Practically Sanctified

Romans 6:5-14 “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. “

There was a man who wanted so much to be part of the air force in Australia. He was turned down and did a number of things over the years, including some petty theft. One day he bought a full officers outfit including some medals from an army surplus. He talked his way onto a base, getting a temporary pass. For the next 10 months he would visit the officers club and swap stories with other brass. Finally someone did a routine check and found no history of him previous to the 10 months – busted.

He looked the part, talked the part, but he wasn’t the real deal. There was no integrity to his position. During WW2 a man from Belgium sold 3 famous paintings to the Nazis for a lot of money. After the war this came to light and he was in serious trouble for collaborating with the enemy. He told the judge the paintings were fake and that he had painted them. The judge sent him to his studio with an escort of police and told him to paint another one – which he promptly did. The charges for collaboration were dropped, and then they charged him with forgery – busted. His integrity and those of his paintings were worthless.

The last 2 weeks we have been talking about what it means to be a follower of Jesus, about what Paul means when he says in Philippians 3:10 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”. Today we are going to look at that phrase at the end, “conformed to His death.”

The Meaning
This phrase does not mean I want to be literally crucified with Jesus. The verb “conformed” means to have a practical apprehension of the death of the carnal self. What was the Incarnation about? Philippians 2 5ff makes it abundantly clear that for Jesus it wasn’t about His self, it was about His Father’s will, it was for you and I. He died to self long before He was crucified. Being conformed to His death refers to allowing Jesus to control our direction. This does not mean that we turn our back on our family. It does mean we look at them with the eyes of Jesus, that they are part of our stewardship and we need to show them love, help them see Jesus in us. We don’t live in a country with persecution. Our turning to faith does not mean that we are cast out or under a death penalty. If someone denies us because of our faith, it is their ignorance and controlling spirit at work, and if we give up Jesus for that we have made a poor choice.
While I was at the Prayer retreat I was talking with Pastor Manoj from Winnipeg. He told me this story of a Muslim from another country that came to Canada and stayed illegally. He was talking to a lawyer about claiming a refugee status. The lawyer said you need a good reason, not just because you want to. So he said what if I said I was a Christian and would be killed if I returned. The lawyer said that might do it, but you had better study up on what Christianity is in case the judge asks you some questions. So he set aside 2 weeks. The first week he read and learned… and nothing happened. During the second week, however, he started to cry as he understood the grace of God, and he actually became a Christian. As he was going for his hearing, he no longer cared if he was successful in his bid to stay in Canada, because he had found a truth much deeper than anything he had ever known – something he was willing to put aside freedom and even life for.
So, what drives your life? Who sits on that throne, who controls your direction?

The Process
We have asked this question, and I trust you have dealt with it; that you have answered it by saying to God, “I surrender all.” What then? How does this new life work? I want to give you the process by which God works in and through us most of the time. Understand first that the goal of God now that He is in your life is to make you holy like Himself. You were created to be in relationship with God and the fundamental outworking of that is holiness. When we see God talking about purpose and why we were created we see this. Paul in the 3rd chapter of Philippians says that in gaining Christ he is looking for a righteousness that comes from God, not one derived from doing stuff. It is God at work that brings righteousness.
Romans 8:28-30 is used often by people who say God predestines some people to be Christians and others to not be Christians. This is not what these verses are saying. Listen to them closely: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Do you hear it? It says “He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…” When man comes to God, when that relationship is restored and sin is no longer a barrier, we are to become conformed to the image of Jesus. Our life is to reflect the life of Jesus. We are to live lives of love and acceptance and proclaim the grace of God. That is what Jesus did!
Now, I have mentioned this before, but the process is this:
Based on the decision of following Christ, our behaviour changes. Notice the change in behaviour happens as a result of the surrender to God, not the other way around. Don’t try to stop your anger or your swearing and think that will get you to God. Turn to God, confess your sin, ask Him for strength, claim the promises of the Scripture and go out and live as a new creation. Look at the following passages at home:
Colossians 3:1-17
Ephesians 4:22ff
2 Corinthians 10:5ff
Romans 6:11-14
Romans 12:1-2
Consider these three things: 1) the decision (I surrender all), 2) what we stop doing (the “sin” stuff), 3) what we start doing instead (the “holy” stuff).

The Reality
The stock market, we are told, is the best place to invest in the long term. When you look at it over decades it has a great record. The reality of life, though, is lived day to day. At the start of the Great Depression in 1929 many people killed themselves because of the crash. Life was hard. This past fall we have been taken back to those times and the economy is pretty rough for a lot of people. The Christian life is great, God is love, the ultimate victory is His, but the reality is we are citizens of 2 worlds – heaven and earth. The tension between these two is very strong at times. Being conformed to His death doesn’t necessarily mean our physical circumstances will change for the better. Israel cried out in bondage and slavery for hundreds of years before they were sent Moses to lead them out. Joseph, the only major character in the Old Testament where we see no sin, was betrayed by his brothers and almost killed, being sold into slavery instead. He was falsely accused by Potpher’s wife and thrown into the dungeon in Egypt. He was forgotten by the Pharaoh’s cup bearer for two more years as he languished in chains.

Understand that God’s blessing is rooted in the spiritual realm. This world is temporary and will pass away. The presence of God is eternal. We are guaranteed eternal life with God in heaven, not prosperity and health in this world. Does this mean God is of no use until we die? Don’t make that mistake, for Jesus is the answer for the world today. Being conformed to His death does mean that we can walk each step of this life, whether it be on a mountain top or in a dark valley, with our Creator. The One who knows us, who weeps when we weep as He watches His wonderful creation writhe in pain and violence as a result of sin. Read Psalm 23 in conclusion:

The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Don’t you want a Shepherd like that looking out for you?

Philippians 3:8-16 “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”

The Biggest Loser is a popular reality TV show. Over the last several years they have had different themes but the basic premise is “who can lose the largest percentage of weight?” Each week, those who lost the least can be voted off the show which takes place in a secluded location where the people are on strict diets and regimens of exercise.
In season 1 Ryan won the show, losing 122pounds, 36.97% of his weight, from 330 to 208. 5 years later he was back to his old weight.
Season 2: Matt won, losing 157 pounds, 46.31% of his weight, from 339 – 182. He is big again.
Season 3: Erik went from 407 to 193, losing 214 pounds, or 52.58% of his weight. He gained 38 pounds back. Of the first 3 seasons, only 1 person kept all their weight off.
Season 4: Bill went from 334 pounds to 170 pounds, losing 164 pounds, and 49.1% of his weight.
Season 5 (couples): Ali was the first lady on the show to win, losing 112 pounds, 234 – 112, 47.9% of her body weight.
Season 6 (Families): Michelle won this, going from 242 – 132, 110 pounds and 45.45% of her body weight.
Season 7, also with couples started 2 weeks ago. The Biggest Loser also has shows in 12 other countries. The success of the show has been grand, but of the individuals not so much. Big weight losses have almost always been followed by big weight gains. The people on the show are striving for something that is out there, something beyond the weight loss that they can’t see. There is the money and competition but once that motivation is over, then what? They had to be motivated by something deeper, something more that related to lifestyle and energy – and that is hard. These people in the show are in a place for 24/7 until they are eliminated or in the final. They have strict diets and hours of workouts each day. That is not reality. When reality comes in, they didn’t have the tools to cope with it, in spite of their success on the show.
What is our vision of following Jesus? Do we have a good, realistic view of how it fits into our whole life, or does it just fit into a special place like church or Bible studies. It is hard to follow Jesus. It takes effort and work and perseverance. .. but you can do it. Let’s look at what Paul says in Philippians 3:10. He says, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”.

The Words:
To Know – To understand completely; emphasizes a practical and experimental knowledge as well as mental; implies relationship
Power – We get dynamite from this word; to have power and ability that resides within
Resurrection – A raising up from the dead
Fellowship – sharing in common
Sufferings – afflictions; intentional abuse
Conformed – growing into conformity; death of carnal self (in relation to Jesus)
Death – separation of man from God; death is always viewed as the penal consequence of sin in the Scriptures

Wesley:
“That I may know Him (as my complete Savior) and the power of His resurrection (raising me from the death of sin into all the life of love) and the fellowship of His sufferings (being crucified with Him) and made conformable to His death (as to be dead to all things here below).”

Keep the main thing the main thing:
“that I may know Him” – This is not just some lofty unattainable goal. It is not some ideal to which we will always be striving but never attain. It is not just a carrot that is always out of reach, driving us forward but ultimately disappointing and discouraging us. God wants to be known by us. He has made Himself accessible. He has given us several things to aid us in this pilgrimage. He has given us the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the fellowship and community of the church, nature and prevenient grace that goes before us, leading us to Him if we but follow. Knowing God has several intangible elements that make it a journey unique to each of us, yet common in destination. Some of these intangibles we need to consider include the following:

Time and disciplines– How much time have you got? How much time are you willing to give to this goal? What is enough? We talk about resources and what we can give to God, and so often we forget about giving of our time. It’s hard as a small church, because there is so much we could do, so much that needs to happen that we can feel overwhelmed by that. Time is irreplaceable, though. Once it is gone, it is gone. Strive to use what you have for Jesus. Jesus wasn’t about Himself. He said it was His Father’s will that He was pursuing. How this looks for each of us will be different. Some of us can spend an hour in the Bible every day, some of us 10 minutes is a struggle. Some can spend 3 or 4 nights a week at church in programs; for others that would be wrong and hard on family relationships.
Don’t do what I do in that sense, do what is right between you and God. You can’t live my faith, and I can’t live yours – the challenge is for you to know God as His unique creation!

Baggage – What are bringing with you? If you accepted Jesus at a young age, you have traditions of how it has “always” been done. Jesus is unchanging, but how He works in us and in the church can change. Just look at how music has changed in the church over the last 2,000 years. What is right? Should we emphasize what they did in the synagogues when Jesus or Paul was preaching? What about the chants and the times of no instruments? Now we have the hymn verses worship chorus debates. Look not to the method, but the principle. There are two principles at work. The first is personal maturity. Where are you at in your Spiritual Maturity. What do you need to have in order to grow? Are hymns necessary for without them you can’t follow Jesus? Or if we never sing another chorus, will you stop worshipping? Sometimes it is an issue of what we like, rather than what we need; an issue of what we like rather than what does the church need. An outworking of maturity is the second principle, the surrendering of self, or concession. Instead of looking at what we need, we begin to look at what the other person needs. These two principles trade off each other. The greater the ability we have to stand firm on our own two feet in Jesus, the greater our ability to help our brother and sister stand firm themselves. It’s not about the form of the message, it’s about the love that the message produces in us. If we want to know Jesus and be like Him, we have to let our baggage go like the Pilgrim in John Bunyan’s story.

Surrender – This is about our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. You want to know Jesus, surrender your life. Surrender your family, surrender your job, and surrender all the stuff and things you have to God. Does this mean God takes them all away? No. It does mean though, that if some or all of them were taken away, you’d still have God and that would be enough. Down through the ages countless people have given up their property and lives for the sake of Jesus. We have little experience of what that means in our society. We are free and wealthy compared to the vast majority of the world. How are we using that for Jesus. He said to take up our cross daily and follow Him. When we bought our house on Brown crescent, we looked at it a few times. The first time it was a general, “Could we see ourselves living here?” kinda look. We looked for any major problems that were immediate vetoes. When we came back for a second look, it was much more careful and intense. We began to look not just for major stuff, but for little things that would be problematic. Have you ever done that but the sellers said no to look in a room? In fact, they liked that one room so much they wanted to keep it, so on the offer to buy they right in all attached things, the fridge and stove are included, but not the room in the south east corner. You go to get a mortgage and the banker asks how the house is and you say great, except for the bedroom you aren’t buying. The banker looks at you and asks how can you buy only 95% of a house? Sometimes we try to do that top God. Yes God, I want forgiveness of sins, and I want you to be Lord of my life, all except for the closet in the back. That is where I keep my stuff, my little things. It doesn’t make sense at all. What am I hanging on to so tight that I won’t let Jesus have the deed to? Is it worth it? What am I afraid of? Do I really think Jesus is about losing all the fun stuff? We have so much to learn about the Father’s love. Let me encourage you to rest in Him and trust Him completely. You will not be disappointed.