Present Truth - Progressive Sanctification - Propitiation - Redemption

From: The Christian Shepherd: 1997

• 2 min. read • grade level: 8

Progressive Sanctification

This we have in 1 Thessalonians 5:23²³And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23). “And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Also in Hebrews 12:14¹⁴Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (Hebrews 12:14) we read, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

We do not follow after holiness to get it, but because we have the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24²⁴And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)).

It is the character of the new life, which we are exhorted to display. The measure and character of it is Christ in glory. It is by faith, for it looks to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the power of it.

We enjoy the position of being sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:2²Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: (1 Corinthians 1:2)) in the measure in which we walk practically in the truth.

May the precious love of Christ constrain our hearts to walk in the path of obedience to His Word in holy separation from every form of evil!

Propitiation

Propitiation means meeting the claims of God’s holy nature. In Romans 3:25²⁵Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25) we get Christ presented as the One who has made propitiation through His blood. We come into the blessing of it through faith.

“Whom God hath set forth” tells of the precious fact that it was the heart of God in grace that provided the sacrifice.

In 1 John 2:2²And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2) we find that the work of propitiation was for the whole world, so that any of Adam’s race can come to Christ and be saved.

God was never revealed as a “Saviour God” for the whole world until the New Testament was written. May we glorify Him for His mercy and sing unto His name (Rom. 15:9⁹And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. (Romans 15:9))!

Redemption

Redemption means deliverance by price out of our state of bondage into freedom. The true knowledge of redemption brings one into perfect peace, into true and constant dependence on the Redeemer.

The Israelites were redeemed out of Egypt when they crossed the Red Sea; then they sang. So we “joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:11¹¹And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:11)).

We wait the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23²³And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23)). That will be when the Lord comes for us and provides the dead and living with glorified bodies (1 Cor. 15:51-54⁵¹Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑54); Phil. 3:21²¹Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)).

Then we look for the redemption of the purchased possession, which will bring the new creation into the blessedness of deliverance (Rom. 8:19-22¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, ²¹Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (Romans 8:19‑22); Eph. 1:14¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14)).

The unbelieving are not redeemed, but they will bow and own Christ as Lord before being cast out into outer darkness (Isa. 45:23²³I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. (Isaiah 45:23); Rom. 14:11¹¹For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (Romans 14:11); Phil. 2:10¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:10)).

H. E. Hayhoe (Present Truth for Christians)

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