My Will is Mine to Make it Thine
1 Corinthians 9
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
If there is a desperate need in the church of Jesus Christ it is to return to Bible sanctification. The word is too big for most people and the idea is firmly rejected by the backslidden church. The Baptist used to call it, “Lordship Surrender,” but the Methodist called it “Second Work of Grace.” It is simply the place in our lives after we are “Born Again” that our will becomes His will. We all have a sin nature that rules our will but once Christ takes over, He wants our will.
Often this is a terrible struggle. Those addicted to worldly living find themselves uncomfortable with their actions and bondages. The new Christian is hungry for more of Christ but too busy with other things. God gave us this free will but we get uncomfortable with where it takes us. Bible reading takes time but he flesh is busy. As we grow in the Lord we soon cry out to be free from self life.
The Lord is ready to help. We then read, “For this is the will of God even our sanctification.” Quickly we learn that this means He wants my will to become His will. We know that our will belongs to us in God’s great love for us. But He invites us to take that will so selfishly ours and by His grace give it to Him. When we give it to Him, He takes it and makes it His own. Quickly our joy explodes with a peace beyond understanding. Let’s quickly take on a level of peace that can never be known when we rule everything. Please read these words, “The Double Cure for the Double Problem.”
It is evident that the present church, regardless of denomination, has a terrible sin problem. I’m really talking about two problems, or a double problem. We have a problem with acts of sin for which we must have forgiveness, and we have a problem with the sin nature for which we must have cleansing and purification. Of course, this problem must be translated from the corporate church member or those influenced by the church. Our only hope for revival is to adequately deal with sin. A sovereign God will visit any church group with a divine intervention that addresses human need with a thoroughly Biblical message of redemption. It must include both forgiveness of sins or justification and cleansing from the power of sin or sanctification.
There are multiplied numbers of Christians who have been forgiven or born again and want to obey God, but are so bound by a fleshly bondage that real victory is impossible. The church has provided these hungry souls with no message of deliverance and cleansing. They have either been left to flounder in carnal fetters or have been counseled not to worry about little sins in their lives. Many have been seduced into a PTL-type of religious expression where carnality is elevated to a selfish theology and holiness is despised as the ultimate enemy. The church needs a new look at sin.
Hebrews 2
4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
How the Sin Problem Affects Men
Sin is a door through which Satan operates. Where sin has been adequately dealt with, Satan cannot touch that soul. Look at the words of Apostle John as he speaks to the difference between light (redemption) and darkness (sin): “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (I John 1:5-6). Here is a sharp line clearly drawn between the person delivered from all sin and living in the light of full redemption and the individual living under the sin and misery of spiritual darkness.
There are several direct results of sin in one’s life: 1. A Guilty Conscience: Where there is no sin, there cannot be guilt. 2. Troubled Emotions: Sin disturbs the peace of the soul. God cannot operate in troubled emotions. 3. The Absence of Joy: the normal state of a sanctified man is beautiful joy. Sin does to joy what gravel does to the human eye. 4. Physical Afflictions: The human body was not created to withstand the destroying presence of sin committed against the Creator. Every emotion of sin takes a toll on human health. Look at what John said about the one emotion of hate: “But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” (I John 2:11).
Sin in a person’s life (either acts of sin or the unsanctified sin nature) is easily understood with this following example. You may have a beautiful living room with the most elaborate of furniture. On your walls could be pictures of art with designer curtains, vases, imported objects, and many things of worth. But, if coiled in the middle of that living room is a venomous rattlesnake, nobody will enjoy a visit. The entire beauty is suddenly marred by the evil in the midst. God the Father has made each of us of uncalculated worth, but there is a rattlesnake in the living room. Paul called it “another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23). Jesus has put His heel on the serpent’s head, and our joy is to enjoy that victory.
Confession Is Absolutely Demanded
There appears to be very little real sorrow for sin today. People show some signs of sorrow if and when they get caught, but where are the deep signs of contrition and repentance that is reflected in changed lifestyles? That is what must happen before a revival of Biblical Christianity can transpire.
Confession of sin or sins means several things. It means to speak agreeable as to the facts and the truth. In other words, it means to quit covering up or to be free from self-righteousness. It means to be open to God and man and to quit putting on a show. While all of that makes for a good definition, there is something much deeper in the act of confession. The normal state of an unconverted man is that he is out of his mind because of sin. He is in an abnormal state of mind because sin has distorted his person. God didn’t create us in such a state and it is contrary to our right mind. True Biblical confession is a return to our right mind.
Romans 12
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The story of the Prodigal is a striking example. After leaving home, squandering all of his father’s inheritance, and ending up on skid row (feeding pigs), the Bible said, “He came to himself.” He had been out of his right mind, but he came to himself. His first words were, “How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my Father and will say unto him, Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called they son…” (St. Luke 15:17-19). In his right mind he was ready to confess, repent, and humble himself before his father. That’s confession!
To Be Forgiven of Sin: Justification
The root of the Christian walk is to be forgiven of sins by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We call it several things, including: born again, converted, justified, or saved, to name a few. It is all of these and more. Isaiah echoes it by his prophetic utterance in these words, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
Biblical forgiveness means a clean record before God, a perfectly peaceable soul, a conscience without guilt, access to the throne room, the right to call God “Father” and Jesus “brother,” the right to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit and to read the Bible as a personal love letter from the lover of our soul. In forgiveness from sin you have the peace of God, and the absence of peace cannot be explained except by the presence of sin. They are the exact opposites. God sent His Son that we might be saved from sin and its consequences.
To Be Cleansed From the Sin Nature: Sanctification
The reason Christians fall back into sin is because the only way not to do so is to be cured from its powers. That cure is both an instantaneous experience and a daily cure. It’s a lifestyle, not just an experience. Much of evangelical Christianity promotes the idea that we all sin more or less each day. In most cases, it is more instead of less. There is no way to support that kind of Christian lifestyle by the Word of God. We are called unto holiness and righteousness and told that we won’t get into that eternal city any other way. There must be something different from the norm we are witnessing in the church. There is!
Biblical Sanctification means to be set apart from the profane unto the holy and pure for the service of God. It is separation from sin and sin’s powers, deliverance from the dominion of sin, and preparation to be the Creator’s personal representative. Notice the words of St. John, “If we confess our sins … He is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). It is clear that He forgives when we confess. Just like you confessed that you had sinned before He forgave you, now you must confess that you are unclean and incapable of righteousness that He might cleanse you. Cleanse means to purify or to make legally clean.
1 Thessalonians 5
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And 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.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Cleansing in the Biblical sense is to be free from the dominion of sin. “Knowing this that our old (Adamic nature) man is crucified with Him (Jesus) that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For what is dead is freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7). When we are sanctified, we are legally, morally, and spiritually free from sin’s power. The door of legal bondage to sin that was opened by Adam is loosed when we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Satan has absolutely no authority to force this evil design on us. We are free. You cannot live without sin unless you experience the daily cure of the sanctifying sacrifice of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That’s why men of God must preach the gospel of Jesus every time they get in the pulpit.
The root of the Christian experience is “Justification” or forgiveness and that makes the individual free from guilt. The normal walk of the Christian is “Sanctification” or cleansing which frees the believer from the power of sin. Anything less than this is not the Redemption of Jesus Christ. If you desire to be ready for the Rapture, then you had better not allow sin to have dominion in your life. The only way to live in preparation for His imminent return is to be free from sin and obedient to Him in all things. Anything less is not worthy of our wonderful Savior and Lord.
“For in that he died he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts therefore” (Romans 6:10-12).