Sanctification and Spiritual Growth


[WOTS]
10/28/2017




Sanctification
and Spiritual Growth



Romans 6:1-15;
22; Galatians 5:22-25



Worldwide Outreach Teaching School



Dr. Meiman Lai Saidi



www.WorldwideOTS.org



Preface:



Sanctification:  Sanctification (使無罪過) is the work of God's Holy Spirit by which
He gives people pure hearts that He makes people
holy. Wesleyans believe that sanctification includes the two
crises of initial and entire sanctification. Initial
sanctification takes place when a person is born again. They also
believe in entire sanctification, as a second work of grace. Sanctification includes a lifelong process of spiritual growth. (J. Wesley Eby, ed., A Dictionary of the Bible & Christian
Doctrine in Everyday English [Kansas
City: Beacon Hill
Press of Kansas City,
2004], 263).



        From our lesson last week, what
happens when a person is born again?



(He or she is forgiven of all past
sins, "Our old self (the old Adam)" must be the
sinful persons we once were, our former pre-Christian selves. and now this person is born again, treated by God as if the sins had never occurred. That is what "justification" means.) 重生後就得釋罪 (不因罪而受責).      



        Today, we are going to discover that the Christian life is not about
good behavior, but about living according to a new way of life. It is the Holy
Spirit who makes this new way of life possible: Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ, in Step with the Spirit.



A.   
Dead to Sin: God saves us from what we don't want to be,
to what we want to be.



Chapter 6
explains that believers are free from sin's control. Read Romans 6:1-10,   繼續上週 當人重生就發生了何事呢?















  1. What shall we say,
    then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
  2. By no means! We
    died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
  3. Or don''t you know
    that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into
    his death?
  4. We were therefore
    buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as
    Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we
    too may live a new life.
  5. If we have been
    united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be
    united with him in his resurrection.


  1. 這樣、怎麼說呢．我們可以仍在罪中、叫恩典顯多麼。
  2. 斷乎不可．我們在罪上死了的人、豈可仍在罪中活著呢。
  3. 豈不知我們這受洗歸入基督耶穌的人、是受洗歸入他的死麼。
  4. 所以我們藉著洗禮歸入死、和他一同埋葬．原是叫我們一舉一動有新生的樣式、像基督藉著父的榮耀、從死裡復活一樣。
  5. 我們若在他死的形狀上與他聯合、也要在他復活的形狀上與他聯合．




 


 









 






6.     
For we know that our old self was crucified with
him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no
longer be slaves to sin—7, because
anyone who has died has been freed from sin.  8, Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will
also live with him.  9. For we know
that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no
longer has mastery over him.  10. The death he
died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.   

 6. 因為知道我們的舊人, 和他同釘十字架、使罪身滅絕、叫我們不再作罪的奴僕.  7. 因為已死的人、是脫離了罪     
             8. 我們若 是與基督同死、就信必與他同  活．


  1. 因為知道基督既從死裡復活、就不再死、死也不再作他的主了。
  2. 他死是向罪死了、只有一次．他活是向　神活著。





This section
deals with sanctification - God makes our lives change as we grow in
the faith.



Ro. Vv 1-5: In
the church of Apostle Paul's day, the usual form of baptism-that is new
Christians were completely "buried" in water. This form of baptism is to
symbolize the death and burial of the old way of life. Coming up out
of the water symbolize the resurrection to new life with Christ. If we
think of our old, sinful life as dead and buried, we have a powerful to
treat the desires and temptations of the old nature as if they were dead.
Then we can enjoy our wonderful new life with Jesus. "God had power to
do what He had promised (Ro.4:21). Therefore, -See Colossians
3:12-15:









  1. Therefore,
    as God''s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
    compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
  2. Bear
    with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one
    another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
  3. And
    over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in
    perfect unity.
  4. Let
    the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body
    you were called to peace. And be thankful.


12. 所以你們既是　神的選民、聖潔蒙愛的人、就要存憐憫、恩慈、謙虛、溫柔、忍耐的心。


13. 倘若這人與那人有嫌隙、總要彼此包容、彼此饒恕．主怎樣饒恕了你們、你們也要怎樣饒恕人。


14.       
在這一切之外、要存著愛心．     愛心就是聯絡全德的。


15.             
又要叫基督的平安在你們心裡作主．你們也為此蒙召、歸為一體．且要存感謝的心。




Ro. Vv
6-10(羅馬書): Here Apostle Paul emphasized that we need no
longer live under sin's power. They maybe sometimes still feel like sinning,
the difference is that before we were saved, we were slaves to our sinful
nature, but now we can choose to live for Christ (see Galatians 加拉太2:20 - I have been
crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I
live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave himself for me. 我已經與基督同釘十架．現在活著的、不再是我、乃是基督在我裡面活著．並且我如今在肉身活著、是因信　神的兒子而活、他是愛我、為我捨己。



B.      Alive In Christ:
Read Romans 6:11-15, 22當人重生就發生了何事呢?              1. Offer
yourself to God, read Romans 6:11-
15









  1. In the same way,
    count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
  2. Therefore do not let
    sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
  3. Do not offer the parts
    of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer
    yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life;
    and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
  4. For sin shall not be
    your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
  5. What then? Shall we
    sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

1. Offer
yourself to God, Ro. 6:11-15
  1. 這樣、你們向罪也當看自己是死的．向　神在基督耶穌裡、卻當看自己是活的。
  2. 所以不要容罪在你們必死的身上作王、使你門順從身子的私慾．
  3. 也不要將你們的肢體獻給罪作不義的器具．倒要像從死裡復活的人、將自己獻給　神．並將肢體作義的器具獻給　神。
  4. 罪必不能作你們的主．因你們不在律法之下、乃在恩典之下。
  5. 這卻怎麼樣呢．我們在恩典之下、不在律法之下、就可以犯罪麼．斷乎不可。

 


1.  並將肢體作義的器具獻給　神。   羅馬書 6:11-15


 


(Ro. 羅馬書6:11)  "Count ourselves dead to sin" means
that we should regard our old sinful nature as dead and unresponsive to sin.
Because of our union and identification with Christ, we are no longer
obligated to carry out those old motives, desires, and goals. So let
us consider ourselves to be what God has in fact made us. We have a new
start, and the Holy Spirit will help us become in our daily experience what
Christ has declared us to be. 向罪死因您已將自己獻給  神．我們不再帶有老我的心欲和目標了。我們有新的開始, 就讓 聖靈日日幫助我們經驗耶穌給我們清楚的旨示, 祂要我們當作的事。



(Ro.6:13a)  The ability to
refuse to offer ourselves "to sin as an instrument of wickedness"  (Ro.6:13b) By God's
grace and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be enabled not to sin. It
was Jesus who said, "Everyone who sins is a slave to sin, but if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John約 8:34, 36). 天父的兒子若叫你們自由、你們就真自由了。                                                   
(Ro.6:14-15)
 Paul means when we were under the law, sin was
our master-the law does not justify us our help us overcome sin. But now that
we are bound to Christ, he is our Master, and he gives us power to do good
rather than evil. As justified believers, we have
the freedom to choose who will reign in our lives. We can choose our master.
Because of our identity with Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin. And sin no
longer has authority over us. Why?  It is
because of God's great grace.



2.     
The life of holiness,
read Romans 6:22













22. But now that
you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit
you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.


 

22. 但現今你們既從罪裡得了釋放、作 了　神的奴僕、就有成聖的果子、那結局就是永生。



 

 


Everybody has a
master – either God or sin. A Christian is no someone who cannot sin, but
someone who is no longer a slave to sin. He (or her) belongs to God.



       Paul urges
believers to pursue a life of holiness by a self-abandonment to righteousness.
He writes, "Now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage
you get is sanctification" (v. 22), Sanctification
is the work of God's Holy Spirit by which He makes people holy. We could never
live righteously in our own strength. That is why He has given us the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live rightly and tell
others about Jesus (Acts 1:8). However, the Holy Spirit also purifies
our hearts by faith (15:9). 聖靈降臨在你們身上、你們就必得著能力．並作好見證。(使徒1:8). 又藉著信潔淨了他們的心、並不分他們我們(使徒15:9)。



 



C. IN
STEP with the SPIRIT當靠聖靈行事: Read
Galatians 5:22-25









  1. But the fruit of the
    Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
  2. gentleness and
    self-control. Against such things there is no law.
  3. Those who belong to
    Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and
    desires.
  4. Since
    we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

22.聖靈所結的果子、就是仁愛、喜樂、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信實、       
23. 溫柔、節制．這樣的事、沒有律法禁止。                                                  
24.凡屬基督耶穌的人、是已經把肉體、連肉體的邪�"p慾、同釘在十字架上了。                                             
25.  我們若是靠聖靈得生、就當靠聖靈行事。




The above are the character of Christ, if we want
the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our lives to his.- John 15:
4-5: 4 Jesus says, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by
itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you
remain in me. 5, "I am the
vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear
much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. There are
found in the nature of Christ.



Biblical writers were very intentional about their order of
words. Why do you think Paul lists love first and self-control last? What does
this tell us about the life of holiness?  Paul lists the fruit
of the Spirit in contrast to the acts of the flesh (John
5:19-24):









  1. Jesus gave them this
    answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself;
    he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the
    Father does the Son also does.
  2. For the Father loves
    the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show
    him even greater things than these.
  3. For just as the
    Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life
    to whom he is pleased to give it.
  4. Moreover, the Father
    judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
  5. that all may honor
    the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son
    does not honor the Father, who sent him.
  6. "I tell you the
    truth, whoever hears my       word and
    believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be
    condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.     Eternal life - living forever with God
    –   begins when you accept Jesus
    Christ as Savior. At that moment, new life begins in you

 
  1. 耶穌對他們說、我實實在在的告訴你們、子憑著自己不能作甚麼、惟有看見父所作的、子纔能作．父所作的事、子也照樣作。
  2. 父愛子、將自己所作的一切事指給他看．還要將比這更大的事指給他看、叫你們希奇。
  3. 父怎樣叫死人起來、使他們活著、子也照樣隨自己的意思使人活著。
  4. 父不審判甚麼人、乃將審判的事全交與子。
  5. 叫人都尊敬子如同尊敬父一樣。不尊敬子的、就是不尊敬差子來的父。
  6. 我實實在在的告訴你們、那聽我話、又信差我來者的、就有永生、不至於定罪、是已經出死入生了。

出死入生 就是永生: "若有人在基督裡、他就是新造的人．舊事已過、都變成新的了。"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old
has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)




D.
CONCLUSIONS:  If these qualities that Paul describes are the fruit of the Spirit,
how    do we act in co-operation with the Spirit? What is our role in
keeping in step      with the Spirit? What three responsibilities in the verses 12-14 and 22 of         Romans   Paul
say the believer is to fulfill in order to remain "dead to sin"         and "alive to
God"?



            [1] Resist 對抗sin's attempt to
reestablish its reign in our life by steadfastly            resisting
temptation [Ro.6:12]. 不要被罪試探.                                                                                                         
        [2] Consecrate ourselves and the parts of our
body totally to God將肢體作義的器      具獻給　神 [Ro.6:13-14].。



        [3] Become God's slave in righteousness
which leads to sanctification [Ro.6:22-,      "Now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the
advantage you      get is sanctification." Read
bible daily, prayer, fasting, obey God's words and         His Works of mercy, included visiting the sick and imprisoned, feeding the         hungry, clothing
the naked, etc.



 



Prayer: May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify
you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 帖前5:23). 願賜平安的　神、親自使你們全然成聖．又願你們的靈、與魂、與身子、得蒙保守、在我主耶穌基督降臨的時候、完全無可指摘。