Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: GPL
Program Code: GPL000010
00:01 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
00:02 And I want to ask you two very important questions. 00:05 First, is it possible to have a personal encounter 00:08 with the grace of God and still be lost? 00:12 And secondly, do you know what it means 00:14 to be a sanctification seeker? 00:16 Please join us now on "The Grace Pipeline," 00:19 for the Bible's answers to these questions. 00:43 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline." 00:45 If you've been following this series, 00:47 you know that it is taken from a book 00:49 that is also titled "The Grace Pipeline," 00:52 that God gave me the privilege of writing. 00:55 And if you are following along in this series companion book, 00:59 today's lesson study will be taken from chapter 6, 01:04 "Growing in the grace of sanctification." 01:07 Now during our last four programs, 01:10 we have taken a good look at being justified by grace. 01:16 The question I want to pose today is this, 01:19 is it possible to taste of God's grace 01:23 and fall away from it unaware? 01:25 That's an important question. 01:27 And we must know what answer the Bible gives. 01:32 Today, we will look 01:33 at the importance of being a sanctification seeker. 01:38 On His last occasion to teach the multitudes in the temple, 01:43 Jesus rebuked the religious leaders, 01:46 identifying them as hypocrites and blind guides for their sake 01:51 and the sake of their traditions. 01:53 They had set aside the word of God, 01:56 and set forth useless teachings. 01:58 These teachings hindered the people's spiritual progress. 02:03 Christ issued a final scathing indictment. 02:07 saying, 02:11 "See your house is left to you desolate, 02:14 for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, 02:19 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'" 02:24 And leaving the temple never to return again, 02:27 Jesus and His disciples, walked to the Mount of Olives. 02:32 The sun was setting on the Mount 02:34 and in figuratively setting on Christ earthly ministry. 02:38 We see in Matthew 24 and Matthew 25, 02:43 how Christ utilized every last moment to teach His followers, 02:48 sharing the signs that would precede His second coming 02:51 and cautioning of the need 02:54 to be prepared for its uncertain timing. 02:59 The Savior frequently taught in parables. 03:02 Stories that illustrated a religious lesson. 03:06 This final sermon was no exception. 03:10 Among other symbolic accounts, 03:12 He shared a parable of ten virgins 03:15 and the bridegroom in Matthew 25:1-13 03:20 drawing from a familiar Jewish wedding custom. 03:24 Now according to the cultural tradition, 03:28 the groom attended by his groomsmen 03:31 arrived late in the night to retrieve his bride. 03:35 The bride had already taken the necessary steps 03:39 to prepare herself and longingly awaited for her love. 03:43 The bridesmaids kept watch for the groom, 03:47 ready to rush out, and to greet him with lamps in their hands. 03:52 They would light his pathway to the bride 03:56 and accompany the procession to the wedding feast, 03:59 celebrated at the groom's home. 04:02 So in His parable Jesus presented 04:06 five of the attending virgins as wise and five as foolish. 04:12 All were wearied from the long wait in the darkness. 04:16 All became drowsy and slept 04:19 when the arrival of the groom was delayed. 04:22 Suddenly at the midnight hour a shout pierced the air. 04:27 "Behold the bridegroom is coming. 04:29 Go out to meet him." 04:31 So startled, the ten sleeping virgins 04:34 responded to the midnight cry 04:36 and arose to trim their lamps, 04:38 but only the wise had brought additional flasks of lamp oil. 04:42 The foolish virgins petitioned the others to share, 04:47 but the wise knowing it was impossible 04:49 to give of their supply, 04:51 sent the foolish ones off 04:53 in search of another source for the necessary oil. 04:56 And meanwhile the bridegroom arrived 04:59 and ushered all who were ready into the wedding hall 05:03 at his home, shutting the door to the reception behind him. 05:07 So, when the other virgins returned pleading, 05:10 "Lord, Lord, open to us." 05:13 They discovered that their own reckless 05:15 disregard had shut them out. 05:18 The bridegroom rejected these who were strangers to him 05:22 and refused to open the door saying in Matthew 25:12, 05:28 "Assuredly, I know you not." 05:33 And that is the sad conclusion of the parable. 05:38 You are most likely aware of the rich symbolic meaning 05:43 within this parable in Ephesians 5:23-32 05:48 and Revelation 19:7-9. 05:51 This clearly identified the church as His bride, 05:56 betrothed to Christ our bridegroom. 05:59 By portraying Himself as the bridegroom, 06:02 Christ implied He was God. 06:04 We often find in the Old Testament 06:06 that God was portrayed as the bridegroom. 06:10 So the church is in the Bible, 06:14 throughout the Bible is repeatedly symbolized 06:16 by a virtuous woman, a chaste virgin 06:20 who is not defiled by other relationships. 06:23 Christ promises to return to claim His bride, 06:27 who has made herself ready 06:29 and completed her purpose of sharing 06:32 the gospel of grace with all nations. 06:35 The ten virgin bridesmaids, to which Jesus referred, 06:40 represented church members, 06:43 two different classes of believers 06:45 in the gospel of grace. 06:47 Their lamps are symbol of the word of God. 06:49 As the Psalmist, said in Psalm 119:105, 06:53 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." 06:57 And the oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit, 07:00 which we also see in Zechariah Chapter 4. 07:04 By inference the oil, also symbolizes 07:07 the character of the virgins that the wise virgins obtained, 07:12 through the Holy Spirit's influence. 07:15 And the flask that held the additional oil 07:18 represented the vessel of the heart. 07:22 What is the meaning of the caution 07:25 that Christ issued in this parable of the second coming? 07:28 Please consider this important point. It is critical. 07:33 Jesus did not distinguish between 07:35 the two classes of bridesmaids, the attendants. 07:39 He didn't call them wise virgins and foolish maidens. 07:44 He referred to all ten as virgins. 07:47 So this leads us to believe 07:49 that the five foolish virgins were not hypocrites, 07:53 but rather were members of His church 07:56 whose spiritual progress had been stifled. 08:00 They were familiar with the theory 08:03 of the gospel of grace, 08:05 but they did not recognize their need of 08:08 and their dependence upon the Holy Spirit. 08:11 While I was writing, "The Grace Pipeline," 08:14 I reflected on this truth and was astonished to realize 08:18 an amazing aspect of this parable I had never seen. 08:23 Jesus represents and presents 08:26 each of the ten sleeping virgins, 08:28 as previously encountering a personal experience 08:33 with the grace of God. 08:35 The foolish virgins represent those who receive 08:39 only the supply of grace which provides 08:42 the first stage of salvation, justification. 08:46 They hear the good news of salvation by grace. 08:50 They repent and accept Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross, 08:55 professing His name, but refusing to tap 09:00 into God's grace pipeline for sanctification. 09:05 These foolish ones never learned to depend on God 09:08 for the fullness of His quickening grace. 09:11 It's either as a result of their fixed rebellious attitude, 09:16 or perhaps as a consequence of a false teaching 09:19 that hinders their progress, 09:22 at--either way they refused to grow in grace 09:26 and did not permit the Lord to finish His work 09:29 of salvation in their lives. 09:31 They have what we call head knowledge, 09:34 but not heart knowledge. 09:36 Yet foolishly, they feel secure with the lamp of profession-- 09:42 their profession of faith in their hands. 09:45 Now the wise virgins stand for those 09:48 who accept Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives 09:52 and following their experience with justification. 09:56 They welcome the wonders of God's grace 09:59 to operate on their hearts, 10:01 for the second stage of salvation, sanctification. 10:06 They receive the gift of the Holy Sprit 10:09 and develop Christ like character, 10:12 growing in grace, and steadily progressing 10:15 along the path of eternal life. 10:18 Now obviously, this parable does not present these 10:22 who had a real relationship with Him 10:25 is being perfected in character. 10:28 We can conclude this because the scripture says "They slept." 10:33 The sleep that settled over all, 10:35 at the darkness of the midnight hour, 10:38 represents a certain spiritual weariness and apathy. 10:43 When great spiritual darkness settles in, 10:45 over our world at the end of time, 10:48 still the wise virgins are depicted 10:52 as having hearts that awaken, 10:54 from which flow the issue of God's love, light and life. 11:00 Now at a glance it seems rather selfish at first 11:04 that they would not share their oil with the others. 11:08 But how could they possibly share and parcel out, 11:12 part of their own character traits, 11:15 rather with the sufficiency of God's grace 11:18 stored in their heart. 11:20 They wisely rise to the occasion 11:23 and proceed into the wedding supper of the lamb. 11:28 When the end comes, those who are unwise 11:31 and following the steps of the foolish virgins 11:34 will respond to the cry of their would-be bridegroom, 11:38 but lacking an abiding relationship with the Lord 11:41 in true Christian character, 11:43 they will be found unfit to attend the marriage feast. 11:47 Their ill-judged rejection of God's grace of sanctification 11:52 will shut the door to eternal salvation. 11:56 Christ warned generations of His followers to come. 12:00 with these strong words found in 12:02 Matthew 7:21 and Matthew 25:13. 12:08 Matthew 7:21 reads, 12:10 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' 12:13 shall enter the kingdom of heaven, 12:16 but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." 12:20 And Matthew 25:13, Jesus says, 12:24 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day 12:27 nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." 12:31 Is it really possible to taste of God's grace 12:34 and fall away from it unaware? 12:36 Yes, we will later explore many occurrences in scripture 12:41 that reveal this tragic truth. 12:44 Plenty of professing Christians today 12:47 are experiencing spiritual weariness and empathy. 12:52 Is that you? Is that me? 12:55 Certainly, many of us have taken an occasional spiritual siesta, 13:00 but now is the time to awaken to all 13:03 that God makes available to us by grace. 13:07 Soon we will hear the clarion call. 13:11 "Behold, the bridegroom comes." 13:14 Let's determine to tap in to His grace pipeline by faith 13:19 and fill our hearts with His holy oil, 13:22 the Spirit of the living God. 13:25 I want to be prepared to greet Him 13:27 when He returns, don't you? 13:31 In our journey, to better understand the grace of God, 13:35 we have now reached the place of the pipeline 13:37 that is my most favorite topic, "Sanctification." 13:41 Nothing satisfies the soul of a born again Christian, 13:46 like God's sanctifying work in our soul. 13:50 Have you ever asked? 13:52 What is God's will for my life? 13:54 It is a common question. 13:56 And the Apostle Paul provides an answer 13:59 in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4. 14:02 This I'll read parts of 3:7-8. 14:06 Here's what Paul says, 14:08 "This is the will of God, your sanctification. 14:12 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 14:17 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, 14:23 who has also given us His Holy Spirit." 14:28 Now that may not be the answer 14:29 you were looking for or the solution you sought, 14:32 but it is the answer for the abundant life 14:35 that the Christ came to impart to us. 14:38 When I travel to speak at various events, 14:41 I sometimes share a popular teaching 14:43 which I have titled "Sanctification Seekers." 14:47 And it's so funny, audience just seem eager 14:50 to hear the topic, 14:52 until I translate the meaning. Look at this. 14:57 To "seek" is to pursue. 15:00 "Sanctification" is the synonymous with holiness. 15:05 Therefore, to seek sanctification 15:09 means to pursue holiness. 15:13 Once I explained this, 15:14 that seeking sanctification is pursuing holiness. 15:18 Often eager expressions fade away. 15:21 And occasionally you can hear 15:23 a collective groan from the audience. 15:26 The idea of pursuing holiness 15:28 can make people recoil emotionally, 15:32 perhaps because we envision rigid requirements 15:36 and strenuous work on our part. 15:39 Possibly, it's because we have encountered 15:41 so-called holiness movements, 15:44 in which harsh people take radical measures, 15:48 resulting only in rigid outward appearances, 15:52 and appalling actions without affecting 15:55 an inward development of genuine love 15:57 and Christlike character. 15:59 You know what Jesus would call those? Whitewashed tombs. 16:03 That's what He calls such hypocrites. 16:06 "Pursuing holiness is simply growing in grace." 16:13 Please don't allow any false notion to deter you 16:17 from becoming a "sanctification seeker." 16:20 It is God's will for you. 16:23 It is one of His greatest blessings. 16:25 And by His grace He will perform a work of holiness in you. 16:30 This is so important for Hebrews 12:14 tells us that, 16:36 "Without holiness we will never be able to see the Lord." 16:41 The scripture reads this way, 16:44 "Strive to live in peace with everybody 16:47 and pursue that consecration and holiness 16:51 without which no one will see the Lord." 16:55 Salvation is by God's grace, 16:58 but it demands human cooperation. 17:02 We must strive to tap into the grace pipeline by faith, 17:07 allowing God to do a work of sanctification in us. 17:11 We want to be ready, when the bridegroom returns. 17:14 And in Ephesians 5:25-27, 17:20 Paul explains that Christ loved the church 17:23 and gave Himself for her, for what reason? 17:25 That He might sanctify and cleanse her, 17:29 that he might present her to Himself a glorious church, 17:34 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, 17:38 but that she should be holy and without blemish. 17:43 Scripture clearly reveals Christ is returning for a bride, 17:47 who has made herself ready. 17:50 A bride who has attained by grace, 17:54 a double portion of perfection, by faith that of justification 18:00 through the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18:03 and of sanctification imparted to us by Christ' righteousness, 18:10 and primarily worked out in us 18:12 by the refining fire of God, the Holy Sprit. 18:17 His chaste bride will be dressed in His spotless robe 18:21 of righteousness that is undefiled by sin. 18:27 Carefully, consider this next graphic of God's operation 18:31 in both justification and sanctification. 18:36 Let's read this, 18:37 "Justification is an act of God. 18:42 Satisfaction is a work of God." 18:48 Both are by grace. 18:50 God begins His work of sanctification in us. 18:54 When we are regenerated, born again, 18:57 and by our permission and unresisting response, 19:02 He continues it until the day of our glorification 19:05 when Christ returns. 19:07 We enter into His lifestyle of holiness by faith, 19:12 in the work that God will accomplish in us, 19:16 along with our cooperative effort. 19:19 You are most likely familiar with James 2:17 that states, 19:24 "Faith without works is dead." 19:27 I want to read that to you from the amplified version. 19:31 Listen to James 2:17, 19:34 "So also faith, if it does not have works, 19:38 deeds and actions of obedience to back it up, 19:42 by itself is destitute of power. 19:46 it is inoperative and dead." 19:50 What is he saying? 19:52 By active faith, we trusted God for our justification, 19:58 for our pardon to be declared innocent 20:02 because Jesus' blood covered our sins. 20:05 And we just trust it, when we confessed our sins, 20:09 and we asked God to grant us repentance 20:13 that we had been justified, 20:15 and born again as a child of God, 20:19 by active faith which includes actions of obedience. 20:24 We must trust Him for our sanctification, 20:28 to be set aside from sin, 20:32 to let our life grow in holiness 20:38 as we eagerly seek sanctification. 20:42 We are instructed to pursue all the grace, 20:46 God has made available to us 20:48 that He may do a work of separating us from sin. 20:52 Making us suited to one-day be ushered 20:56 by our loving bridegroom 20:58 to a seat of honor at His marriage feast. 21:02 The Old Testament word, "Kadesh," means to sanctify, 21:06 to be made holy. 21:08 The New Testament Greek word, 21:10 "Hagiasmos" is translated into English as sanctification. 21:16 Sanctification and holiness, these are synonyms. 21:21 Both words carry the meaning of being separated to God 21:25 and away from evil. Sanctification subdues sin. 21:30 It sprouts naturally from justification 21:34 and blooms in us as we grow in grace. 21:37 After God justifies us, 21:39 declaring our innocence of his past sin, 21:42 He begins the sanctifying work in our hearts, 21:45 separating us from the evils of the world unto Himself. 21:50 To rescue us from sin and death, 21:52 God's plan is to renew a right spirit within us 21:56 and restore us to moral purity. 22:00 In the process of salvation by grace, 22:02 justification and sanctification are intimately connected. 22:07 Their vital union cannot be separated. 22:09 So let's consider a quick comparison 22:12 of these two stages of salvation, 22:14 to help establish their significant differences 22:18 and inseparable union. 22:20 Justification, Christ-- this is what-- 22:25 "Christ imputed righteousness that puts us in right standing 22:28 with a holy God making our justification possible. 22:33 When we repent and accept Christ as our Savior, 22:37 His precious blood blots out our past sins 22:40 that separated us from a holy God, 22:43 and His sinless record is credited to our account. 22:47 God pronounces us innocent. 22:50 This act of justification is entirely His responsibility, 22:55 and demonstrates His eagerness to pardon us. 22:58 Taking but a moment, justification is the first stage 23:03 of salvation and changes our record." 23:06 Sanctification, "In contrast, changes our character. 23:11 This is the second stage of salvation, 23:14 and is our through Christ's imparted righteousness, 23:18 received into our hearts by faith. 23:22 God's sanctifying work results from His passionate 23:26 pursuit to recreate within humanity a character 23:31 that is in harmony with His. 23:33 This amazing grace of this work progress over our lifetime, 23:39 and requires our permission 23:40 and cooperative effort in the process. 23:44 God's provision of power, 23:46 given by imparted right-- righteousness, 23:50 calls for us to meet His standard of behavior." 23:54 Many, who have the appearance of being religious, 23:57 possess knowledge of God and exhibit a certain outward 24:01 form of godliness, but deny living 24:04 in the experience of His sanctifying power. 24:07 The kingdom of God is not a matter of mere talk 24:11 and knowing the right answers to Bible questions. 24:13 But the kingdom of God is following in the continuing-- 24:18 following in Christ' footsteps 24:21 in the continuing power of God's grace. 24:24 If we ignore God's work of sanctification, 24:27 we are like the foolish virgins of the parable 24:30 calling on His name, 24:32 but refusing to do the will of the heavenly Father. 24:36 Jesus warned such reckless behavior ruins 24:39 any right to enter the kingdom. 24:42 God wants us in heaven, 24:44 but an unholy nature would make us miserable there. 24:49 His plan is to transform our fallen condition 24:52 to prepare us for eternal life with Him. Where? 24:57 2 Peter 3:13 puts it "That in the new heavens 25:01 and the new earth where righteousness dwells." 25:05 We will dwell with God where only righteousness can dwell. 25:11 God's love is the compelling force behind His grace. 25:17 In an upcoming program, 25:19 we will examine how grace provides sanctifying power 25:24 to keep us abiding in Christ, securing our salvation. 25:28 This is such an exciting truth that I can't resist, 25:32 giving you this brief preview of 7 sources, 25:36 by which God sanctified works sanctification into our hearts. 25:41 We are sanctified by "The Heavenly Father, 25:45 The gift of our Lord, Jesus Christ, 25:49 The gift of the Holy Spirit, 25:52 The gift of God's love, 25:55 The gift of the Holy Scriptures, 25:57 The gift of faith 25:59 and the privilege of obedience through God's grace." 26:05 I hope that you'll be able to join us 26:07 for the upcoming programs. 26:09 Truly, this is exciting news. 26:13 You know, Paul quotes Jesus as saying, 26:16 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power, 26:21 He says, is made perfect in weakness." 26:24 Grace is the only way we experience 26:28 the power of God unto complete salvation. 26:31 We absolutely know that righteousness by faith 26:35 is the only kind of righteousness there is. 26:39 The righteousness of Christ imputed to us 26:43 or in other words, 26:44 credited to our account is what justifies us 26:49 and makes it possible for God to declare us 26:52 not guilty at the penalty of sin. 26:55 But the righteousness of Christ that is imparted to us 26:59 or poured into us by the power of the Holy Spirit, 27:02 and Christ living in our hearts 27:05 through faith will sanctify us. Glory to God. 27:10 Join us next time, please, 27:13 as we consider the importance of 27:16 practicing righteousness in our day-to-day lives. 27:21 Righteousness when we receive it is something that 27:25 by faith we can put into action. 27:28 And it is required of us that we do practice righteousness. 27:34 So now our prayer for you 27:37 is that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 27:41 the love of the Father, 27:42 and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit 27:45 will be with you always 27:47 and that you will become a sanctification seeker. 27:52 And you will seek the Lord, 27:55 seek to know Him, and grow in grace. 27:59 Thank you for joining us. |
Revised 2014-12-17