Sanctification: The Predominant pre-2nd Advent Message to Christ’s church

by | Posted April 25th at 12:01am

We are told that to enjoy the presence of the Lord and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, we must overcome sin in our lives: “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21: 7)

Paul articulates the same thinking, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9)

In the same context, we find the first mention of the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation, conjoined with a compelling warning — the need to overcome sin in our lives. “Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name”. (Revelation 3: 12)

Again in the last chapter of Revelation, we find the same direct warning that articulates a period prior to the Lord’s descent from heaven, on the final day of Judgment. A clear preparatory close of probation warning prior to the pre-Second Advent of Christ cautions strongly to not close our minds to this vitally important message:

“Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right, and let him who is holy continue to be holy.” (Revelation 22: 10-11)

Then we hear Jesus speaking directly to us of the coming day when He will sit in Judgment over all creation and mankind: “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”. (Revelation 22: 12-13)

Once again the blessing of those who overcome sin, and turn from the allurements of Satan, is pronounced by Jesus:

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood”. (Revelation 22: 14-15)

Pay careful attention to this verse. Jesus is indicating the importance of allowing the Holy Spirit to sanctify and cleanse your mind body and soul from all sin (see Romans 8:9), using the symbol of washed robes, to depict those who enter the city, and have the rights to the benefits of the work of the indwelling Spirit; have a right to the tree of life, which is the source of all Life.  Those purified among the Christian church’s remnant are contrasted to the ones who have not entered into a relationship with Christ and remain outside of a holy unity with Him, during the time others have entered the gates of the “New Jerusalem”, a term primarily used for the entire church as a temple of people within whom the Lord’s Spirit dwells, individually and collectively.

The message is of such importance that Jesus sent His angel to give this message to the apostle John:

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”  Revelation 22: 16

This is a pre-Second Advent direct warning to the church because warnings make no sense after the divine verdicts are in.

Article posted by Glen R. Jackman, founder of GraceProclaimed.org

Glen has optimized his eldership role to teach the full scope of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ without boundaries.
You can read his testimony.