Salvation and Sanctification - Recap 

Salvation and Sanctification—Recap 

Upon salvation, we are given peace “shalom” (Isaiah 66:13, 13). As we go through sanctification, we are endowed with agape love. It is the spring of living water within, constantly overflowing for the benefit of many (Isaiah 12:3; John 4:13). Peace (shalom) is an inner state of mind and heart. We are given peace because God loves us unconditionally. We acquire agape love when our love for God exceeds our love for ourselves. Agape love cannot be contained within. It is a testimony of the transformation God has done in our hearts. It testifies to the overflow of what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45), namely agape love. 

SALVATION—Peace Like a River

1. BELIEF in Jesus as Lord, God, and Savior for the remission of sin  

2. ACKNOWLEDGE  sin  

3. CONFESS—verbal to a priest/pastor or inward prayer of confession to our high priest, Jesus

4. REPENT—reject of the practices of the flesh and commitment to remove them 

Upon the above heart conditions, a person is JUSTIFIED and declared SAVED.

Prayer for Salvation

Lord Jesus, your Word says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:22). I am now calling to you, Lord. Before you, I humbly confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Forgive me for the sins I have committed against you and anyone, knowingly or unknowingly. 

Please come into my heart as my Lord, God, and Savior, and cleanse me from all my sins. I surrender to your kingship, and in faith, I entrust my life into your hands. Lord, your Word says in Romans 10:9-10, "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” I believe, Lord. Your Word is Truth. Please grant me your salvation. May the Spirit of the living God come upon me and empower me to live a good life. Grant me, Lord Jesus, victory over the sinful practices of my flesh by the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The key to entering the kingdom of God is repentance. This is salvation. The key to remaining in the kingdom of God is the practice of daily repentance and death on the cross. This is sanctification.

SANCTIFICATION—Love Like a Spring of Living Water

The commitment to become more and more like Jesus is to be transformed from “glory to glory” into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is the willful process to empty myself from all that is mine (the practices of the flesh) and fill myself with all that is His (godly character). It is the daily acknowledgment of the deeds of the flesh (wrongdoing/sin) and the honest desire to get rid of their practices. 

1. CONFESS—my daily wrongdoing/sin

2. REPENT—my daily wrongdoing/sin

3. CRUCIFY—my wrongdoing/sin - envision yourself putting your old flesh on Jesus’ cross and driving nails through that sinful flesh, condemning it to death. For example, take anger, hatred, bitterness, judgmental attitudes of heart, addictions, gossip, etc., and nail them on the cross of Jesus.

4. WASH IN THE BLOOD—cleansing from the defilement of daily wrongdoings

5. FILL UP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT—this is the seal of God that marks us for Eternity. As a result of the steps mentioned above, a person is set free from the practices of the flesh and no longer “craves” these sinful inclinations and desires. These practices have no power over them because they have been subjected to death on the cross. 

Prayer for Sanctification

Jesus, I confess my inability to conquer this sin ______ in my life. I now wholeheartedly repent of it. Forgive me, Jesus, for I have sinned against you. I now renounce this practice of the flesh and desire to turn away from it. I say “no” to it. I don’t want this sin in my life. I hate it because it is evil. Lord, I now consciously exercise my free will to nail this sin on your cross. I desire to die to this part of my sinful, carnal nature. I declare this sin dead, and I turn away from it. 

I call upon the cleansing power of your blood to wash me pure from the defilement of this sin. Wash my mind and purify my thoughts. Wash my heart and purify its attitudes. Wash my mind, body, soul, and spirit, and make me whiter than snow, purer than gold, and shinier than the sun. Cleanse me, Oh Lord, for I desire to approach you pure in mind, body, soul, and spirit. 

I now call upon your Holy Spirit to come and gently fall on me. Come, Holy Spirit, and wash over, engulf, enter, fill, and sanctify. Heal the brokenness inside. Bring the healing of the kingdom of God and restore me in righteousness and goodness as designed from the beginning of time. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Penetrate deep into my heart and my mind, sanctify me, and make your dwelling within me. Teach me how to live a life of purity in the fallen and corrupt world. Guide my walk in the way of the kingdom of God. Equip me with strength from above to resist the temptations of the evil one, the world, and my flesh.

Jesus, I desire to be set apart for you. Holy Savior, make me holy because You are holy. Replace the practices of my old flesh with your righteousness. Impart in me more of your goodness, love, and peace. May your righteousness be my righteousness and your goodness, my goodness. May the life I live in this body be consecrated into life with you. May I no longer live, but you live through me. Amen!

Note: You may be overwhelmed with negative emotions and unable to forgive and love the perpetrator. Yes, it is difficult. Emotions are rampaging. Feelings override reasoning. Yes, you may agree you must forgive, yet you still hold on to vengeance and hatred. Here is some practical advice: 

           GO WITH THE MOTION, NOT WITH THE EMOTION

   Go with the motion of the cross (session 6), with the prayers provided. Be honest, firmly desiring to do what is right in the eyes of God. Don’t trust emotions. The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9). Instead, employ the strategy of simple faith: The believer lives by faith (Habakkuk 2:4). Take this step with complete confidence that the Scripture is truthful and the teachings lead to divine healing. Very soon, you will be free from the burden of unforgiveness, and even more, you will find your heart yielding compassion towards your perpetrator. It is not your compassion but Christ’s compassion for the perpetrator because He lives in you. This is the sign of agape love. This is the sign of being EHAD with Jesus. You have defeated the enemy's schemes through the cross of Jesus in faith. You have met the righteous requirement of God’s Law.