God the Holy Spirit

Part V

Exodus 19:5-8  Leviticus 20:24  Revelations 18:1-4

 In  our  past  studies  of  God  the  Holy  Spirit  we  have  covered  His  effect in the life  of  Jesus,  His work of  Quickening  man’s  soul  and Spirit  as Life  Giver  and  His Great  work  in  the  Regeneration  of  man.  We  want  to  scripturally  establish  Him  now  as  our  Sanctifier.  This  work  of  Sanctification  will  only  be  performed  on  that  soul  and  spirit  essence  which  has  been  quickened  and  made  alive, or  like  new.  This  is  the  soul  and  spirit  that  becomes the  object  of  Sanctification;  this  is  that  soul  which  must  grow  and  bring  forth  fruit.  Just  as  sure  as  the earth  works  on  a germinated  seed,  so  works  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  soul  and  spirit essence  of  one  who  is “reborn”,  Mark  4: 28-32.  The New soul and  spirit  must  spring  forth,  thrive  and  grow  until  it  comes  into  the  full  measure  of  the  stature  and  fullness  of  Christ  Jesus.

The  great  reformer  John  Owen,  who was  a  contemporary  of  John  Bunyan,  and greatly  admired  by  that  one  of  a kind  Kingdom  Minister  Charles H..Spurgeon, had this  to  say  concerning  sanctification:  â€œSanctification is an immediate work  of  God  the  Holy  Spirit on  the  souls  of  believers,  purifying  them  and  cleansing  their  very  nature  from  the  pollution  of  sin while  renewing  them  in the  image of  God and enabling  them  from  a  spiritual and  habitual  principle  of  Grace  to yield  obediently  unto God according  to  the  Covenant, by virtue of the life  and the  death  Jesus  Christ”.  This  work  is  progressive  and  ongoing  by  degrees.  One  individual  made  be  made  more  Holy  than  another, this  is  the  gift  of  God.  The  work  is  begun  at  once  and  is  carried  forth  gradually.

The  Hebrew  word  'Qadash' and the Greek  word  'Hagios'  translate  into  the  English  language  as Sanctify  and  they  have  similar  Biblical  sense.  Both the  Hebrew  and the  Greek  words  for  sanctify  imply “to  keep  Holy,  to  consecrate  or  to  separate.  Thus  it  is  safe  to  say  that  Sanctification  is  nothing  other  than  “separation  unto  Yahweh  God”, It  is  separation  from  the  world  and  the  wiles  of  the  devil. Sanctification  is  that  state  or  relationship  with  Yahweh  God  which  man  may  enter  into  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus  and  the  work  of  God  the  Holy  Spirit...Romans  15:16,  II Thessalonians  2:13  and  I Peter  1:2.  These  words  of  wisdom  leave  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  which  subsistence  of  the  Triune  Godhead  has  authority  in  the work  of  Sanctification.  So,  we  must  say  that  “Being  made  Holy  and  separate  is  a Divine  act  preceding  the  acceptance  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  by  the  individual,  and is  thus  associated  with  the  choice  or  Election  of  Yahweh  God. In  John  17:9 and 17-19,  Jesus  prays  for  the  separation  of  His  Disciples  from  the  world  and  from  the  things  of  the  world.   Jesus, in  godly  knowledge,  knew  that  man,  in  order  to  be  truly  Holy  and  consecrated  unto  Yahweh  must  be  separated  from  the  world.  And  knowing  scripture  better  than  anyone  could, Jesus  also  knew  that  God’s  people  should  be  seperated  from  the  people  of  the  world; Exodus  33:16,  Leviticus  20:24-25,  Deuteronomy  7:1-9 and 32:8-9.  A  German  scholar (a Judahite)  Herr  Cremer  Koegel  calls our attention to this  fact,  “separation  is  fundamental  to  Holiness.  Or in the  language  of  modern  day  Judah,  “Heiligkeit  ist  ein  Verhaeltnisbegriff”.  The ideas of Holiness and separation do not merge,  rather Holiness,  serves to  qualify  separation.  This  means that  we can  not  separate  from  evil  until  a  work  of  Holiness  or  sanctification  is  performed  in  us.

The  two parts of sanctification represented in scripture are:

1. The mortification of the old nature of man, the body of sin.

2. The quickening or moving of the new man created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

*1-mortification is often represented in scripture as the crucifying of the old man (nature), thus connecting with the death of Christ on the Cross, Romans 6:1-6, Gal 5:24-25. Paul tells us here that the Spirit has gained predominance over the flesh. This crucifying of the flesh, brings us into a union of life with Christ Jesus, Gal2:20.

*2-Now that sanctification has become positive with mortification, we find that God the Holy Spirit strengthens the Holy disposition of the soul and a new course of life action is engineered. It will be much like spring cleaning, as the old stale odor vanishes it is replaced with a fresh clean scent. This positive side of sanctification is often called being raised together with Christ, Rom 6:4-5, Cob 2:12&3:12. This is just about the point in time when many say, I can sin no more. Believe this, the inbred and inherited corruption of sin is a powerful and rebellious thing, and even though it is driven from the throne of the heart, it is not fully expelled from us and at times obtains a victory. These are temporary setbacks, and there is no need to despair. If we fail, it is not because there is not ample strength in Christ Jesus for us. Rather it is that we fail at times because we trust in our own ability to abide within the realm of God’s law word. Even though we are required to know and obey God’s law, that law cannot sanctify us. However, when we look to Christ Jesus and depend on the aid of His Spirit, we are made more than conquerors through Him who loved us, Rom 8:37 and  I John 5:4.

Sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit in which the believer does cooperate, however, that does not mean that man becomes an independent agent in this work so as to make it partly the work of God and partly the work of man. What it does mean is that the Holy Spirit effects the work in part through man who is a rational being, by requiring of him prayerful and intelligent cooperation. To realize how man cooperates even if he is not independent we resort to the word, Romans 12:9-17,ICor 6:9-11, and Galatians 5:16. In cooperation with the Holy Spirit in the work of sanc­tification, we strive to avoid the evils and temptations of the world. The believer must be watchful to employ all means at his command for the moral and spiritual improvement in his/her life Micah 6:8, John 15:2,8 &16, Romans 8:12-14 & 12:1-2&17. Be ye not conformed to this world!

Today there is a serious problem in the Body of Christ; the Church!  Political Activism, which is such a flagrant characteristic of the institutionalized Social World church is rearing its ugly serpents head in the congregations of the Elect. The works of man in the field of law are being honored and recognized over Yahweh and His LAW WORD. No man can achieve or assist in the victory of sanctification by paying homage to any law that disputes the codified law that was handed to Moses at Sinai. Sanctification is the fruit of Justification, and we are justified by the shed blood of Christ Jesus. We dare not believe that justification is applied to any who hold high the things of the world over the things of Yahweh. If you really feel that law, particularly that from man will justify your actions before Yahweh, heaven help your lost dead soul. If you dare to drag mans law before the Throne of GOD and plead your case for eternal preservation you are in trouble, because you have separated/sanctified yourself  From Yahweh and the kingdom rather than from the world.

II Chronicles 29:5-7,  reading here we find that sanctify also means to cleanse or to purify. There really seems to be but one way to cleanse the sanctuary, and that is to separate from the congregation all that is abomination in the in the sight of God. The nation of Israel was to be sanctified from the races of the heathen, the mixed  multitude even those who came out of Egypt in their midst before they received the Law, Lev 20:24, Deut 7:6, Ex 12:38, Numbers 11:4 & Nehemiah 13:3.  These scriptures speak of the cleansing of the nation yet, there is something hidden here.  Biblically the mixed multitude are referred to as rabble, and the renderings from Ex 12:38 and  Nehemiah 13:3 touch on what the concordance describes as “rabble”.  And these two scripture references take us to Matthew 26:47 where Judas led the Sanhedrin guard (armed with swords and staves), the learned elders and the temple Priests, came for Jesus, to arrest him.  This is the same Jewish rabble who in Acts 16:22 beat the apostle Paul and Silas. They were the same rabble read of in Acts17:5. have you ever questioned the origin of rabble or Rabbi. Which one came from the other? Hmmm!

We are to be sanctified from the governments of this earthly kingdom that stand in defiance of YAHWEHS’ LAW. We are commanded to separate,  Rev8:4, Eph 5:11, Ex 19:10. Today we are living in Egypt and we are going to have to cease waiting for a modern day Moses. And get this good, Pharoah is not going to let His people go with out a fight. If we do not become full partners with God the Holy Spirit and strive for that full measure of sanctification from evil, we are beating our heads against a brick wall.

We must be careful in our course of action. If any man plans a course of action outside of the will of God, his acts are futile. If a man says to you, I will do so and so, and that is offensive to the Law of God, he has become an outlaw.  Nor may you or should you ask any man, “How do I know that God is speaking to me?”   Beloved, when God the Holy Spirit  moves over you,  you will know it and you shall know to  do the will of your Heavenly Father. With Jesus Christ/God the Son  and God the Holy Spirit  reigning over our lives, we shall find the power that the non-believer does not have...and in his unbelief, never shall have.

Here is where we must guard against possible error, you will note that we must be vigilant and prayerful to avoid this  deadly scenario: ”Well since victory is accomplished by the Holy Spirit, I will just sit back and relax while He takes care of things.” This would be attaining an effortless victory in which we were 100% passive, and that will not be done. This is an un-biblical and highly dangerous teaching. Almost as bad as the one that has man saying to God; ”Okay, I made the mess so you just take a break and let me take care of it.” There is a place that is in between with God the Holy Spirit directing and man paying heed and doing what is planned out to be done.

It is true that without Christ and the Holy Spirit, there is no way for possible victory, but we/man still must take part. The Holy Spirit gives us life, and we must be active in working out that life. Once the Holy Spirit indwells us, we are called into action, not just wound up and pointed toward the enemy and turned loose. Yahweh works 100% in all that we as believers do, and we participate 100% in all that we do, and it is only that the Spirit works in us that we are able to work. I Tim 6:12 tells us to fight the good fight of faith; Eph 6:11-12 says for us to “Put on the whole armor of God, for we fight not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in High Places” place emphasis on High Places! I Cor 9:24, Heb 12:1-4, Philippians 2:12-13, Scripture says that the believer must act, he must do something, like maybe resisting unto blood in the fight against sin (in high places?). “Work out your own salvation in fear and trembling” or in your weakness put forth all effort to become Holy, yet it is the work that God does in you that brings you to His good purpose.

There are those who believe and would teach you to believe that thru sanctification we will eventually in our lifetime, reach perfection. In Matt 6:9-13 we read the prayer which our Savior Jesus gave to us. We are to petition YAHWEH-ELOHIM with this prayer. All the holy and great men in the Bible come to Yahweh on bended knees confessing their sin and their imperfections. In verse 12 of the prayer which our Savior gave to us we are led to pray “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”; forgive our transgressions, our sins and shortcomings.  Here, Jesus thus said to us, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of. God”,  Rom 3:10; “There is no flesh justified in God’s sight” Rom 3:20; Psalm 14:1, Gal 3:22. Do not believe those who would teach you that it is possible for you to gain  perfection in this mortal existence.  All who pray for understanding and knowledge realize that the way of sanctification comes thru a repetition of turning to Yahweh, with a renewal of confession, repentance and faith.

The use of the prayer which our Savior gave us acknowledges that no Christian in the carnal life is ever perfect, just forgiven!. The prayer that Jesus would possibly leave us with today is found in II Chronicles 7:14. I believe that if the entire Body of Christ, The Church Militant would fall prostrate before YAHWEH, and humble themselves and pray and seek His face and repent from their sins, He would hear our prayers, forgive our sins and heal our land. Our nation would be free from the economic yoke of the Khazar Jew bankers. The farm lands would be purged of chemicals and poisons, our children would act like sane people and the mothers and fathers would once again practice Godly home rule. In all senses of the word law, a law giver has to be pre-supposed. Likewise there has to be a people who were pre-supposed to be under that law. This is the case for the Royal Law of God, which when applied separates us from the law of man and sanctifies us through the work of GOD the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Rick Giesenschlag

Christ’s  Church  Militant

Copyright @ 1990 a.d.