There seems to be a widely held view within the Churches of God that is not very far removed from the protestant’s erroneous belief, “Once saved – always saved.” In the Church of God the belief goes something like this, “I was baptized and converted, and I go to church every Sabbath – I’ll be in the Kingdom of God.”

That is not the way it works. Going to church services is not enough! Certainly, with our repentance, faith and baptism, a conversion ensues that places us within the body of Christ, and makes us children of God. Yes, that places us in the Church of Jesus Christ. We are justified and the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imparted to us. But that is not the end of our spiritual journey—there is much more to it.

The Scriptures speak of a process variously described as sanctification, holiness, going on to perfection, growing in grace and knowledge, and being filled with the fullness of God. It has not been emphasized enough in our traditional narrative. We understand that on the day we were baptized we were placed into the Body of Christ – but we must go on to perfection through the process of sanctification, being set apart, or made holy. To what extent do we strive to attain to the perfection or holiness of Christ?

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)

Sanctification must be sought after and worked toward all of our natural lives. After baptism, we are to become a new creation in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are to become like Jesus, and like God the Father.

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19)

It is this “inner man” that must continue to grow to the fullness of Christ through the process of sanctification. Simply going to church services week after week and year after year will never suffice.

Loyalty to God and His Truth must be the central theme for members of God’s Church today. It now falls to all of us, as brethren, to take up the mantle of true Christianity. So many prominent leaders have not done so. There exists a morbid state of self-satisfaction of, “having it made,” in many of the groups. This gives us the opportunity to be Christ-like and build fellowship among God’s children. It is a salvational requirement.

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness [sanctification], without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

None of us is anywhere near being like God is—we have our work cut out for us—with the help and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. Are we pursuing this course of sanctification with all our might?

“As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1 Corinthians 15:49)

This verse does not mean that we wait until after death for this to take place. We should begin at our baptism – and then continue to grow into the fullness of Christ. Christ’s sacrifice begins the process of godly character growth – a perfection that proceeds to sanctification which is holiness. We are sanctified when we grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ.

“Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:… And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11)

We are made holy – sanctified by living the word of God (John 17:17). We are sanctified over time by God’s Spirit working within us.

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” (1 Peter 1:2)

The sanctification of the Spirit shows the working of God’s Spirit in us that not only separates us from the world, but brings us to the fulfillment of the salvational process.

***

Sermon:

"Fullness of Christ"