Quote:
Originally Posted by Truthseeker
Aquila, you scriptures I posted apt bring sanctified at conversion?
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Conversion is experienced when a man comes to faith in Christ (through the Spirit's leading) and repents of sin and is baptized. Conversion brings "justification", which is the state of standing "justified" in God's sight... standing as though one has never sinned. This "imputed" righteous standing (the righteousness of Christ) allows one to receive the Holy Ghost and be regenerated. Regeneration brings with it a new nature, therewith a man becomes a "son of God" (adoption). Now the born again believer (the regenerated child of God) must sanctify themselves. After all, their flesh is still fallen flesh... and their carnal mind is still designed to appeas the flesh. This sanctification is a life long endeavour, a spiritual journey, that will take him through many defeats and many victories (all achieved through grace, not human will). Each designed especially to reveal to him his own fallen nature and the new nature residing in his inner man (his spirit). Through the confessions, Bible study, sessions of prayer and repentance, the man's will to be free from the flesh grows as his mind is daily renewed. He becomes entirely focused on the desire to be like Jesus. And therefore strives more heartily to be like Christ through the Spirit... thereby being conformed into Christ's image. The goal is to crush all ego out of him... to kill self... that through him Christ might live. He will be humbled knowing his imperfections all too well when compared to the inner nature of Christ who resides in him. And when he dies... he sheds his mortal shell and is suddenly freed from the fallen impulses and nature of the flesh. A life time of "spiritual body building" has conformed his inner man to the image and likeness of Jesus. Now, with absolutely no weight or hinderance from the flesh... he glides upon the winds of Christlikeness, awaiting his glorification (the resurrection).
Sanctification is a process. Not an event.
Earth is a spiritual gym wherein we are called to develop the likeness of Jesus:
Proverbs 24:16
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:
After a life time... that's one awesome spiritual workout. Keep pushin'. Oh, you fell? Got some spiritual "muscle failure" under the added weight of temptation? That's cool. No problem. Get up and give me five more reps to be holy before we wrap it up tonight and hit it all over again tomorrow. Welcome to grace.
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