WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MEANS GOD USES TO BRING ABOUT  CONFORMING US TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST, IN OUR THINKING, ATTITUDE, MOTIVATION, DEEDS? HE “SANCTIFIES”- CHANGES US , HOW?

A.   He Sanctifies us by His Spirit- 2 Thess 2:13;
“We should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the
beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”

B.  He sanctifies us through His Word– John 17:17; ” Sanctify them according to Thy Word, Thy Word is Truth”;
“…when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it
really is, THE WORD OF GOD, which also PERFORMS IN YOU WHO BELIEVE.”- 1 Thess 2:13

C.  He sanctifies us through Prayer-Col 4:12;
“Epaphras,…always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand MATURE and fully assured in ALL the
will of God.”

D.  He Sanctifies us through Trials- James 1;3-4
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials knowing, that the testing of YOUR faith produces
endurance. AND LET endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be MATURE and complete…”

E.   He sanctifies us through Suffering– 1 Peter 5:10
“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of ALL Grace who called you to His eternal Glory in Christ
WILL HIMSELF, MATURE, confirm, establish and strengthen you.”

F.  He sanctifies us through Gifted leaders– Eph 4:7-15
“And He GAVE some as…. evangelists, pastor teachers, for the equipping of the saints…to the building up of the
body…until we all attain…to a MATURE man…. We are to GROW up in all aspects into Him…even Christ”

GOD’S GOAL IS WE BECOME more and more like His Son, living to please the Father and be about the Father’s business [John 4:34; 2 Cor 5:9]; To become Eternal minded [Col 3:1-3]; To become an Example to be followed [1 Tim 4:12; Phil 4:9]; To become like Jesus Christ, which will be manifested in a submissive servant [Eph 5:21; Phil 2:5-9]

God’s Goal is to make us like His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ in attitude, thought, word and deed, which as Christ’s follower, He is at work in us [Phil 2:12] to conform His followers to the image of His Son.

 

APPLICATION-

  • TAKE THE ABOVE VERSES AND WRITE ON A THREE BY FIVE CARD AND MEMORIZE ONE A WEEK OR TWO IF YOU NEED TO. THINK ON EACH WORD, PHRASE AND KNOW THIS IS HOW GOD CHANGES YOU
  •  SHARE THE ABOVE TRUTHS WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND SEEK TO ENCOURAGE THEM WITH- HOW GOD CHANGES YOU AND ME WHO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
  •  THANK GOD- WHAT HE BEGAN HE WILL FINISH.

CONSIDER the above PASSAGES, chose to think and study one a day  AND SEEK TO SHARE THESE WITH OTHERS