Sanctification in Christ-Part 1

Basic Doctrinal Worksheets
for New Believers
Lesson 11

Salvation--What Happened To Me the Moment I Was Saved?

I Was Sanctified (Separated)--Part 1

I Was Sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1:30)

We shall now study 6 FACTS that will help us to understand what the Bible teaches concerning SEPARATION (or SANCTIFICATION):

FACT NUMBER 1--The Basis of Separation is Found in the Very Nature and Character of God Himself.

In Isaiah 6:3 the Seraphim used a word three times to describe what God is like. What is that word? __________________ Do you find a similar description in Revelation 4:8? _________ The word "holy" means "set apart, separated." Thus we could translate Isaiah 6:3 in this way: "SEPARATED, SEPARATED, SEPARATED, is the LORD of hosts." In what way is God separated? We may answer this question in two ways:

1) God is totally and completely SEPARATED from all that is earthly or created.

Was God ever created (compare John 1:1)? _____ He made everything, but He Himself was not made (compare John 1:3). Did the LORD ever have a beginning (Psalm 90:2)?______ If all of creation were suddenly to disappear and be gone, would God still be God (compare Malachi 3:6)? ___________ In Isaiah 57:15 the LORD is described as the ____________________and _______________ ONE who inhabits _____________________ and whose Name is ____________. In Isaiah 6:1 we learn that Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, ___________ and ________________ _____. Which is higher and greater, the Creator or the creation (the things which have been created)? _____________________ Read Romans 1:19-25. Should men worship and serve the Creator or the creature? ______________________________

[Stop and consider: DO YOU PRAY BEFORE YOU STUDY THESE NOTES, ASKING THE LORD TO BE YOUR TEACHER? DON’T LEAVE GOD OUT OF YOUR BIBLE STUDY!!!]

Read Exodus 20:3-5. Is it possible for us to make a carved image (statue) of anything in the sky, or on the earth, or in the ocean that would properly represent God? _______ Is it true then that God is completely different and completely SEPARATE from all that is created? ___________

2) God is totally and completely SEPARATED from all that is unclean and impure. In other words, God is completely SEPARATED from all that is sinful.

When Isaiah saw the vision of God’s holiness (Isaiah 6:1-3), what did he realize about himself (Isaiah 6:5)? ________________________________________________ According to Psalm 24:3-4, who shall be able to stand in God’s HOLY place? ___________________________________________________________________
How much of the darkness of sin is in God (1 John 1:5)? ________________ Read Psalm 22:1 and Matthew 27:45-46. Why did God the Father forsake His beloved Son when He bore our sins in His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24)? When Christ was made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) why did the Father separate Himself from His only begotten (unique) Son? The answer to these questions is found in Psalm 22:3---______________________________________________ What is it that separates us from such a HOLY God (Isaiah 59:2)? __________________________________________

Thus, God’s holiness means 1) God is totally SEPARATED from all that is created; 2) God is totally SEPARATED from all that is sinful. Certainly it is impossible for us to be separated from all that is created. We can’t stop being creatures!! Only the CREATOR is absolutely separate from all of creation. So we will never be HOLY in this sense. By the grace of God, however, it is possible for the believer to be separated from all that is sinful. In fact, we are COMMANDED to be SEPARATED from all that is sinful! This COMMAND is found in 1 Peter 1:16: "BE YE _______________." According to this verse, why are we to be HOLY (set apart, separated)?______________________________________________ Does God want the believer to imitate His holiness (compare Ephesians 5:1)? ________ According to Leviticus 11:44-45, did Old Testament believers have this same commandment? ________ Thus, in studying the Biblical doctrine (teaching) of SEPARATION we must begin with GOD HIMSELF and we must ever keep before our minds the fact of HIS holiness and HIS separateness!!!!

FACT NUMBER 2 – Each and Every Believer is Separated.

What has God not called us to (1 Thessalonians 4:7)? _____________________________ What has He called us to? ____________________ The word "holiness" means "sanctification" (see 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 where the same word is used twice) and "sanctification" means being set apart, being separated." Thus God has called us to be separated unto Himself!!

According to Romans 1:1, what was Paul called to be? _________________________ Was Paul indeed an Apostle (see 2 Corinthians 1:1 and Ephesians 1:1)? _______ According to Romans 1:7, what were the believers in Rome called to be? ________________ Therefore, do you think these believers were truly saints? ________ The word "saint" means "a holy person, a set apart person, a separated person."

Read 1 Corinthians 2:15-3:4. Were the Corinthian believers spiritual or carnal (fleshly)? ______________ We are amazed, then, to discover in 1 Corinthians 1:2 that these believers were called to be _________________!! Not only that, but this verse also tells us that they were ____________________ (set apart, separated) in _________________ ________________. In 1 Corinthians 1:30 we find that I____ Christ Jesus these believers not only had wisdom and righteousness and redemption, but they also had ________________________. In 1 Corinthians 6:11 we learn that even though these Corinthian people were once terrible sinners (verses 9-11), they were now washed and ______________________ (separated, set apart) and justified (declared righteous)! Therefore, according to the way these Corinthian believers lived (1 Corinthians 3:1-4), they were __________________, but according to the way God saw them IN CHRIST (1 Corinthians 1:2) they were ________________________.

True or False: _______________ Every believer in the city of Corinth was living as a saint (living a life holy and separated unto God).

True or False: _______________Every believer in the city of Corinth was a saint.

In Ephesians 1:1-2 and Philippians 1:1-2 the believers at Ephesus and Philippi were called _______________. If Paul were writing a letter to your church he would probably start his letter as follows: "Paul, to all the _____________________ (holy ones, set apart ones) who are in _______________________, __________________ be unto you and ____________________ from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Read Colossians 1:1-2 and answer True or False: _________________ Although the believers at Ephesus and Philippi were called saints, the believers at Colosse were not.

In Hebrews 3:1 the believers are described by what two words? ______________ __________________ In Colossians 3:12 we learn that three things are true of every believer. Every believer is (1) ______________
(chosen) of God (2) _________________________ 3) beloved (God loves us because we are in the Beloved One--see Ephesians 1:6 and Matthew 3:17). In 1 Peter 2:9 we discover four more things about believers. As believers we are (1) a ______________________ (elect) generation; (2) a royal _____________________ (every believer is a priest and we can offer to God the sacrifices described in Hebrews 13:15-16); (3) an ________________ nation; (4) a peculiar people (a people of His own--see Titus 2:14).

True or False:
_____________ Every believer is holy.
_____________ Every believer lives a holy life day by day (compare 2 Corinthians 7:1; Colossians 3:8-9).

As we learned earlier, the word "holy" means "set apart, separated." To illustrate this meaning, let’s consider the Bible, which is often called "The HOLY BIBLE." In Romans 1:2 the Bible (especially the Old Testament) is called "the __________ _________________________." To say that our Bible is "holy" does not mean that it never sins! A book can’t sin (not even a dirty book)! Only people can sin! Our Bible is HOLY because it is "set apart" from all other books! It is the only God-breathed Book (2 Tim. 3:16)! Thus the Bible is unique and different from any other book! Now, let’s apply this meaning to the believer in Christ. God says that every believer is holy (Hebrews 3:1; Colossians 3:12) and therefore every believer is "set apart" and has been made different. God has separated each and every believer! Circle all of the following statements that are true (if it is false, don’t circle!):

FACT NUMBER 3 – Each and every believer, because he is separated, is responsible to live a separated life.

This means that God expects saints to live like saints! Because we have been separated unto God we are to live separated lives!!!

In Ephesians 4:1 we find these words: "I (Paul) therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye ____________ worthy of the vocation to which ye are ____________________." The word "vocation" means "calling." Thus the Lord wants us to ___________ worthy of the calling to which we have been _________________.

As believers in Christ we have a great calling! When God saved us He separated us and called us UNTO HIMSELF!! According to 1 Corinthians 1:9, what have we been called unto? ___________________________________________________________ The Bible describes this wonderful calling in 3 ways. As believers in Christ we have a H _____________ (Philippians 3:14), H_______________________________ (Hebrews 3:1) and H__________ (2 Timothy 1:9) calling! According to 1 Thessalonians 4:7, what has God called us unto? ______________________________ Does God want us to walk worthy of our holy calling (Eph. 4:1)? ____________

The word "worthy" (Ephesians 4:1) comes from another word which means "to weigh." In Bible times scales were used for weighing. The standard weight was put on one side and the product to be measured (grain, fruit, etc.) was put on the other side. When the scales were even and balanced, then everyone would know that the proper amount had been measured out! Thus the word "worthy" carried the idea of being balanced and equal!

Study the illustration at the bottom of the page. Is the standard weight of 5 pounds balanced with the amount of salt that is on the scale? __________ Is the amount of salt "worthy" of the 5-pound weight? ________ For the scales to be balanced and equal, how many more pounds of salt must you add to make the salt worthy of the weight? ________ (You could have answered that question when you were in the second grade!)

Consider again Ephesians 4:1. To "walk worthy" means that our walk (our life) should be balanced and equal with our calling! What kind of calling do we have (2 Timothy 1:9)? _______________ Therefore, our holy calling should be balanced by what kind of a life? _____________________ Let’s illustrate this truth:

True or False: ______________ All believers are holy. Thus the believer should live a ____________ life. True or False: ______________ All believers are separated. Thus the believer should live a life that is ____________________ True or False: ___________ All believers are set apart. Thus the believer should live a life that is ______ ________________. Were the Ephesian believers called saints (Eph. 1:1)? _______ Because they were saints, were they to walk as saints (Eph. 5:3)? ________ Were all the believers in Rome saints (Rom. 1:7)? ______ Did God expect them to live lives that were saintly (Rom. 16:2)? __________ Does the Lord expect aged Christian women to live saintly lives (Titus 2:3)? _____________

True or False: ____________ I know that I am a saint and that God has called me to Himself with a holy calling, and by His grace I want to live a holy and separated life so that others might know that I belong to the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me!

The great problem comes when we disobey Ephesians 4:1 and we don’t walk worthy of our holy calling. Even though we are saints (as God sees us in Christ), we often don’t walk like saints as we live day by day. This can also be illustrated:

As you compare these last two illustrations, you will notice that our calling never changes! Who is the One who has called us (1 Corinthians 1:9)? _________ Does He ever change (Malachi 3:6)?___________

Find one word in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 that describes what God’s will for your life is: _______________________________ We have already learned that this word means (circle the correct answer):

Which of the above 3 answers are true of the believer in Christ right now (give the 3 correct letters): ______ ______ ______ Which answer will only be true on the day of our final redemption (Ephesians 1:14 and 4:30)? _________ "The will of God" in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 means "that which God desires and wants for every believer." In 1 Peter 1:15-16 what one word describes the kind of a life that God wants and desires for us? ___________ True or False: _______________ God does not expect us to live a holy life day by day because He knows that we could never do it.

According to 2 Timothy 2:19, if a person claims to be a Christian, what should he do? _________________________________________ Does the Lord know which people truly belong to Him? ______ In verse 21 we learn that the Christian is to be a vessel unto honor, ______________________________ (set apart) and meet (fit) for the __________________ use. Who is your Master and Absolute Owner? _________________________ When you set your table for dinner, do you use dirty dishes or clean? ____________________ Do you think that the Master can use us for His glory if we are vessels that are unclean and impure and unholy? ________ Therefore, according to 2 Corinthians 7:1 we should ___________________ ourselves from ________ filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting _______________________ in the fear of God (fearing to do anything that will not please Him). We can then yield (present) our members servants (slaves) to righteousness (right living, right thinking, right speaking, right acting) unto ______________________________ (Romans 6:19) and we can have our fruit unto _________________________ (Romans 6:22). Also we can follow after (run after, pursue, chase after--see page 32) peace and _________________________ (Hebrews 12:14).
True or False:

a. __________ Every believer has a holy calling.
b. __________ Every believer has a holy walk.
c. __________ God demands that our WALK be as holy as our CALLING (Eph. 4:1).