Growth in Sanctification

Where is the best place for Christians to look for knowledge and information on their sanctification? While many point to the TEN COMMANDMENTS as the best place to look, I would say that the New Testament is the best, and Biblical place for Christians to look for guidance and divine instruction on their sanctification and discipleship. The TEN COMMANDMENTS contain only four duties to God and six to our fellow man, while Colossians 3:1-17 alone contains 32 instructions on Christian duty and ethics. Most of these are not covered by the TEN COMMANDMENTS.

The nation of Israel was under Law as expressed in the Mosaic Covenant and their covenant contract, the TEN COMMANDMENTS. Christians since the resurrection are not under law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14). There are ethical and moral principles that Christians under grace are to practice and they are described in a more detailed and comprehensive way in the New Testament. The TEN COMMANDMENTS were given to the Old Covenant nation of Israel and the righteousness of God that they contain are better and more fully described in the New Testament.

The list below contains exhortations for New Covenant Christians to practice that are more detailed than the TEN COMMANDMENTS. This list is from Colossians 3:1-17 only and the New Testament is full of such directives in the gospels as well as the Epistles.

* Seek spiritual things
* Set your mind on spiritual things
* You are a spiritual person in Christ
* Put to death earthly desires: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry
* Also put away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
* Do not lie to one another
* Believers have put off the old self and have put on the new self
* The new self is being renewed in knowledge after the Image of its creator
* There is only one category of Christian and that is in Christ
* As God’s holy and beloved chosen put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience
* Bear with one another and forgive one another as the Lord has forgiven you
* Above all of these put on love which binds together
* Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts
* Be thankful
* Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
* Teach and admonish one another in wisdom
* Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
* Do everything in the name of Jesus Christ giving thanks to God through him

Jesus doesn’t evolve

Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

The worldly forces at work today have latched on to the word evolve. Many secular humanists have even suggested that the church needs to evolve on the issue of homosexual marriage. Evolve???? This evolve business is just a way to soften or gloss over changing a doctrine or a core belief.

However, the Bible does not evolve and clearly warns against those who are trying to be accepted and curry favor with the world…… James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Paul in Eph. 5:11 commands Christians to not only reject such involvement with the unfruitful works of darkness, but to also actively oppose them.

If anyone is tempted to reject the teaching of Jesus Christ on marriage (Matthew 19:4-6), they should beware they are evolving themselves into being at enmity with God. Here is the way Jesus put it….. Mark 8:38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Listen to Jesus and not false prophets and teachers who have “evolved” and claim you should to.

It really is a time to take a stand while you still can.