Grace Pipeline, The

Sanctification Seekers

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Shelley Quinn

Home

Series Code: GPL

Program Code: GPL000010


00:01 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
00:02 And I want to ask you two very important questions.
00:05 First, is it possible to have a personal encounter
00:08 with the grace of God and still be lost?
00:12 And secondly, do you know what it means
00:14 to be a sanctification seeker?
00:16 Please join us now on "The Grace Pipeline,"
00:19 for the Bible's answers to these questions.
00:43 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline."
00:45 If you've been following this series,
00:47 you know that it is taken from a book
00:49 that is also titled "The Grace Pipeline,"
00:52 that God gave me the privilege of writing.
00:55 And if you are following along in this series companion book,
00:59 today's lesson study will be taken from chapter 6,
01:04 "Growing in the grace of sanctification."
01:07 Now during our last four programs,
01:10 we have taken a good look at being justified by grace.
01:16 The question I want to pose today is this,
01:19 is it possible to taste of God's grace
01:23 and fall away from it unaware?
01:25 That's an important question.
01:27 And we must know what answer the Bible gives.
01:32 Today, we will look
01:33 at the importance of being a sanctification seeker.
01:38 On His last occasion to teach the multitudes in the temple,
01:43 Jesus rebuked the religious leaders,
01:46 identifying them as hypocrites and blind guides for their sake
01:51 and the sake of their traditions.
01:53 They had set aside the word of God,
01:56 and set forth useless teachings.
01:58 These teachings hindered the people's spiritual progress.
02:03 Christ issued a final scathing indictment.
02:07 saying,
02:11 "See your house is left to you desolate,
02:14 for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say,
02:19 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
02:24 And leaving the temple never to return again,
02:27 Jesus and His disciples, walked to the Mount of Olives.
02:32 The sun was setting on the Mount
02:34 and in figuratively setting on Christ earthly ministry.
02:38 We see in Matthew 24 and Matthew 25,
02:43 how Christ utilized every last moment to teach His followers,
02:48 sharing the signs that would precede His second coming
02:51 and cautioning of the need
02:54 to be prepared for its uncertain timing.
02:59 The Savior frequently taught in parables.
03:02 Stories that illustrated a religious lesson.
03:06 This final sermon was no exception.
03:10 Among other symbolic accounts,
03:12 He shared a parable of ten virgins
03:15 and the bridegroom in Matthew 25:1-13
03:20 drawing from a familiar Jewish wedding custom.
03:24 Now according to the cultural tradition,
03:28 the groom attended by his groomsmen
03:31 arrived late in the night to retrieve his bride.
03:35 The bride had already taken the necessary steps
03:39 to prepare herself and longingly awaited for her love.
03:43 The bridesmaids kept watch for the groom,
03:47 ready to rush out, and to greet him with lamps in their hands.
03:52 They would light his pathway to the bride
03:56 and accompany the procession to the wedding feast,
03:59 celebrated at the groom's home.
04:02 So in His parable Jesus presented
04:06 five of the attending virgins as wise and five as foolish.
04:12 All were wearied from the long wait in the darkness.
04:16 All became drowsy and slept
04:19 when the arrival of the groom was delayed.
04:22 Suddenly at the midnight hour a shout pierced the air.
04:27 "Behold the bridegroom is coming.
04:29 Go out to meet him."
04:31 So startled, the ten sleeping virgins
04:34 responded to the midnight cry
04:36 and arose to trim their lamps,
04:38 but only the wise had brought additional flasks of lamp oil.
04:42 The foolish virgins petitioned the others to share,
04:47 but the wise knowing it was impossible
04:49 to give of their supply,
04:51 sent the foolish ones off
04:53 in search of another source for the necessary oil.
04:56 And meanwhile the bridegroom arrived
04:59 and ushered all who were ready into the wedding hall
05:03 at his home, shutting the door to the reception behind him.
05:07 So, when the other virgins returned pleading,
05:10 "Lord, Lord, open to us."
05:13 They discovered that their own reckless
05:15 disregard had shut them out.
05:18 The bridegroom rejected these who were strangers to him
05:22 and refused to open the door saying in Matthew 25:12,
05:28 "Assuredly, I know you not."
05:33 And that is the sad conclusion of the parable.
05:38 You are most likely aware of the rich symbolic meaning
05:43 within this parable in Ephesians 5:23-32
05:48 and Revelation 19:7-9.
05:51 This clearly identified the church as His bride,
05:56 betrothed to Christ our bridegroom.
05:59 By portraying Himself as the bridegroom,
06:02 Christ implied He was God.
06:04 We often find in the Old Testament
06:06 that God was portrayed as the bridegroom.
06:10 So the church is in the Bible,
06:14 throughout the Bible is repeatedly symbolized
06:16 by a virtuous woman, a chaste virgin
06:20 who is not defiled by other relationships.
06:23 Christ promises to return to claim His bride,
06:27 who has made herself ready
06:29 and completed her purpose of sharing
06:32 the gospel of grace with all nations.
06:35 The ten virgin bridesmaids, to which Jesus referred,
06:40 represented church members,
06:43 two different classes of believers
06:45 in the gospel of grace.
06:47 Their lamps are symbol of the word of God.
06:49 As the Psalmist, said in Psalm 119:105,
06:53 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
06:57 And the oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit,
07:00 which we also see in Zechariah Chapter 4.
07:04 By inference the oil, also symbolizes
07:07 the character of the virgins that the wise virgins obtained,
07:12 through the Holy Spirit's influence.
07:15 And the flask that held the additional oil
07:18 represented the vessel of the heart.
07:22 What is the meaning of the caution
07:25 that Christ issued in this parable of the second coming?
07:28 Please consider this important point. It is critical.
07:33 Jesus did not distinguish between
07:35 the two classes of bridesmaids, the attendants.
07:39 He didn't call them wise virgins and foolish maidens.
07:44 He referred to all ten as virgins.
07:47 So this leads us to believe
07:49 that the five foolish virgins were not hypocrites,
07:53 but rather were members of His church
07:56 whose spiritual progress had been stifled.
08:00 They were familiar with the theory
08:03 of the gospel of grace,
08:05 but they did not recognize their need of
08:08 and their dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
08:11 While I was writing, "The Grace Pipeline,"
08:14 I reflected on this truth and was astonished to realize
08:18 an amazing aspect of this parable I had never seen.
08:23 Jesus represents and presents
08:26 each of the ten sleeping virgins,
08:28 as previously encountering a personal experience
08:33 with the grace of God.
08:35 The foolish virgins represent those who receive
08:39 only the supply of grace which provides
08:42 the first stage of salvation, justification.
08:46 They hear the good news of salvation by grace.
08:50 They repent and accept Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross,
08:55 professing His name, but refusing to tap
09:00 into God's grace pipeline for sanctification.
09:05 These foolish ones never learned to depend on God
09:08 for the fullness of His quickening grace.
09:11 It's either as a result of their fixed rebellious attitude,
09:16 or perhaps as a consequence of a false teaching
09:19 that hinders their progress,
09:22 at--either way they refused to grow in grace
09:26 and did not permit the Lord to finish His work
09:29 of salvation in their lives.
09:31 They have what we call head knowledge,
09:34 but not heart knowledge.
09:36 Yet foolishly, they feel secure with the lamp of profession--
09:42 their profession of faith in their hands.
09:45 Now the wise virgins stand for those
09:48 who accept Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives
09:52 and following their experience with justification.
09:56 They welcome the wonders of God's grace
09:59 to operate on their hearts,
10:01 for the second stage of salvation, sanctification.
10:06 They receive the gift of the Holy Sprit
10:09 and develop Christ like character,
10:12 growing in grace, and steadily progressing
10:15 along the path of eternal life.
10:18 Now obviously, this parable does not present these
10:22 who had a real relationship with Him
10:25 is being perfected in character.
10:28 We can conclude this because the scripture says "They slept."
10:33 The sleep that settled over all,
10:35 at the darkness of the midnight hour,
10:38 represents a certain spiritual weariness and apathy.
10:43 When great spiritual darkness settles in,
10:45 over our world at the end of time,
10:48 still the wise virgins are depicted
10:52 as having hearts that awaken,
10:54 from which flow the issue of God's love, light and life.
11:00 Now at a glance it seems rather selfish at first
11:04 that they would not share their oil with the others.
11:08 But how could they possibly share and parcel out,
11:12 part of their own character traits,
11:15 rather with the sufficiency of God's grace
11:18 stored in their heart.
11:20 They wisely rise to the occasion
11:23 and proceed into the wedding supper of the lamb.
11:28 When the end comes, those who are unwise
11:31 and following the steps of the foolish virgins
11:34 will respond to the cry of their would-be bridegroom,
11:38 but lacking an abiding relationship with the Lord
11:41 in true Christian character,
11:43 they will be found unfit to attend the marriage feast.
11:47 Their ill-judged rejection of God's grace of sanctification
11:52 will shut the door to eternal salvation.
11:56 Christ warned generations of His followers to come.
12:00 with these strong words found in
12:02 Matthew 7:21 and Matthew 25:13.
12:08 Matthew 7:21 reads,
12:10 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,'
12:13 shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
12:16 but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
12:20 And Matthew 25:13, Jesus says,
12:24 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day
12:27 nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
12:31 Is it really possible to taste of God's grace
12:34 and fall away from it unaware?
12:36 Yes, we will later explore many occurrences in scripture
12:41 that reveal this tragic truth.
12:44 Plenty of professing Christians today
12:47 are experiencing spiritual weariness and empathy.
12:52 Is that you? Is that me?
12:55 Certainly, many of us have taken an occasional spiritual siesta,
13:00 but now is the time to awaken to all
13:03 that God makes available to us by grace.
13:07 Soon we will hear the clarion call.
13:11 "Behold, the bridegroom comes."
13:14 Let's determine to tap in to His grace pipeline by faith
13:19 and fill our hearts with His holy oil,
13:22 the Spirit of the living God.
13:25 I want to be prepared to greet Him
13:27 when He returns, don't you?
13:31 In our journey, to better understand the grace of God,
13:35 we have now reached the place of the pipeline
13:37 that is my most favorite topic, "Sanctification."
13:41 Nothing satisfies the soul of a born again Christian,
13:46 like God's sanctifying work in our soul.
13:50 Have you ever asked?
13:52 What is God's will for my life?
13:54 It is a common question.
13:56 And the Apostle Paul provides an answer
13:59 in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4.
14:02 This I'll read parts of 3:7-8.
14:06 Here's what Paul says,
14:08 "This is the will of God, your sanctification.
14:12 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.
14:17 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God,
14:23 who has also given us His Holy Spirit."
14:28 Now that may not be the answer
14:29 you were looking for or the solution you sought,
14:32 but it is the answer for the abundant life
14:35 that the Christ came to impart to us.
14:38 When I travel to speak at various events,
14:41 I sometimes share a popular teaching
14:43 which I have titled "Sanctification Seekers."
14:47 And it's so funny, audience just seem eager
14:50 to hear the topic,
14:52 until I translate the meaning. Look at this.
14:57 To "seek" is to pursue.
15:00 "Sanctification" is the synonymous with holiness.
15:05 Therefore, to seek sanctification
15:09 means to pursue holiness.
15:13 Once I explained this,
15:14 that seeking sanctification is pursuing holiness.
15:18 Often eager expressions fade away.
15:21 And occasionally you can hear
15:23 a collective groan from the audience.
15:26 The idea of pursuing holiness
15:28 can make people recoil emotionally,
15:32 perhaps because we envision rigid requirements
15:36 and strenuous work on our part.
15:39 Possibly, it's because we have encountered
15:41 so-called holiness movements,
15:44 in which harsh people take radical measures,
15:48 resulting only in rigid outward appearances,
15:52 and appalling actions without affecting
15:55 an inward development of genuine love
15:57 and Christlike character.
15:59 You know what Jesus would call those? Whitewashed tombs.
16:03 That's what He calls such hypocrites.
16:06 "Pursuing holiness is simply growing in grace."
16:13 Please don't allow any false notion to deter you
16:17 from becoming a "sanctification seeker."
16:20 It is God's will for you.
16:23 It is one of His greatest blessings.
16:25 And by His grace He will perform a work of holiness in you.
16:30 This is so important for Hebrews 12:14 tells us that,
16:36 "Without holiness we will never be able to see the Lord."
16:41 The scripture reads this way,
16:44 "Strive to live in peace with everybody
16:47 and pursue that consecration and holiness
16:51 without which no one will see the Lord."
16:55 Salvation is by God's grace,
16:58 but it demands human cooperation.
17:02 We must strive to tap into the grace pipeline by faith,
17:07 allowing God to do a work of sanctification in us.
17:11 We want to be ready, when the bridegroom returns.
17:14 And in Ephesians 5:25-27,
17:20 Paul explains that Christ loved the church
17:23 and gave Himself for her, for what reason?
17:25 That He might sanctify and cleanse her,
17:29 that he might present her to Himself a glorious church,
17:34 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
17:38 but that she should be holy and without blemish.
17:43 Scripture clearly reveals Christ is returning for a bride,
17:47 who has made herself ready.
17:50 A bride who has attained by grace,
17:54 a double portion of perfection, by faith that of justification
18:00 through the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ,
18:03 and of sanctification imparted to us by Christ' righteousness,
18:10 and primarily worked out in us
18:12 by the refining fire of God, the Holy Sprit.
18:17 His chaste bride will be dressed in His spotless robe
18:21 of righteousness that is undefiled by sin.
18:27 Carefully, consider this next graphic of God's operation
18:31 in both justification and sanctification.
18:36 Let's read this,
18:37 "Justification is an act of God.
18:42 Satisfaction is a work of God."
18:48 Both are by grace.
18:50 God begins His work of sanctification in us.
18:54 When we are regenerated, born again,
18:57 and by our permission and unresisting response,
19:02 He continues it until the day of our glorification
19:05 when Christ returns.
19:07 We enter into His lifestyle of holiness by faith,
19:12 in the work that God will accomplish in us,
19:16 along with our cooperative effort.
19:19 You are most likely familiar with James 2:17 that states,
19:24 "Faith without works is dead."
19:27 I want to read that to you from the amplified version.
19:31 Listen to James 2:17,
19:34 "So also faith, if it does not have works,
19:38 deeds and actions of obedience to back it up,
19:42 by itself is destitute of power.
19:46 it is inoperative and dead."
19:50 What is he saying?
19:52 By active faith, we trusted God for our justification,
19:58 for our pardon to be declared innocent
20:02 because Jesus' blood covered our sins.
20:05 And we just trust it, when we confessed our sins,
20:09 and we asked God to grant us repentance
20:13 that we had been justified,
20:15 and born again as a child of God,
20:19 by active faith which includes actions of obedience.
20:24 We must trust Him for our sanctification,
20:28 to be set aside from sin,
20:32 to let our life grow in holiness
20:38 as we eagerly seek sanctification.
20:42 We are instructed to pursue all the grace,
20:46 God has made available to us
20:48 that He may do a work of separating us from sin.
20:52 Making us suited to one-day be ushered
20:56 by our loving bridegroom
20:58 to a seat of honor at His marriage feast.
21:02 The Old Testament word, "Kadesh," means to sanctify,
21:06 to be made holy.
21:08 The New Testament Greek word,
21:10 "Hagiasmos" is translated into English as sanctification.
21:16 Sanctification and holiness, these are synonyms.
21:21 Both words carry the meaning of being separated to God
21:25 and away from evil. Sanctification subdues sin.
21:30 It sprouts naturally from justification
21:34 and blooms in us as we grow in grace.
21:37 After God justifies us,
21:39 declaring our innocence of his past sin,
21:42 He begins the sanctifying work in our hearts,
21:45 separating us from the evils of the world unto Himself.
21:50 To rescue us from sin and death,
21:52 God's plan is to renew a right spirit within us
21:56 and restore us to moral purity.
22:00 In the process of salvation by grace,
22:02 justification and sanctification are intimately connected.
22:07 Their vital union cannot be separated.
22:09 So let's consider a quick comparison
22:12 of these two stages of salvation,
22:14 to help establish their significant differences
22:18 and inseparable union.
22:20 Justification, Christ-- this is what--
22:25 "Christ imputed righteousness that puts us in right standing
22:28 with a holy God making our justification possible.
22:33 When we repent and accept Christ as our Savior,
22:37 His precious blood blots out our past sins
22:40 that separated us from a holy God,
22:43 and His sinless record is credited to our account.
22:47 God pronounces us innocent.
22:50 This act of justification is entirely His responsibility,
22:55 and demonstrates His eagerness to pardon us.
22:58 Taking but a moment, justification is the first stage
23:03 of salvation and changes our record."
23:06 Sanctification, "In contrast, changes our character.
23:11 This is the second stage of salvation,
23:14 and is our through Christ's imparted righteousness,
23:18 received into our hearts by faith.
23:22 God's sanctifying work results from His passionate
23:26 pursuit to recreate within humanity a character
23:31 that is in harmony with His.
23:33 This amazing grace of this work progress over our lifetime,
23:39 and requires our permission
23:40 and cooperative effort in the process.
23:44 God's provision of power,
23:46 given by imparted right-- righteousness,
23:50 calls for us to meet His standard of behavior."
23:54 Many, who have the appearance of being religious,
23:57 possess knowledge of God and exhibit a certain outward
24:01 form of godliness, but deny living
24:04 in the experience of His sanctifying power.
24:07 The kingdom of God is not a matter of mere talk
24:11 and knowing the right answers to Bible questions.
24:13 But the kingdom of God is following in the continuing--
24:18 following in Christ' footsteps
24:21 in the continuing power of God's grace.
24:24 If we ignore God's work of sanctification,
24:27 we are like the foolish virgins of the parable
24:30 calling on His name,
24:32 but refusing to do the will of the heavenly Father.
24:36 Jesus warned such reckless behavior ruins
24:39 any right to enter the kingdom.
24:42 God wants us in heaven,
24:44 but an unholy nature would make us miserable there.
24:49 His plan is to transform our fallen condition
24:52 to prepare us for eternal life with Him. Where?
24:57 2 Peter 3:13 puts it "That in the new heavens
25:01 and the new earth where righteousness dwells."
25:05 We will dwell with God where only righteousness can dwell.
25:11 God's love is the compelling force behind His grace.
25:17 In an upcoming program,
25:19 we will examine how grace provides sanctifying power
25:24 to keep us abiding in Christ, securing our salvation.
25:28 This is such an exciting truth that I can't resist,
25:32 giving you this brief preview of 7 sources,
25:36 by which God sanctified works sanctification into our hearts.
25:41 We are sanctified by "The Heavenly Father,
25:45 The gift of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
25:49 The gift of the Holy Spirit,
25:52 The gift of God's love,
25:55 The gift of the Holy Scriptures,
25:57 The gift of faith
25:59 and the privilege of obedience through God's grace."
26:05 I hope that you'll be able to join us
26:07 for the upcoming programs.
26:09 Truly, this is exciting news.
26:13 You know, Paul quotes Jesus as saying,
26:16 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power,
26:21 He says, is made perfect in weakness."
26:24 Grace is the only way we experience
26:28 the power of God unto complete salvation.
26:31 We absolutely know that righteousness by faith
26:35 is the only kind of righteousness there is.
26:39 The righteousness of Christ imputed to us
26:43 or in other words,
26:44 credited to our account is what justifies us
26:49 and makes it possible for God to declare us
26:52 not guilty at the penalty of sin.
26:55 But the righteousness of Christ that is imparted to us
26:59 or poured into us by the power of the Holy Spirit,
27:02 and Christ living in our hearts
27:05 through faith will sanctify us. Glory to God.
27:10 Join us next time, please,
27:13 as we consider the importance of
27:16 practicing righteousness in our day-to-day lives.
27:21 Righteousness when we receive it is something that
27:25 by faith we can put into action.
27:28 And it is required of us that we do practice righteousness.
27:34 So now our prayer for you
27:37 is that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
27:41 the love of the Father,
27:42 and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
27:45 will be with you always
27:47 and that you will become a sanctification seeker.
27:52 And you will seek the Lord,
27:55 seek to know Him, and grow in grace.
27:59 Thank you for joining us.


Home

Revised 2014-12-17