It is the Cross of Christ which gives the Holy Spirit legal means to Sanctify the Saint. The Holy Spirit will not effect this Sanctification process if we look to other means, no matter how ‘good and holy’ they may seem.
“2 You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.
3 You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.
4 You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?
6 But He gives more Grace. Wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives Grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:2-7
Currently there are a whole lot of church folks asking but they’re asking amiss. These adulterers and adulteresses are at enmity with God because they are friends with the world. The humanistic psychology cloaked in Scripture is the world’s vain attempt to sanctify fallen man. This rehabilitation process consists of 40 days, 12 steps and/or 100 ways to complete. At the end of such, man is still fallen and we are still broken. We lusted and we had not. We kill that which hinders, yet we still desire to have but cannot obtain. We fight and war to have but we have not because we ask not and then when we do ask, we ask amiss so that our pride and self righteousness may be fed.
Our friendship with the world and it’s wicked ways has caused us to be opposed to God. Our intents are sincere but our actions are wicked. Shemitah’s, harbingers, blood moons, prayer shawls, yamichas and such have led us down a path of destruction. They have hindered the Holy Spirit from effecting sanctification in our hearts and presented worldly precepts. With our hearts depending on these wicked ways, we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to remove those things which are not pleasing unto God and place in our hearts God’s desires. The Sanctification process is interrupted. Being married to Christ, we are fornicating with the world when this happens and the Holy Spirit lusts to envy. He is jealous over those wicked desires we have turned over to the world for deliverance.
“13 Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.
14 He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” John 16:13-14
We must understand that the Holy Spirit will never speak of Himself but will show us the Cross of Christ Jesus, Who He is and what He has done. When John 16:13 was written the crucifixion of Jesus had no yet occurred; it was still to come. Just because we have a mental knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified doesn’t mean we have graduated. There is a Sanctification process that occurs as the Holy Spirit CONTINUES to draw the Saint closer to holiness and righteousness. As we draw nearer to the Lord, the wickedness of our own hearts is revealed and expelled from it’s throne.
Jesus Christ is the Word and therefore the Word of God is alive. It is never changing and is inexhaustible. As we read the Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelations 22:21, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This revelation of Who Jesus is and what He has done is the Rock of which the Church is built…and to be sure, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
“15 He (JESUS) said unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but My Father which is in Heaven.
18 And I say also unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:15-18
Precept upon precept and line upon line, that mustard seed of faith is given the increase as we as children, learn to depend upon Jesus Christ to author and finish our faith. One day soon and very soon our faith will indeed become sight as we behold the Face of our Lord Jesus Christ but until that time comes we must continue to occupy. The invitation remains to come. The Holy Spirit wants to effect Sanctification upon the Believer but we too must come daily to Calvary’s Cross. We must come daily to deny ourselves and trust in the Lord. Whosoever will believe is Salvation for the believing sinner and Sanctification for the believing Saint. Nevertheless, come.
“And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 