The Sanctification Workout

This week’s sermon looks at the last section of Ephesians 4 as an exhortation to sanctification. One of the things I appreciated most about the sermon was Pastor Allen’s explanation that sanctification is not a passive experience that is “done to us” without our participation, as exemplified in this quote:

“Sanctification is a real workout, moment by moment, not an anaesthetized “nip and tuck” plastic surgery, from which we wake up transformed.”

I also appreciated his opening definition:

“Sanctification : the process of becoming in our experience who we are by faith; we are active participants in this process, in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Here is the scripture passage with footnotes to other quotations from the sermon:

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour(1): for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry(2), and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more(3): but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth(4).
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers(5).
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another(6), tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

1 “ Sanctification is the putting away of falsehood; the putting on of truth.”
On fleeing hypocrisy: “Because we confess Jesus as Lord, whenever we deny Him through fear, anxiety, unforgiveness, etc., that is hypocrisy.”

2 “There is no such thing as a passionless Christian; to be cool is a sin. To be indifferent to sin is to allow unrighteousness to triumph in our land. David fought Goliath because he was offended for the honor of the Lord God.”

3 Desert Christian School refrigerator story: “I wanted so much to be a thief, but I wanted to do it righteously.”

4 “Christians are called to work: to provide for families, ourselves, and to have the resources with which to be generous to those in need.”

5 Story of the rocket ship and his dad: “We are to use words that encourage, edify, enoble, and inspire.”

6 Attributed to Plato: “Be kind, for every person you meet is fighting a great battle.”