Sanctification Insights

[Rockson]

This is a writings about Sanctification. In order to truly have the empowerment from God to become sanctified there's some ground work that needs to be done. We're going to look at certain event taking place in the book of Joshua/Deut where ti talks about sanctification. We'll get to Joshua 3:5 in a moment but I start with chapter 1 to observe a few things. In Joshua 1 we see Moses had died and it was now the time for the new leader to take over. God we could say gives Joshua his great commission. He tells him in verse 3, every place that the soles of their feet shall tread upon has he given to them, but notice God had his part to play.....but the human element had their part to play as well.

They had to tread upon the ground. God told them what that ground was all the different places in the land of Canaan in verse 4 which is very similar in a New Testament spiritual way with 1 Pt 2:4 which tells us we have been given the exceeding great and precious promises but we must by faith believe for their manifestation or for them to become fulfilled in our lives. In other words we must tread upon or receive by faith the promises of God. Sanctification is one such thing as well. Let's continue......so in Josh 1:8 we read,

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Josh 1:8

So this book of the law, or this word of God shall be your mediation day and night or we could say continual and without failing to do so pretty much all the time. In other words as much as you possibly can other things out....my word in or we could say very good sound teaching of the word of God. Only when Joshua would do this could he expect to have the capacity to really produce God's results Now in proper context we're not saying anyone could ever keep the actual moral laws in perfection....only Christ could do that but when it came to having the courage and vision to lead the nation in what God wanted them to do it had to be the WORD of God and mediation therein is as the primary thing. There were types and shadows of New Testament redemption that as we proceed we''ll get into to up ahead,

We go back to Josh 1:8 though......mediation, or thinking about the WORD, dwell upon it, mutter it DAY and NIGHT continually as one's pattern of life. We know that Psalm 1 encourages us the same thing as it ends by saying, "In his law (or in God's word) does he (the righteous man) mediate day and night and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in his season.....he leaf shall not wither and whatsoever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1.
We go as well to Prov 4: 20

"My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Prov 4:20

We interested here in the LIFE of God....the LIGHT of God, we could say the power of God, or the FIRE of God which can burn out the chaff out of our lives.....That indeed is sanctification! Should it surprise us then at the dedication and determination in which God want's us to have in regard to dwelling upon speaking forth his thoughts and mind as our absolute primary thing in life? Let's go now to Deut 6: 7-9

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. Deut 6:7,9

Look at the diligent we could say extreme measure in which he wanted the WORD to be a part of their lives....to the point of talking about them all the time....sitting in your house....walking by the way.....when you lie down and when you rise up....In other words ALL THE TIME. A legalistic thing meaning every second on the clock? No but I think all really know in their hearts what God is meaning. The word of God in! All foolishness out until your heart and minds are consumed with the word of God. I consider it's fine and OK to allow ourselves a little time of recreation and fun but each one reading here I'm confident KNOW what I'm meaning.

Instead of giving God your time minutes a day and secular distractions three or four hours a day of entertainment....how about turning that around? Give God the MAIN bulk of time and the things of worldly pleasure the small part. So let me put it this way God in order for us to be spiritually successful in him.....we need to have what the world might call be obsessed with God's way of thinking. Obsessed is maybe not a good term....lets suggest the following,

In order to be producing spiritual success and to have his truth go our heads to our hearts we need to have our thinking deeply entrenched with the word of God. Here's further thoughts. We used terms like engrained, saturated, permeated or engrossed. I like the word engrained in regard to this. Engrained is defined as that which it's way down or into the fabric of something. When the WORD of God works it's way deep into our spiritual life that is when transformation takes place The word saturated, a good term as well.

Consider with a rain storm.....one may need rain but a fast quick rain usually runs off....a slow continual rain that lasts all of a day does what??....it sinks down deep into the ground! God wants his words deeply entrenched in our lives that's when it's going to make a difference and such was the meaning of Jesus words when he said in Lk 9:44 Let these words sink down into your ears ......and he that has an ear let him hear.....meaning.....any one who is willing to let my words get down down in you to change them will find my favor!

And then there's the word to permeate. It's said that some food dishes are served better the next day after being made. Lasonya they say is like that. The juices sink down or the blend into the substance of the pasta creating a better taste. God is saying let my WORD sink down and permeate into your very being. Many churchman claim, "Oh yeah I do that! I go to church....I hear my Pastor preach!" OK we stop such a one a few days after the meeting on Sunday and we ask, "What did your Pastor preach about Sunday morning?" They squint with their eyes and try to think, "Ah....um.....well ler um.....A.......I don't know but I know it sure was good!" Yeah sure.

They really caused that teaching to become deeply entrenched into their hearts and minds didn't they? ! It's engrained deep down within their being for sure and is going to change their lives! NOT. So really what is it we've got when we allow that to be our experience? Perhaps just a religious form? We've checked the box of church attendance and believe for sure God must be pleased. Of course we know he wouldn't be for the WORD never did take root in one's heart and we can consider it like the seed planted by the rocky soil. Hard ground and not capable of really producing anything much. We can however change that and I'm guessing that none of us have been perfect in this. Having said all this I'd like my readers to consider a different way of looking at the words of Jesus perhaps a little different now, when he said,

If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you Jn 15:7

OK we get it Jesus said for us to abide in him but then he says and my word abide in you you shall ask what you will and it shall be given you......in other words when his words are deeply entrenched with us, when they're blended into the fabric of our being.....then and only then can you ask the Father for things in prayer and have confidence God will answer! And why should that be? For the reason that God's word permeated or saturated within you the giants or problems of life shrink down where your FAITH and confidence is now in a place where it can believe God! The WORD truly becomes a reality to one's sprit and mind and is not just a theology on a page.