like all others who are in Christ, they were accepted in the Beloved. But we labor that? whether we are absent from the body (that is, have died), or still present in the body, when He comes, and are changed in a moment; we labor that we may be accepted of Him. If we compare this with 1 Cor. 3:11-1511For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11‑15), we see that some may have walked so as to please Him, and have a rich reward; and others may be saved so as by fire, like Lot, and lose all their labor. But what a motive here again for practical holiness, for diligence in seeking to please the Lord, is the solemn thought of soon being manifested before His judgment-seat! Not, surely, for our sins, or we are lost. No, He is the blessed One who has loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood. But should that infinite love make us careless whether we do the things that please Him, or not? The more we know His love, and the certainty of His promise to come, and receive us to Himself—and the more we dwell on that scene of promise, not of dread to us; the more we shall desire to obey that word, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” And though we are sanctified in Christ Jesus, yet shall we seek, with all diligence, to walk in practical separation from the world. “Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” But let us ever remember, this diligence is not that we may be sanctified in Christ Jesus, but because we are holy by the call of God—sanctified in Christ Jesus.
May our God and Father use these divine certainties as motives to stir up our hearts for a separate, holy walk with Himself! How blessed to know we are not only thus, if believers, sanctified in Christ, but shall be confirmed to the end, blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not, then, live to please ourselves, not even in our religious matters, but to be accepted of Him in that day. Have we ever truly asked the question, Am I doing that which is pleasing to my Lord? What will He say to me before His judgment-seat? All must be manifested there. How exceedingly important then, for practical holiness, is the coming of the Lord! We shall find it increasingly so as we examine other scriptures.