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How To Become Like Christ
The last two weeks we looked at the Salvation of Saul. We noticed that the Bible mentioned nothing about Saul seeking God, but on the contrary he was desiring to persecute Christians. So we saw that God was clearly sovereign in Saul’s salvation. But what about sanctification? Today we will look at sanctification.
To begin with we must remember that when we speak of sanctification there are three types of sanctification which we must distinguish:
1. Initial or positional sanctification. This is when a person is set apart from the world to God.
2. Progressive or Experiential sanctification. This is when a Christian is continually becoming more like Christ. This is what we will be talking about today.
3. Final or Ultimate sanctification. This will not happen until we die or are raptured and are apart from sin. This is the same as glorification.
This morning we are going to speak about Progressive sanctification. And before we begin I want to point out several things that are important. First of all, while the Bible speaks of salvation as totally a work of God, sanctification is more of a cooperative process. What I mean by that is that while God is the one who must make us mature, we can stunt our growth by how we live.
Last week I briefly mentioned Eph. 2:10. Let’s read that again:
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
The key here is the word should. This is written in a mood which is one of possibility. Now I noticed several years back that as I worked my way through the New Testament whenever salvation was spoken of it was placed in a mood which conveys a fact. In other words you are either saved or you are not. There is no should, may, or might about it. This also stresses that fact that you can’t lose salvation.
But when we look at progressive sanctification we find a different mood which again is one of possibility. Now again, all believers have been promised to ultimately be conformed to the image of Christ – Romans 8:29-30. That is final or ultimate sanctification. And if you are saved right now then you have been initially set apart. So what we are dealing with today is our Christian lives from point A – initial sanctification and point B – ultimate sanctification.
Now let me read several verses to prove my point about the fact that our wills are involved in progressive sanctification.
Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,
Now these are but a few verses which show that we have an active role in our sanctification. Now again, God is involved but we are active. Remember with regard to our spiritual life, Eph. 2:1 made it clear that before we were saved we were spiritually dead. But nothing like that is ever said about sanctification because we have been made alive spiritually by Christ.
Lastly, before we look at our text I want to address the issue of Christ’s Lordship in the believer’s life. This has been much debated. I want to warn you theologians not to go too far on either side of this issue. There is no doubt that Christ is one’s Lord and Savior.
“If Christ is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all”
“If Christ is not your Lord, then He is not your Savior”
“Christianity is not some cafeteria line where you say . . .,
“I’ll have a little salvation . . . But no Lordship right now.”
Now on the other side, we must be careful to overstate the consequence of Christ being Lord. Some who push hard for the Lordship of Christ act as if a person will abandon almost all sin and bad habits in their lives upon being saved.
This is not true. For if that were true then the Bible would not speak of a “sin unto death” in 1 John 5. Obviously, this proves that a believer can fall very deep into sin.
So again we need to be careful on this issue of Lordship. The debate is really not whether Jesus is Lord, but the results of Him being Lord. He is Lord, but that does not mean that all believers will live a victorious Christian life.
Four steps we must take to become more like Christ:
1. |
Be baptized to publicly identify yourself with Christ
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The first step in sanctification is to be baptized. We will see here that Paul is baptized. Let’s look at the circumstances surrounding his baptism.
Acts 9:10-11
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,
Ananias was a church leader in Damascus. On the surface this seems like a rather ordinary request on the Lord’s part. But, of course, Saul’s reputation was well known. Now God gave Ananias a vision. We should not expect a vision from God in areas where His word is readily accessible. In a situation like this it would take a vision from God to get me to act! Even then it would be hard to be obedient, wouldn’t it?
We certainly see God’s sovereignty here, don’t we? He has prepared Ananias for Saul and Saul for Ananias.
Acts 9:12-14
and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."
Now before we jump all over Ananias and say that he is questioning God, we must realize that he is acting as most of us would. In fact, most of us would say “no way!” Ananias knows that he is not telling God something that He does not already know, he is just verbalizing this for his own sake more than anything.
Acts 9:15-16
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."
God tells Ananias some of his plans for Saul. What grace! Not only does God save Saul, but He is going to use him in a great way. He literally says Saul, is “a vessel of election” But also notice that Saul “was to suffer” for God. Most of us want to serve God, but none of us want to suffer for Him, do we? But you can’t have one without the other!
Acts 9:17-19
So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
Ananias displays great obedience here. Saul receives his sight and before he does any ministry he is baptized. Again baptism does not save, for Saul was not only saved but was filled with the HS before he was baptized. But baptism publicly identifies us with Christ. After being baptized, Saul gets his physical strength back.
2. |
Proclaim the truth of Christ - Acts 9:20-22 |
Acts 9:20
And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."
Notice that word “immediately.” Now you may not preach like Saul, but we can all proclaim, that is, share the gospel with others. Saul wasted no time.
Acts 9:21-22
And all who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?" But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
Saul’s reputation was well known. What a witness for Christ. For nothing else, except Christ can change a sinner! The people were “amazed,” which literally reads “they were beside themselves.”
The message of the cross will confound people. Now remember, yes Saul was very educated. But Phillip and Stephen were mere laymen and God used them. We must proclaim the truth of Christ.
Now if we proclaim Christ, we are bound to face opposition, but we must not let that stop us:
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Live without fear of the world - Acts 9:23-30 |
Acts 9:23-25
When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
Saul has gone from being the hunter to being the hunted! Now Christians are still being hunted around the world. Praise God for our country, even with it’s shortcomings! God allowed Saul to escape this episode. This should give us comfort knowing that we are indestructible until God is finished with us on earth.
Acts 9:26-30
And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
Now we can’t blame the disciples for being leery of Saul. But Saul’s ministry made it apparent that he was indeed a changed man. Saul was debating with the Grecian Jews (Hellenists). We don’t know exactly what the debate was about, but they could not win the debate with Saul so they plotted to kill him.
Now let me say this and please here this: What we need today in churches are people who are more committed. And I am saying that to myself as much as I am saying that to all of you. Most of us are not committed enough to Christ to even have to face opposition from the world. We actually have to be living and ministering for God to face opposition.
Let me ask you some questions that you can answer to yourself:
1. When is the last time you shared Christ with someone?
2. When is the last time you prayed for God to save someone?
3. When is the last time you did anything for the cause of Christ that could possibly result in opposition from the world?
Now I don’t think that the problem with most American Christians is that they necessarily fear the world, but we are just apathetic. I believe that part of this is because we have it too good!
4. |
Live with a Fear of God - Acts 9:31 |
Acts 9:31
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Instead of fearing the world, we should fear God. Now what does it mean for a Christian to fear God? Some people say that Christians should not really fear God, but instead it just means to “revere” Him. It is true that we are to revere God, but we also are to fear Him knowing that if we aren’t living right that He will chastise us! When a group of Christians fear the Lord they will have the comfort of the Holy Spirit, Who is the great Comforter.
And notice what happened—the church grew. They were multiplied! You want this church to grow numerically? We better grow spiritually first. When that happens then numerical growth may follow.
Conclusion:
Now there is more to sanctification then these 4 action points. But these are four that I think we can get from this text. The first one is to be baptized. Now soon we will be having a baptismal service. If you have never publicly identified yourself with Christ then I would encourage you to do that.
Perhaps some of you here need to come to Christ. I pray that today will be the day of your salvation!
