Christ our Sanctification: Under Grace

it is not the spirit of the world we have received but the Spirit from God, so we know the gifts of grace to us from God (1 Corinthians 2:12)

Grace (charis) has effects or gifts (charisma).* Grace is not freestanding from its gifts. We know the gifts of grace because we have received the Spirit from God. Thus grace and its gifts come through the power and wisdom of God. Christ is our wisdom, so through the experiential knowing of Jesus, whose words are Truth and Spirit, we receive wisdom as needed. These truths are expressed spiritually, as the Spirit guides us into the truth. The mind of the carnal man can not receive such spiritual wisdom, because knowing comes through a spiritual discernment (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). So this is the purpose that God planned in Christ, that we become a new creation, a spiritual being, and thus can discern the spiritual things of God and know the gifts of grace from God. 

existing in the world that was created by him, but the world discerns him not, not knowing him... and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory who was the one and only offspring from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:10-14)

It is amazing to think about, how he created the world, that nothing was created of creation that was not created by him (John 1:3).  And that the Father had set aside a people of the flesh, the offspring of Abraham, and even though he became flesh among them many could not discern him, that he was from God. They were under a religious system following the Mosaic Law (and many laws they created on their own) and performing priestly service in the temple required by the Law but they did not know God the Father, as Jesus said if they knew the Father they would know he was from him (John 14:7-12).

to the extent doing not to one of the least of these [my brethern] you do not unto me (Matthew 25:40-45)

Jesus will say to some who even call him Lord, "Depart from me I never knew you," those who did many works in his name, but not unto his brethren (Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 25:40-45). While we all were created in the image of God, mankind has fallen, so not all are the children of God. But Jesus came with authority to give to those who receive him the right to be born as his own, into the kingdom of God (John 1:12-13). To know him and enter the kingdom of God one must be born of the Spirit, and experience a new spiritual birth, and only spiritually can you discern who he is. And if we are a new creation then we know of the gifts of grace because we know him, "it is not the spirit of the world we have received but the Spirit from God so we know the gifts of grace to us from God."

"Now, I say, walk spiritually and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the Spirit opposed to the flesh so that you do not do the things you want. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the Law" (Galatians 16-18)

The desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit, so there are opposing forces at work in us.* Now, we look at the importance of grace so that we walk according to the Spirit, in the fleshly body. We are justified by Grace through redemption (Romans 3:24). Through grace we are saved and have confirmation through the new birth of the Spirit, (a new creation where there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile of the flesh, but one people distinguished by the new birth of the Spirit) 

Surely we do not go back to the Law for our sanctification, a yoke that even those under the Law could not bear (Acts 6-11; Romans 10:12). We are under grace not the Law.* We will stand in grace, which we have access to by faith.* And grace doesn't stand alone, it has effects or gifts.* This is how grace reigns through righteousness.* To rule over sin we must understand grace and its gifts or effects. Through the Spirit, we can know the gifts of grace to us from God. 

Now, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7)

The writer of Hebrews tells us that it took a death to establish a new will, testament, or covenant (Hebrews 9:16). That is why it is called a new covenant in his blood. Paul writes we sever ourselves from Christ and fall from grace if we go back to the old covenant to justify ourselves by works of the Law (Galatians 5:4). This is called legalism. Christ being the Vine and we the branches, our source of life and bearing fruit comes from him. Legalism severs this connection, it becomes about self, our attempts at righteousness and sanctification instead of Christ being our righteousness and sanctification. 

for while existing of the flesh, the sinful passions were energized through the law in our member to bear fruit of death. Now, released from the law having died to that which held us captive in order that we serve in newness of Spirit and not the written code  (Romans 7:5-6)

Legalism is another form of walking in the flesh. An important truth if we want to master sin, is that we can not do it under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14). "The way we have received Christ Jesus, walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established of faith just as taught..." (Colossians 2:6). We can be enslaved through legalism but also taken captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to traditions of men, according to elemental principles of the world and not according to Christ... (Colossians 2:8-9). 

let no one rob you of the prize, insisting on self-basement of the flesh and worship of angels, of visions, puffed up in empty notions under fleshly thinking (Colossians 2:8-9)

In our first topic on sanctification, we spoke of how the flesh opposes the spiritual things of God and is easily influenced by evil in the world.* In our second topic we spoke of the importance of having a renewed mind.* Having the mind of Christ that is spiritual, not fleshly, so that we can discern spiritual words, and not be led astray by human cunningness and deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:13-15). This is a red flag if a ministry denies such truth. The devil is most at work in the church, in that he keeps children from growing up into maturity, so they do not have the minds of Christ and can not discern spiritual things. One can acknowledge that they are not under the old written code (because the scriptures are very clear of this) but then be captive in otherworldly principles and traditions of men.

Now, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ... (2 Peter 3:18)

The church is about you, it is a place where your relationship with Christ and knowledge of him should be growing, which includes sanctification, growing up into maturity into the full measure of the stature of the image of Christ, this is why Jesus gave gifts to the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4: 4:11-13). Otherwise, children of God are just slaves to some worldly philosophy and deceitful scheming and traditions of men.

For freedom Christ has set us free therefore do not submit again to the yoke of slavery... (Galatians 5:1-7). 

Paul writes going back to the Law is submitting again to a yoke of slavery. "Therefore, now testing God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our ancestors nor we have the strength to bear. But through the grace of the Lord Jesus, we believe saved according to this" (Acts 15:10-11). By grace, we are saved. The greatest effect of grace is that Jesus could take on sin and taste death on our behalf, to ignore grace is to ignore Jesus, who came from the Father full of grace and truth. The words Paul uses are "to sever from Christ," and the new covenant in his blood, and to "fall from grace." 

We serve in the newness of the Spirit not the written code, thus we are to walk accordingly, we are to walk in step with the Spirit, not the flesh (Galatians 5:25)

The gifts or effects of grace are spiritually discerned thus understanding we can walk in step with the Spirit. The Spirit leads, and if led by the Spirit we are not under the Law but under grace and it will be through this power of the Spirit that the sinful nature is mastered. It is really bad to go back to the things of the old, like circumcision, sacrifices, tithing, and offerings... Paul writes allegorically, to the Galatians who wanted to be back under the Law, of two women Hagar and Sarah, Hagar represents Jerusalem today in slavery with her children but Sarah represents Jerusalem above for she is free... and what do the scriptures say, that "the children of the slave woman have no inheritance with the son of the free woman so drive them out" (Galatians 3:21-31). 

and saying to me 'my grace is sufficient to you for the power is fulfilled in weakness...' (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

Paul writes to the Galatians "You were running well who hindered you from obeying the truth, such persuasion does not come from the one calling you... for you brothers were called to freedom... so I say walk spiritually and the end goal is not the desires of the flesh, for the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the Spirit opposed to the flesh, so that you do not do what you want to..." (Galatians 5). Our sanctification is a gift from God which we will talk more about next time. Christ being our sanctification is much like our righteousness and redemption, and much like our salvation, it is a gift, through Christ to us from God, by grace we are saved, lest we boast in ourselves. Grace is sufficient for God's power to work in the weakness of this fleshly body. To mature us to be like Christ, having the spiritual mind of Christ and the ability to fulfill the spiritual laws of God.

and at present, I commend you to God and the word of grace that is powerful to build you up and give you the inheritance among all the ones sanctified (Acts 20:32)