Our Lord always links the progress and development of our spiritual life with our receiving and obeying the Truth, and every child of God should beware of that teaching which claims to be in advance of the Word, and that Christ or the holy Spirit speaks to such advanced Christians independently of the Word. It cultivates spiritual pride and boastfulness, and renders powerless the warnings and expostulations of the sacred Scriptures because the deluded ones think they have a higher teacher dwelling in them. And Satan, taking advantage of the delusion, leads them captive at his will.
Sanctification sets one apart from sin, error, selfishness and worldliness, and dedicates one to the Lord's service. As it continues its work, it keeps our wills dead, sacrifices our bodies for the Lord and makes our characters like His. The Word sanctifies us, first by working in our hearts a consecrating faith and love, whereby it enables us to present ourselves to the Lord as sacrifices. It continues the work by beginning in us the new heart, mind and will, and by enabling us to sacrifice unto death, while keeping our human will dead and God's will alive in us. It proceeds with the work by energizing us to grow, cleansing, strengthening and balancing us. It completes the work by perfecting us—and all this by Jesus' ministry.
Jer. 1:5; Acts 26:17, 18; Rom. 15:16; 1 Cor. 1:2, 30; 6:11; Gal. 2:20; 6:14; Eph. 1:3, 4; 3:19; 4:7, 12-16; 5:25-27; Col. 2:11; 1 Thes. 4:3, 4; 5:23; 2 Thes. 2:13, 14; 2 Tim. 2:21; Heb. 2:11.
