The New Testament word for sanctification is "hagiasmos," and it denotes ethical purification, while including the idea of separation: "the separation of the spirit from all that is impure and polluting, and a renunciation of the sins towards which the desires of the flesh and of the mind lead us." (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 528) "The word, as used in Scripture, very probably came from a root which meant to be cut off, or to be separated." (Herman Bavinck Our Reasonable Faith, 469 ) Sanctification is the lifelong work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of believers by which they are made holy, delivered from the filthiness and power of sin, and enabled to live in obedience to the Word of God. In distinction from justification, sanctification is a work of Christ in us (justification is Christ's work for us), a lifelong work (justification is once only), a work in which we become active (in justification we are passive), and a work that removes the pollution of our sin (justification removes the guilt and penalty of sin). Being justified is like an immigrant becoming a legal citizen of his new country. Having become a citizen, however, he begins to learn the language, wear the clothing, eat the food, and adopt the customs of his new land in order to live like a citizen of that country. Sanctification is similar; it is God's people learning to live the life of heaven, which is Christ-likeness. Sanctification, therefore, can be defined as "that process by which the believer is gradually transformed in heart, mind, will, and conduct and conformed more and more to the will of God and to the image of Christ, until at death the disembodied spirit is made perfect in holiness¼" (John Murray, Collected Writings Vol. 2, 277)

Although Scripture does mention that all three persons of the Godhead are active in sanctification, this process is primarily the work of the Holy Spirit and it begins with regeneration and grows from that point. Even after the sinner is born anew, the work of the Spirit of God continues in the progressing and growing sanctification of the soul. From the new birth there shall be a new fruit-producing life, or as the Heidelberg Catechism reads, "it is impossible that those who are implanted into Christ by true faith, should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness" (Q64). Christ is emphatic in demonstrating the fruit-bearing aspect of the believer; "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Matt. 7:16-20). And likewise He says, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit" (John 15:2). This change comes from a true change of the heart (2 Cor. 5:17).

The sanctification of every believer depends solely upon the gracious operation of the Holy Spirit. Though believers become active in doing good works, and they must (Titus 3:8, 14), nevertheless sanctification is always a work of God's grace. When we are sanctified, our salvation is not turned over to us so that we alone become responsible for it. In sanctification we do not suddenly begin to "cooperate" with God so that our salvation is no longer wholly of grace. (Sanctification is monergistic, not synergistic). Though we do good works in sanctification, there is still no merit in these works (Eph. 2:8-10), "¼even though it is God's will to reward them in this life and in that which is to come-the reward comes not of merit, but of grace" (HC Q63). Simply stated, man cannot sanctify himself, "for all holiness and sanctification proceeds from God." (Herman Bavinck Our Reasonable Faith, 469). Gal. 5:25 says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." This operation of the Holy Spirit is accomplished by His will operating within us, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

This walking in the Spirit produces a constant conflict with remaining, indwelling sin, and seeks to put to death the remnant of remaining sin still in the soul. Paul says in Galatians 5:17, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." The believer is constantly battling "to put off the old man" while at the same time striving "to put on the new man in Christ." The Apostle Paul told the believers at Ephesus to "¼put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:9-14). And this is a continuous spiritual battle for the redeemed in this earthly pilgrimage. They truly hate their sin, but, inconsistent with the new principle of grace in their soul, they continue to sin and greatly grieve their conscience (Rom. 7). "Yet with earnest purpose they begin to live not only according to some, but according to all the Commandments of God" (HC Q114). And this "earnest purpose" and beginning obedience "to all the commandments of God" and every motivation to good works in the believer's life is done by the Spirit's power in moving the believer's soul to think and live aright. Romans 8:14 states, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."

In the process of sanctification, the Holy Spirit imparts a reverence and godly fear for the Lord in the heart of every true believer. The believer no longer views God as the angry Judge, but is now enabled by the Holy Spirit to see Him as a loving heavenly Father. Paul explains, "because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" (Gal. 4:6) This Spirit of adoption implies a hearty sense of gratitude and a principle of supreme love to God, such as a child has towards a forgiving and affectionate father. The Apostle John wrote, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 5:18).

This spirit of love also implies a warm brotherly love toward all those who are members of God's family. This is a new affection that arises from the new relationship we have in Christ, which unites believers with other members of Christ's organic, spiritual body (1 Cor. 12), and now causes us to "¼walk in love, as Christ also has loved us" (Eph. 5:2). And this is a result of "the love of God that has been poured out within our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 5:5). True faith, which is implanted in the soul by the Holy Spirit at regeneration, now motivates believers to so trust God as their Father, "That we may be patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity, and for what is future, have good confidence in our faithful God and Father, that no creature shall separate us from His love" (HC Q28). The remedy for fear in trials that surround believers in this life is to simply return to the childlike faith that one had at conversion-the simple trust that believes "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

Sanctification is beyond our natural power to accomplish on our own, as Paul said to the Galatians, "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Gal. 3:3). Sanctification demands the exercise and operation of the Spirit within us if we will be comforted by His grace. God Himself is the Author of all comfort and He communicates this comfort to every believer through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." The early Christians were blessed by this hope and comfort that comes from God, "and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied" (Acts 9:31). Such comfort of the Spirit comes by believing the truth of Scripture; through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, believers are enabled to understand the importance of the Word of God in their lives. Through the Word of God, the Holy Spirit teaches believers the comfort of "¼knowing that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39). It's the Holy Spirit who works grace into the believer's heart and comforts him to be assured of the reality of his salvation. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Rom. 8:16). And "by this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit" (1 Jn. 4:13). Let every believer understand that sanctification is not optional or unimportant in the Christian life. Rather, sanctification is the blessed work of the Holy Spirit who guarantees that the redeemed of Christ will be those who "Sing to the Lord, bless His name, and proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day" (Ps. 96:2).

Pray for the sanctifying work of the Spirit of God in the life of God's people in order that the church would "¼continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (Heb. 13:15).

May the name of the Lord ever be praised!

Rev. Scott Henry
Menno, SD

Most, no doubt, are familiar with the Parable of the Prodigal Son, as recorded in Luke 15. It has been read and preached perhaps more than any of the parables of Jesus. It is a very common, earthly story, and one that is sadly true the world over. It also has a spiritual meaning which is sadder still, but at the same time is filled with very good news. To better understand this parable, I would pose the following two questions: 1. In this parable, is Jesus talking ABOUT you? 2. Is Jesus talking TO you? How you answer these questions will reveal which of the two sons you are.

The characters Jesus sets forth in this parable are a father and his two sons, a very common and earthly situation indeed. Jesus first concerns Himself with the father and his wayward son. At the time that Jesus spoke this parable, the custom among the Jews was that a father could either bequeath his possessions to his heirs by drawing up a testament or, during his lifetime, assign them to his heirs in the form of a gift. So the younger son collected all of his possessions that he had received as a present from his father and lost no time in going and enjoying his newly found freedom and goods in selfish indulgence. He tears himself away from the parental home and goes to a distant land in order to be as far away as possible from the watchful eye of his father, enabling him to live as he pleases without any restraint or rules.

The result was that he soon wasted his substance in riotous living with wicked people. He wanted to be free and live as he wished. He wanted to live like those out in the world, and soon the world had him in its grip and philosophy, i.e., eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow may not come. Thus, he exchanges the real freedom, which consisted in obedience to his father's loving will, for the slavery of the world and sin. It may not seem like slavery, but try to get that person away from the world and its grip, and you will discover what a firm hold the world has upon such a person. He cannot escape it!

After his possessions had been wasted and lost, there came, to top it all off, a great famine upon the "far country," and not one of his so-called friends, who had helped him spend and waste his life and possessions, could or would help him. The result was that he began to be in want. At wit's end and driven by hunger, he accepts the most humiliating and repulsive kind of servant labor, especially for a Jew, that of caring for the pigs of one of the citizens in that distant country. But even this was not yet the lowest depths of his misery. He is treated worse than the pigs that he has to feed and has to fight with the them for food, which was equally as scarce for both the pigs and himself.

Finally, thinking about the whole mess he had gotten himself into, he is brought to realize how foolishly he had acted in tearing himself away from his father. Thinking about how it used to be at his father's home, he sees what kind of miserable situation he has brought himself to, and swallowing his pride, he decides to bid farewell to the far country and to return to his father. With a penitent spirit he sets out for home. Notice from what he had decided to say to his father (cf. Luke 15:18-19), that he is truly sorry and not simply trying the last thing before he starves to death, or because he knows he will have it easier there. He decides to ask to be received, not as a son, but simply as a hired servant. He feels that he is no longer worthy to be called his father's son. In his humility, he is now willing to take the very lowest place and to obey his father's commands.

Thus making up his mind, he arises and goes to his father, never dreaming of the surprising reception that awaits him. The heart of the father had continued to remain true in love for his wayward son. He had never ceased to watch and wait for the son's return, and that was the reason he saw him coming. Driven by loving compassion, the father runs to meet him, embraces him, and heartily kisses him. In his complete forgivingness, the father won't hear of it that his wayward son be taken back as a hired servant: "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry" (Luke 15:22-24).

Jesus goes on to describe the attitude of the older son, who, instead of rejoicing with his father, is extremely annoyed at the joyful celebrations and at the honor shown to the younger son. Nonetheless, the father also goes out to the older son to invite him to join the celebration (cf. Luke 15:28b). But the older son is conceited and regards himself as the perfect son. In his eyes he had earned and deserved all the honor and praise, while his brother should no longer have any right to what belonged to his father. So he accuses the father of having favorites; in fact he no longer thinks of the young son as his brother, as is obvious when he speaks of him as "your son" and not as "my brother" (cf. Luke 15:30).

The father, deeply hurt, tells the older son that he is not being unfair to him; rather, all of his riches are, and always were, at his older son's disposal. And if he has not received any real enjoyment of them, he himself is to blame, because he has become a stranger to his very own father; he has been living as one of his servants and not as his child; he has not really used or appreciated the riches given him by his father. The father goes on to tell the older son that it is impossible for a family not to rejoice when a wayward child returns, no matter how terrible his life has been. And the hearty welcome and celebration given to the returning son has nothing to do with rewards according to merits, but is wholly a matter of rejoicing and gratitude that the prodigal son has come back home.

We have now seen a very earthly and common story-a very sad reminder to many a parent and a solemn warning to those who wish to escape all parental authority. We have yet to discover the heavenly or spiritual meaning of the story. To do that, recall again the two questions: Is Jesus talking about you or is He talking to you?

To begin with, we must re-evaluate the places and characters in this parable and equate them with their spiritual meaning. The father, as you have probably already surmised, is God; the far country is the world of sin; the two sons are the answer to the two questions: Is Jesus talking about you? Is Jesus talking to you? The spiritual meaning of their characters will determine which of the two you are.

In describing the attitude of the older son, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees and scribes who are dissatisfied with Him for receiving publicans and sinners: "Then all the tax publicans [tax collectors] and sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them'" (Luke 15:1-2). Jesus then begins to relate a number of parables in order to refute this attitude of the Pharisees and scribes, i.e., lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son. Who is Jesus talking to? He is talking to the Pharisees and scribes.

Using these parables, Jesus very effectively exposes the true attitude of the Pharisees, for they also are inwardly strangers to God and have allowed their religion to degenerate into slavish bondage and self-righteousness. While they themselves remain spiritually cold and far removed from God, they despise and avoid persons like the "publicans and sinners," who, in their eyes, are no longer worthy to be sons of the father or members of the real people of Israel. However, when Jesus tells of the conversation the father has with the older son in regard to the son that has returned, He is teaching very clearly that God has been longsuffering to give the people of Israel the first opportunity of entering His kingdom and receiving and enjoying the fullness of life: "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found" (Luke 15:31-32).

Thus the Lord not only calls for the "publicans and sinners" to repent, but also the Pharisees and scribes, i.e., the older son-those who outwardly still remain with the Father, making a show of religion but inwardly are strangers to God and not sons, that they, too, should come to the Father and understand His love for the lost. So the question, to whom is Jesus talking, is answered in the older of the two sons. Jesus is talking to the scribes and Pharisees.

One question remains: Who is Jesus talking about? The obvious answer is the younger or wayward son. Again, a reminder: Keep applying these questions to yourself-Is Jesus talking to me or about me?

A life of sin and wrong is, in its deepest and innermost nature, the rebellious breaking away of man's life from God. Under the false yearning for "freedom," such a person enters the far country, the country of sin, Satan's domain, there to waste in selfishness and recklessness the precious gifts which he has received from God as did the wayward son from his father. All those things which a man wastes and destroys when he lives in sin, he has received from God as gifts wherewith to glorify God, for which purpose he was created, and which is also the only way to real freedom and happiness in life. Otherwise, you are simply like a fish out of the water, deceiving yourself into thinking you can make it out of the water. Who but the Creator gives to man his physical strength for making a living? his brain whereby he can think and reason? his spiritual insight wherewith he can believe? Who is the Maker of everything in nature that was put at man's disposal to rule over and use to glorify the Creator God in heaven?

When a man has sacrificed his life on the idolatrous altars of pleasure and selfishness in the far country, he must be brought back to his senses and to the realization that this distant land has nothing to offer compared to the precious treasures he has wasted there, and in his innermost being is left impoverished and starved. In the far country of sin, where the erring son desires to go and enjoy what he believes is real happiness and freedom, he sooner or later falls into the cruelest and most hateful forms of slavery and spiritual famine. Life loses all meaning and he is put to shame and will suffer fatal injury.

The first step towards true repentance is that a man must become conscious of the misery into which he has fallen in the far country of sin and see himself as he really is, rebellious, polluted, and lost. The lost one must first realize he has no right to claim that he should be accepted as a child of God on his own merit. Whosoever desires to go to God trusting in his own dignity or making excuses instead of confessing his sins openly, is in no condition to receive the forgiveness of God. All of this the wayward son had realized when he said he was no longer worthy to be called a son.

So wonderful is the love of the heavenly Father that He not merely forgives the sorrowful sinner, but actually goes out to meet this son and embraces him in His love and grace. He seeks and draws the sinner through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and through the leading of the Holy Spirit, even long before the sinner shows remorse for his sins: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jn. 1:12-13).

Read again how the wayward son, the sinner, is received: "Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet." What is the best robe? Is it not the robe of Christ? The prophet Isaiah wrote of it: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with jewels" (Isa. 61:10).

The apostle Paul says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." Reading this phrase in its context , one wonders if it was not written with the wayward son in mind: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Rom. 13:12-14). Righteousness is imputed to the sinner. The redeemed sinner stands before God the Father clothed in the pure garments of Jesus Christ. The words of a familiar hymn express it well: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; When I shall launch in worlds unseen, O may I then be found in Him; Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand" (Trinity Hymnal #582).

And what about the shoes? As slaves went barefoot, the shoes suggest that the believer is no longer a slave but a son. The ring on the finger confirms it. The "family ring," or signet ring, points to the doctrine of adoption. When the sinner returns to the heavenly Father, He does not reproach or punish him, nor does He humiliate him to the position of a hired servant or a slave, but He accepts him in Christ as His beloved child and gives him the full status and all the privileges of a son: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:4-7).

Remembering the question, who is Jesus talking about, I trust this parable has become a lot clearer to you and that in wonder and amazement, you are thinking to yourself: "Why, Jesus is talking about me! That is exactly how God has treated me! He gave me new clothes and dressed me in the righteousness of His beloved Son. He raised me from the level of a servant or slave to that of a son."

Is Christ talking to you or is He talking about you? God grant that Jesus is not talking to you as a Pharisee but about you as a sinner who has come home, and that you have the Spirit of adoption in your heart so that you, like the prodigal son, can cry, "Abba, Father!"

Rev. Vernon Pollema
Bakersfield, CA

When the subject of biblical giving arises, we usually have visions of dollars and cents. Certainly the support of the church is vital, so we give as the Lord has blessed us. Children should be taught by their parents, even as little ones, to place something in the offering plate. It is a display of thanksgiving and an acknowledgment that the first-fruits belong to the Lord. It is a part of worship that involves all believers. It is a commitment to the work of the church at home and abroad.

In difficult economic times, it is tempting to hold back giving. But this is a time when those who are able have the greatest opportunity to help those who are struggling. It may not only be monetary, but our time and our help is needed where it will do the most good.

We need to go beyond the offering plate. This is not the full measure of giving that the Lord requires of us. The giving of tithes and offerings is just a symbol that represents our desire of giving everything to the Lord in all facets of our life. If we give "proportionally"-that is, as the Lord has blessed us, we would never be able to fulfill that concept. The gifts of God to us are both temporal and eternal. We have much to give others.

Certainly the tithe that the Bible teaches is only 10 percent of our earnings. What about the rest-the 90 percent? If we have given a tithe, then is the remaining ours to use any way we may wish? Is the tithe sacred and the rest secular? Certainly not! Everything, including "our heart, mind, soul, and strength," belongs to the Lord and to our neighbor. The Lord demands 100 percent of our lives, given to Him in thankful obedience.

This should not be simply a matter of law, but of grace. Jesus said, "For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone" (Matt. 23:23).

The concept of biblical giving is not determined by our earnings, but by God's gifts. The Sunday offering is simply a confession that apart from the grace of God, we are and have nothing. Giving our first-fruits (not leftovers) acknowledges that fact.

So where do we start, as we determine what the Lord demands of us? Proverbs 23:26 instructs, "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways." Yes, it is a matter of the heart. Where our treasure is, that is where our heart will be also. When we see faith falter, we often seen giving subside. When the doctrines of God's sovereign grace are no longer foremost in the confession and life of the church, we see giving subside. Some of the huge mega-churches, which have championed a man-centered message, are now falling into financial ruin. The grace of God that fills the heart is no longer there.

The prophet Malachi bemoaned the fact that Israel was "robbing God" by not giving their tithes. In addition, the sacrifices they brought were the blemished, blind, stolen, lame, and sick animals. What we give to God not only reflects who we are, but what we think of God and His glory. The prophet says, "You offer defiled food on my altar, but say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?' By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible (i.e., to be despised)' " (1:7). Malachi calls on the people to repent, or, as God says, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings" (2:2). When man robs God, it is not God who is poorer, but man himself.

By nature we are selfish, but by grace in our hearts we are thankfully selfless. For Christians, giving is not a burden, but a joy. The Lord loves a "cheerful giver." Jesus willingly showed this grace: "though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).

Jesus did not give us a bag of gold, but He gave Himself. This is what God wants of us: to give of ourselves in humble gratitude. Whether it is in the offering plate on Sunday or whatever we do in our service to the Lord all during the week, this is what God has first given and continues to give us.

"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7).

PHT, Modesto, CA