April 2nd Class

Hey, Girls!

I won't be minding one little bit if you arrive here ahead of me and settle yourselves into the Comment Cafe to carry on in the conversation from this morning!  I will be dropping in a little later this evening and hope to see you here!

5pm Saturday Night 

As we enter into this Easter Season, this particular Name of God, Mekoddishkem carries with it an even deeper and more profound meaning in the Light of the Cross of Christ... The Lord Who Sanctifies.  The cross of Christ not only accomplished for us the forgiveness of sins and our adoption by grace through faith into God's forever family, it also accomplished the work of sanctification in those who would believe.

We began this class with the realization that this sanctification, being set apart, being holy, is not something that we achieve in and of ourselves and our good works, deeds or intentions.  Many have tried, and are still trying, to be holy and have only achieved to become completely worn out and disillusioned in whatever faith they might have had.  If you find yourself at that point yourself today, then you need to KNOW His Name... Mekoddishkem, The Lord Who Sanctifies.

We looked at Exodus 31 where this Name of God is first used in Scripture and see that it is mentioned, in context, in relation to the Sabbath.  In verses 12 and 13 we discussed the fact that it is God Himself that does the sanctifying, not us.  We also saw that The Sabbath was a sign.  It was a sign between God and His people.  The Sabbath was a perpetual sign that was to cause God's people to KNOW that it was God Himself that sanctified them.

This is no small thing for us on this side of the cross today.  The Sabbath, this perpetual covenant  (v.16) this 7th day of rest (v.17) this sign, was a picture of our salvation.  The Christian life is not about what we do or don't do that MAKES us holy... rather, it is because we ARE holy that we do or don't do, according to the Word and leading of God.

We discussed how redemption always precedes sanctification.  Just as Israel was redeemed, so to speak, out of the bondage of Egypt, so we too have been redeemed out of the bondage of sin.  Once redeemed then God's work of sanctification had begun... for them and for us, this sanctification begins at a fixed moment in time, yet, is it a continuous and active work throughout our lives.

We looked at Matthew 5:3 and Hebrews 12:14 and discussed how the acknowledgment of our own depravity of spirit is an essential component in the initial and on-going sanctification work of God.  That in and of ourselves there is nothing that could commend us to God, that we have no ability that could accomplish what only His redemption and sanctifying work could do.  This is why redemption is so key to sanctification.  There is no true sanctification apart from salvation in Christ.  Hebrews 10:14 shows us that when God sanctifies, it is a present passive continuous action, in other words, when God sanctifies... He will CONTINUE to sanctify!

In Hebrews 3:18 and the surrounding verses, we saw that God is Holy and He ALONE can make someone holy.  The Rest that is spoken of in this verse is only obtained through belief (v.19), this Rest was not obtained through works.  Those who truly believe are redeemed, are sanctified, and have entered into the Rest of God. Contrary to popular belief, there is no Rest apart from God.  I had actually begun this class with the thought that many in the church today have taken on the belief that rest and leisure are synonymous.  They are not.  God's Rest for those of us on this side of the cross is not just a 7th day of the week kind of rest.  It is not just a ceasing from the 9 to 5 and getting a massage or booking a room in a little B&B on the Oregon Coast.  God's Rest was accomplished for us on the cross.  God's Rest is realized through His redemptive and sanctifying work.  God's rest is a Resting from our own works and trusting and Resting in Him.  Yes, there is labour in this life, yet we can Rest in the ability of God.  God's Rest is Christ Himself.

One of Edna's favourite verses is Matthew 11:28-30, it is a verse that speaks to the unsaved who labour under the burden of works and sin.  It also speaks to those that have been redeemed and yet have slipped back into the works of self.  It is a verse that shows us the True Rest that God bids us to enter into... soul Rest.  Rest for our weary souls.  This rest can only be found in God alone.  In God.  Alone.

Kat had mentioned 1 Thessalonians 5 at the beginning of our time together and I was so delighted because this is the verse that I wanted to refer to as we closed our morning together.  One of my greatest joys is in praying scripture and letting the Holy Spirit of God move according to the very Word of God.  Just as I prayed 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 over the class Thursday morning, I pray over you now...

Now, 

may the God of Peace Himself sanctify you entirely, 

and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, 

without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Faithful is He who calls you 

and He also will bring it to pass.

Do not be tempted to lightly skim over the first word spoken in these verses.  It carries with it, significant spiritual weight... "now".  God is willing to sanctify you entirely, Now.  In this very moment.... and the very way that we long to love Him, with our whole spirit, soul, body, mind and strength, HE is willing to do in us!

Girls, the One Who has called you, 

He is FAITHUL, 

and He also will bring it to pass.  

You, precious sister, 

have been set apart by God Himself, 

now go, 

and partake of your Saviour's Rest.

with much love and great joy,

Come on in, 

pull up a chair, 

and join in on the conversation in...

The Comment Cafe