Gleans from Monday Bible Study with Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
DLBC Old Mushin, Lagos HQ
9th July 2018
STUDY 57: CHRIST’S SUPPLICATION FOR OUR SANCTIFICATION
John 17:13-19,4; 15:11; 16:20-24; Romans 5:11; Philippians 2:2; Psalms 51:12; Isaiah 12:2,3; Luke 10:20; Hebrews 12:2; 1 John 1:4
“And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” (John 17:13) We remember that Jesus Christ was praying in this Chapter. His departure from the earth back home to God the Father in Heaven was very near; He was about to go to Calvary to die for us and shed His blood for our salvation, redemption, justification and sanctification and everything that we need. He said with assurance, confidence, and certainty ‘now come I to thee’. There are some things you need to know about the Lord Jesus Christ and these are:
- He knew why He came: and was not distracted nor diverted, but looked at His goal, destiny and terminal point.
- He knew what was to be done – what He came here to do, and He was connected with and concentrated on that. You need to be certain like that – know why you are here and what you are supposed to do.
- He knew how to do what He was to do: and he did it using the appropriate and best method to please the Father.
- He knew where to begin what the Lord had called Him to begin: and He stayed there.
- He knew who to engage along with Himself: and He chose them to do what ought to be done.
- He knew when He would finish and go back to the Father: and He completed what He was assigned to do.
Think about yourself and how you will relate them to your own life. Jesus Christ knew why He came. “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). I pray you will be able to say this at the end of your life on earth: That you finished what He appointed you to do on earth.
“And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves” (John 17:13). What He taught, spoke, commanded, instructed, all the miracles, and what He provided for the people were all done for a purpose – so that they might have His joy fulfilled in them. In everything we do, provide, or teach, this should be for the fulfilment of the joy and happiness of the people that hear us. When you minister, preach or counsel, do you have the joy of all the people listening to you in the congregation at heart? Jesus Christ centered on the abiding, great joy of the people. (John 16:20-24). Jesus wanted to pass on joy unto His disciples. Anything you do in the service of the Lord, to the people of God, and to your neighbours, you want them to have joy, to go from sorrow to joy, sadness to gladness, and that the joy will increase and go on into the great, eternal joy in their lives. The purpose of everything we do in life, in the ministry is that you want to stretch a good hand to your neighbours and fellow brethren so that the joy of the Lord will come to them, beginning with the joy of salvation, redemption and atonement through Jesus Christ who died to provide this joy unto us: “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalms 51:12). Joy begins at salvation. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2,3). God will be your salvation, not idols or self-righteousness. When you come to Christ and you turn away from your sins and receive Him as your Lord and Saviour, then you are born again, your name goes on record in Heaven (Luke 10:20). You will have joy, and then you are looking forward to when you will reign with the Lord. Jesus was looking forward to that joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Tonight we are preaching, and you are at the Bible Study so that, “……. your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4). You will not leave this Bible Study depressed in Jesus name. Everything Jesus did with anyone and at any time and what He is doing now is that we will have joy, and your joy will be full in Jesus Name.
3 points:
POINT 1: OUR SEPARATION AND PRESERVATION FROM THE WORLD
John 17:14
Here is our Saviour talking to the Father – “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). The Lord will keep you from evil. There are two things here:
- The True Believers’ Separation – John 17:14,16; 15:18,19; Proverbs 29:27; Leviticus 20:23-24,26; Jeremiah 10:1-2; Romans 3:19; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 Peter 2:20-22; James 1:27; 4:4
“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). I pray that the Lord will say the same thing about you, that you are not of the world. Jesus was happy that these people were genuinely born again, and He could tell that they were not of the world; chosen out of the world. The world will hate you because, “An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked” (Proverbs 29:27). Oil and water cannot mix, so there is separation between believers and unbelievers. The unjust will hate the just; the unrighteous will hate the righteous. If thieves, reprobates, and the world love you then you are on their side, but thank God you are not on their side. If you are a real child of God, and really born again, your life will be so different, so bright and your light will so shine that the people in darkness, in occultism, and those still reveling in sin will know that you are not part of them. Your life will be so clear and separated from them. You are not copying their styles or anything that they are doing. “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them” (Jeremiah 10:2). Do not ask how they conduct their affairs to copy them. There must be a marked different between us and the world. If you are like the world, then you are guilty, condemned and defiled, and going to be punished with the world; but you are not of the world: (Romans 3:19). The fashion of this world passes away, not stable, but if you want to abide forever you will not be like the world or do the things they are do (1 John 2:15-17). There is pollution, dirt, defilement and abomination in the world, but if you come to Christ, you will be cleansed from all these (2 Peter 2:20-22). There is impure religion that just hears the word and no change of life and heart, nominal religion: but pure religion is to keep yourself unspotted from the world. Friendship and fellowship with the world makes you an enemy of God (James 4:4).
- The Transformed Believers’ Preservation from the World – John
17:15; Galatians 1:4; 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:18; 1 John 4:3-6; 5:4,5,18,19,21
There is evil in the world because there is a devil in the world. When you are born again, preservation is already there at the point of your conversion. “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:4). Any evil in your community will not affect you, for you are delivered. We have nothing in common with the world, we are crucified to the world, and the evil of the world will not touch you (Galatians 6:14). “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18). The spirit in the world is the spirit opposed to Christ, and it will not attach itself unto you. You are preserved. “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:18). They cannot touch nor destroy your life; just keep yourself from idols v21.
POINT 2: OUR SANCTIFICATION AND PURITY THROUGH THE WORD
John 17:17,9
After we are born again, there is still another experience that Christ gave on the Cross, sanctification, and He prayed for that, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The world cannot have sanctification, but they are to have salvation first.
- His Prayer for Our Sanctification – John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24
This sanctification is possible and it will be permanent in our lives. Faithful is He who has called you, He will do it in Jesus Name.
- The Purity through Sanctification – Titus 2:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:3,4
When you have salvation, you are a purchased and pardoned person; but at sanctification you are a peculiar person, and “every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;”
- The Provision for Our Sanctification – Ephesians 5:25-27; Hebrews 2:9-11
For the world, He gave Himself so that they can be saved, but there is a second experience for believers, He died that they might be sanctified. There is a graceless Church which is just religious and salvation is not preached; but there is a gracious Church that has the grace of God and the people are gracious in character and interaction because they are born again. After that, is a glorious Church, and sanctification makes you part of this glorious Church.
4. The Purpose of Our Sanctification – Hebrews 10:14,16; Romans 6:6
Jesus Christ has a purpose for everything He does. He wants to perfect you through this sanctification, to take away all the imperfections in your lives and write the law of love inside your heart. The body, root of sin is destroyed at sanctification.
- The Price of Our Sanctification – Hebrews 13:12-14,20-21
The Lord paid the price with His own blood for your sanctification, you need to do something about that, consecrate yourself to possess this experience.
- The Preparation for Our Sanctification – Leviticus 20:7,8; Isaiah 6:1-6; 2 Corinthians 7:1
Preparation is necessary. You are to sanctify yourselves, make right your ways, correct your life with the word of God, make the proper preparation and then sanctification will come. When Prophet Isaiah saw the glory, holiness of God, and the brightness of those angels, and compared himself with all these, although he was saved and had been preaching, he said, “…..Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand …… And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” (Isaiah 6:5-7). The fire that takes away all the inner defilement will burn everything away in Jesus Name. That is the second work of grace, purification/sanctification. You prepare for it, demand for it, and the Lord will do it for you.
- Our Preservation in Sanctification – Jude 21,24,25; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 2:24
You have it you will not lose it; you take it everywhere and keep it in tact. Keep yourself in the love of God, anything that will stain your white garment of righteousness or take your sanctification away, you will not allow it. Keep yourself and the Lord will keep you from falling. You will continue in the Lord, nothing will take your place away from you in His kingdom, and this great sanctification which Jesus prayed for will be yours in Jesus Name.
POINT 3: OUR SERVICE AND PARTICIPATION IN HIS WORK
John 17:18
Jesus is transferring the ministry and service to you. There are two parts here:
- 1. As Thou hath sent Me into the world – John 20:21; 4:34; Luke 5:32; 19:10; 1 Timothy 1:15; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 4:9; John 3:16,17
The Father sent Him with a work to do, and in the same way He is sending us into the world to get this work done. The work is to call sinners to repentance through preaching of the Word; to seek and save the lost. This is the work He has given us to do as well as He goes back.
- Even so have I also sent them into the world – John 17:18; 20:21; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-47; John 1:29; Acts 3:26; 26:16-18; 8:4,26-31,35; 11:19,21
The same zeal, passion, compassion, devotion, courage, commitment and consecration Jesus had in doing this work, the same you ought to have. He has given us the same work going to the sinners and calling them to repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ. Make the move, take the initiative, and come out of your comfort zone to preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). As we talk to the people, we will not leave them in their sin and condemnation, but bring them to regeneration, salvation and conversion (Luke 24:45-47). You want the people to know about Jesus as the Lamb of God, just as John the Baptist did (John 1:29). This is the reason that He has saved you so that you can become the source of salvation to other people: to turn people away from their iniquities and unto the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 3:26). Do you have the gospel and the revelation of the Lord, then you are made a minister and a witness (Acts 26:16-18). The Lord is sending you to the sinners and community to call them unto repentance. The Early Church did what the Lord wanted them to do, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). We are to go out and reach the people where they are and not to hide ourselves in the corners of our churches. You will run and preach Jesus unto the people and they will believe the gospel.
Ponder on this! If you are a real child of God, and really born again, your life will be so different and bright, and your light will so shine that the people in darkness, in occultism, and those still wallowing in sin will know that you are not part of them. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Ponder on this! When you have salvation, you are a purchased and pardoned person, but when you have sanctification, you are a peculiar person. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Reflection – Anything you do in the service of the Lord, to the people of God, and to your neighbours, you want them to have joy, to go from sorrow to joy, sadness to gladness, and that the joy of the Lord will be their strength. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Words on the Marble – If you are like the world, then you are guilty, condemned, defiled and going to be punished with the world. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
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