THE NEW MAN (Part 3)
Memory Verse: “And
so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through
His own blood.” Hebr. 13: 12 (NIV).
LESSON OBJECTIVES AND FOCUS
Our focus today will be on i). the sanctified life; and
ii).
the role of the Holy Spirit in the sanctified life.
LESSON
INTRODUCTION
It is the life that is separated from
sin and unto God (=sanctified) that will bring glory to Him.
WE
NEED TO NOTE THAT
In the Scriptures, men and materials
were anointed with oil as an outward sign of their consecration, or setting
aside, unto God and His service. See Ex.
30:22-33 (see vs 26-33).
When David and the children of Israel
came up with their own personnel and bright idea for moving and handling the
Ark of God, a sanctified article, instant judgment followed. 2 Sam 6: 2-7. (The Ark was not just an
important piece of furniture to be treated with ordinary respect. Priests, i.e.
sanctified men, were to carry it on their shoulders using long poles set aside
for that purpose.)
Again when Ananias and Sapphira tried
to be smart with the leadership of the early Church, they did not realise they were playing a dangerous game with God
the Holy Spirit. And they died instantly. Acts
5: 1-11.
All these examples are designed to
remind us that we are dealing with a holy and awesome God, Who is described as
a “consuming fire”, Exo. 24:15-17; Deut. 7:21; Heb. 12:28-29.
Let us not toy or play games with Him.
LESSON
OUTLINE 1: A SANCTIFIED LIFE
i).
What is sanctification?
It is separation from sin unto God for
His full use, 2 Tim. 2:20-21. We
cannot eat at the Lord’s table and that of the devil as well and expect the
Holy Spirit to be in us and use us.
I Cor. 10:21-22.
ii). Why
be sanctified?
It is God’s command, I Thess. 4:3. Our Lord was sanctified,
and He desired the same for His disciples, John
17: 15-19.
iii).
What does God use in effecting our sanctification?
God uses the WORD
(John 17:17), and the BLOOD
of Jesus (Hebr. 13:12) to effect our
sanctification. His word digs into the deepest and hidden corners of our hearts
to turn us around, Hebr 4:12-13,
while the blood of Jesus is ready and available to cleanse and wash us from all sin when we acknowledge and
confess them before Him, I John 1: 5-10.
iv).
What are the results of sanctification?
We are assured here and now of eternal
life and our day-to-day life is dedicated to God,
Acts
26:18; Rom 6:22.
It is a life in which the fruit of the
Spirit is evident, because He dwells within us, Gal. 5:22-23.
LESSON
OUTLINE 2: THE HOLY SPIRIT CONTROLLED LIFE
The Holy Spirit Whom the Lord promised
to believers (Jn 14:26; 16:7) is the
One that indwells and controls the new man, Rom 8:4, 9.
The
role of the Holy Spirit in setting us aside to God include:
a).
Giving us power over sin, Gal. 5:16. b). Giving us the power to serve God. Acts 1:8.
c).
Giving us the power over the devil and demons, Acts 13:8-11; I Jn 4:4.
d).
He enables believers to bear abiding fruits – fruits of the Spirit and
discipleship (Jn 15:4-5; Gal. 5:22-23).
e).
He guides and directs the life of the believer, Acts 10:19-20; 16:6-10.
f).
He selects leaders in the Church, and gives gifts to believers for serving the
body of Christ, Acts 13:2; Eph. 4:11-12.
SUMMARY
The word, the blood of Jesus and the
Holy Spirit are the means God has chosen for effecting and maintaining our
sanctification. Are these at work in our daily lives?