Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

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Tag: Salvation and Sanctification

The Virgin Rebekah

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On August 3, 2015

In Christian

It is highly likely that you have heard about virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, and most unlikely that you have heard about virgin Rebekah, the wife of Isaac. Yet, the Bible makes it explicit in the introduction of Rebekah, that she was a virgin and that no man had known her (Genesis 24:16), after being told that she was a very fair damsel. So what we see here is not only a description of this woman’s external appearance (complexion), but also her inner beauty i.e., she had kept herself pure. But what warrants such details? I believe, the virginity of Rebekah is mentioned, to not only show us her character, but also to assure us that God’s was sovereignly in control as Jesus Christ, the promised Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16) was to come from the line of Abraham, as God has promised him, and there should be no question of his lineage.

Points to ponder:
God is always in control and his sovereignty in all aspects of our life is not only evident and explicit, if we seek to see it.

As the bride of Christ (the Church), we ought not to be only observed externally as being fair (spotless and clean) but internally we need to be pure, that is brought about solely by the salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctification of his Holy Spirit in our lives. As a church, we ought to be like virgin Rebekah, externally and internally pure.

Genesis 24:16 (KJV)
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

Jesus for us (Salvation); Jesus in us (Sanctification)

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On October 29, 2012

In Christian

To be saved is to believe that Jesus Christ died for us, in our place (Romans 5:8).
To be sanctified is to let Jesus Christ live in us (Galatians 2:20).

Jesus Christ FOR you and me is Salvation; Jesus Christ IN you and me is Sanctification.

Points to ponder:
Are you saved? In other words, have you believed in Jesus and acknowledged that he died for you?
And if you are saved, are you being sanctified (daily) and conforming into his perfect and holy image? In other words, do you allow Jesus to live in you?
My prayer is, “Lord sanctify me, by being in me so that I may be in you” (Ephesians 5:1); What is yours?

Romans 5:8-10 (KJV)
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Galatians 2:20 (KJV)
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Related post: Dead Jesus and Living Jesus

Christian Verbs :: S is for Sanctifying

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On August 5, 2010

In Christian, Christian Verbs

To sanctify is to be set apart. The very first time the God gave His commandments, He required that the firstborn of all man (and beast) be set apart (sanctified) for him because He claimed them to be His(Exodus 13:2) and then He told Moses to go and sanctify His people and the priests by washing their clothes before facing God (Exodus 19:10, 22) but Moses responded by saying, that the people could not come to face God even if cleansed by their own accord (Exodus 19:23). From the book of Exodus throughout the old testament, there are many times, the voice of God is heard either directly from Him or through His prophets, requiring that one sanctify himself/herself, but when we come to the New Testament, all the instances of the need to be sanctified is recorded as one that is not required of man, but as one that has been granted by God, because of His Son, Jesus Christ. See, we cannot sanctify ourselves by washing ourselves, but the blood of Jesus Christ that washes our inward evil self is the only thing that can sanctify us (Hebrews 13:12).

In the Lord’s prayer as recorded in John 17, Jesus prayed that God sanctifies us (John 17:17) and then He makes a bewildering statement. He said, I sanctify myself for the sake of my people (John 17:23). In other words, Jesus was saying that He was setting himself apart from God and His divinity for you and me, so that we can be set apart from our humanity and be more Christ like in spirit, soul and body. Our beings are sinful and our flesh that war against the Holy Spirit of God is corrupt and cannot be set apart on its own will, but it is the blood of Jesus alone that can set us apart. My prayer is that of Apostle Paul; that the very God of peace sanctify me wholly; and I pray that my whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Let this be yours as well!

Exodus 13:2 (KJV)
2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.

Exodus 19:10-11,22-23 (KJV)
10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
22 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

John 17:17-19 (KJV)
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (KJV)
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

The life of a Christian – Come and Go

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On May 18, 2010

In Christian

Celso, a Colombian evangelist with the Voice of the Martyrs eloquently stated his purpose in life and posed a thought provoking question when he said “Jesus told me to go. He never said I would come back. Isn’t this the life of a Christian?” The life of a Christian can be essentially summed up in two words, ‘come’ and ‘go’.

Jesus Christ said, “COME unto me, and I will give you rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). This means that when we COME into CHRIST, we COME out of the world. Only in the “coming” to Jesus Christ is Salvation, there is no other way.
Jesus Christ also said, “GO for me and teach and baptize” (Matthew 28:19-20). This means that when we GO for CHRIST, we GO into the world. In the “going” for Jesus Christ is Sanctification, being set apart for his cause, always ready to give an answer to every man that asks us for a reason of THE HOPE that is in us. (1 Peter 3:15; Colossians 1:27)

Point(s) to ponder:

  1. The model is Come into Christ, Go for Christ. The problem starts when people attempt to Go for Christ, without first coming to Him. Without the coming (into Christ) there is no going (out for Christ). One ought to first be Saved themselves, and then serve God to save others.
  2. The model is Come out of the world, Go into the world. This means that we need to go into the world but not be part of it. In other words, we are to be set apart (sanctified) for Christ.

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