Tag: Sanctification
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The Flesh Never Quits – Genesis 36:32-39
Genesis 36:32–39And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah. And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead. And Husham died, and Hadad the son of…
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The Mirror I Do Not Want to See – Genesis 31:4-7
Genesis 31:4-7 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.And your…
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Saved, But Not Yet Subdued – Genesis 31:1
Genesis 31:1And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory. Jacob had been saved back in chapter 28, but he was not yet subdued. He belonged to the Lord, but he was still…
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Two Birds of a Feather – Genesis 29:12-15
Genesis 29:12-15 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father. And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him…
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Working It Out His Way – Genesis 28:1-2
Genesis 28:1-2 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother. The…
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The Lie of Sinless Claims – 1 John 1:8
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. John is fearless here. He does not soften the edge of this verse, because the danger is too great. He says plainly that if we claim to have no sin, we are not merely…
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Whole in the Hard Place – 1 Peter 1:14-16
1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. When life gets hard, there is a real pull to drift…
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Outside for Our Sin – Hebrews 13:12
Hebrews 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. There is a reason Hebrews makes a point of saying Jesus suffered without the gate. At first glance, that can feel like a small detail. A matter of location. Just geography. But it is much more than…
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Once for All — Hebrews 10:9–10
Hebrews 10:9–10 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. There is a holy finality in these verses. Jesus came to…
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What Kind of Vessel — 2 Timothy 2:20–21
2 Timothy 2:20–21 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and…
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He Came for People Like Me — 1 Timothy 1:15
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Paul does not say, I was chief. He says, I am. And he says it near the end of his life. That tells me something about sanctification.…
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Glorified In – 2 Thessalonians 1:10-12
2 Thessalonians 1:10 to 12 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day.Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good…
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Faithful Is He – 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28
1 Thessalonians 5:23–28 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.Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.Brethren, pray for us.Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.I charge…
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Not Like the World – 1 Thessalonians 4:2–5
For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:…
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The Ongoing Exchange – Philippians 3:7–8
Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Paul uses accounting language. Columns. Profit. Loss. Everything that once appeared in the “gain” column—heritage, discipline, zeal, reputation—he moved into the “loss” column. Not because those things were evil in themselves. Because compared to Christ, they were worthless. Imagine holding…
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He Finishes What He Starts – Philippians 1:6
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Ten years had passed since the riverbank in Philippi. Ten years since Lydia’s heart opened.Ten years since a jailer trembled.Ten years since a small gathering of believers became…
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Called. Set Apart. At Peace. – Ephesians 1:1-2
When it finally sinks in that you are blessed not because of your devotions, not because of your prayers, not because of your study, but because of what Christ finished on the cross, something shifts.
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The Day Your Old Self Died – Galatians 5:24
There are many ways a man could attempt to destroy himself. But crucifixion is not one of them. No one crucifies himself. If you nail one hand, who drives the spike through the other?
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The Enemy You Cannot Reform – Galatians 5:17
If Christianity were simply moral reform, it would be no different than every other religious system on earth. Do better. Try harder. Measure up. But the gospel makes a claim no philosophy dares to make — that God Himself comes to live within the believer.
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The Sin You Cannot Beat – And the Secret You Were Never Told – Galatians 5:16
Too many believers live in what could be called sin drome. They monitor themselves constantly. They replay failures. They brace for the next stumble. Their eyes stay locked on the struggle.