The Morris County chronicle., 1909-11-02

Note again the same Apostles expIa.
| nation Of the matter He says that he
addresses them that are sanctitied in
! Christ Jesus (who were) called to be
saints, and he explains that while they
| had been sinners, tchildren of wrath,
even as others, " they had been cleans
ed by faith through acceptance of the
| finished work of Christ on our behalf.
"Ye are washed. We are sanctified, We
| are justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus. and by the Spirit of our God" q
| Corinthians vi, III. The same st. Paul,
addressing the Ephesian brethren, says,
II commend you to God, and to the
Word of his grace, which is able to
| build you up. and to give you an in
| heritance among all them that are
| sanctified" (Acts XXX, 32l. Note here
| that it is only the sanctified of the
present age that are to get the inherit
| ance that is now offered-the heavenly
Inheritance with our Lord Jesus. a
share with him in his heavenly King
| dom. Note also how the Apostle here
| again lays emphasis upon the Scrip
| lures as containing the power which
| not only leads us to conservation and
| setting apart to the Lords service, but
| which will strengthen us in thought
and word and deed to do his good
| pleasure, to maintain our sanctified
relationship with him through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Elected Through Sanctification.
st. Peter q Peter j, p explains to us
that Gods election Of the members of
the Church from amongst the world
during the present age is along the line
of sanctihcation. He elects that all
those who shall accept his favor to the
extent Of sanctification in the trying
conditions ofthe present time shall be
joint-heirs with our Lord and Redeem
er in his Millennial Kingdom. The
Apostles words are, "Elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Fa-
ther, through sanctifcation of the Spir-
it, unto obedience and sprinkling of
the blood of Jesus Christ Il Peter i,
p. Here we have the matter succinct-
ly stated-faith in the blood of Jesus
is essential as the first step in the way
to God. mo man cometh unto the Fa-
ther but by me" said our Lord. Then
our way must be through sanctification
of the Spirit, of the will, the setting
apart of our hearts from earthly am
bitions and pleasures to heavenly ones
-deadness to the world and liveness
toward God. This work of grace must
progress day by day.
Our sanctification is not merely for
the beginning of our Christian expert
ence, but to be the very essence of our
lives thereafter The trials and test
ings of life from the world, the flesh
and the devil. will serve to demonstrate
the thoroughness of our sanctifcation.
God, however, is not seeking to prove
whether or not we are perfect in the
fiesh for he knows and informs us that
we are imperfect. He does, however,
desire to prove that our conservation, !.
our snctification, our setting apart Of
ourselves to be faithful to the Lord at
any and every cost is not merely a
passing whim or fancy; but by con-
tinual instructions of his Word by the
inspirations of his Promises. BY the
testings of his disciplines he would
fix indelibly, unalterably, this decision
of ours to be entirely his in thought,
in word, in deed-even unto death.
"copies of His Son."
st. Paul, consistently with his state
ments already quoted, wrote to the
Christians at Rome respecting Gods
foreknowledge and predestination of
the Elect Church, saying, "Whom he
did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his
Son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethrens Romans VIII,
90. Our Heavenly Father decreed
that no one might be member Of this
elect Church except sanctified ones.
And these must be tested before final
approval Their Lord, their Redeemer,
having been saint fully consecrated
to the Fathers will, these called, cho-
sen and faithful followers will likewise
be saints and, in this respect, the Apos-
tie declares, they will be copies of
their Redeemer, and he will be an
Elder Brother amongst them, when
they shall share his glory in his King
dom.