Pastor Reggie

This Week's Message: "Inside Out - What it Means To Be Sanctified"

Part 4

Matthew 15:12-20

Sanctification is the holy status that we receive through our holy union with Christ. It is the biproduct of saying Yes to God through Jesus Christ and…..it is the everyday effort to cultivate the commitment you have made.  Sanctification is both an immediate state of being and a process. It happens in a moment and yet it develops over time with an intentional effort. Much like a marriage, it happens immediately in terms of saying "I Do" on a wedding day and ever evolving process for a lasting, joyful marriage.  

As we look at this passage in relationship to understanding sanctification, consider these thoughts:

1)  Beware the comfort of tradition.  Traditions, in and of themselves are not a problem, but when traditions are lifted above the Word (Law) of God is a problem.

2)  Ignore blinded or closed-minded leadership.  We must be mindful/prayerful to not follow those who lift up human traditions, even non-traditional traditions, above God.  But praise be to God that Jesus said in Luke 4:18 that He came to bring recovery of sight to the blind.

3)  Sanctify your heart before all your other parts.  The external things like the washing of hands in this passage, are only excrements or droppings of the heart.  When we try to correct external actions before a transformed heart we end up with sewage.