God’s Whole Sanctification
I spoke yesterday of the circumcision of the heart, which God calls us to. It’s not about a physical circumcision anymore, it’s about presenting your heart to God, so that He may cut away the sin that remains and make you new.
A Half-Off Deal
One of the silliest movies you can ever wish to see is Robin Hood, Men in Tights. At one point in the movie a rabbi comes into town, and there’s a big sign on his cart that says ““Circumcisions Special Offer – Half Off”!!!!
Some people think that the circumcision of the heart is like this! That God doesn’t really give you power over sin. It’s a sort of a half job – you are still a sinner, but he just overlooks your sin.
But God doesn’t have a half-off offer for your heart! He wants to cut away those sins and sanctify you wholly. He wants to remove the power of those sins in your life as you place your faith in Him today.
I love these words in one a song I recorded called Canaan Melodies:
He sanctifies me wholly, from sin my soul is freed
And now I’m always singing sweet Canaan Melodies!
Not half! But whole! He sanctifies the whole.
Entire Sanctification
In fact there’s a Charles Wesley hymn which says something similar. It says:
“Refining fire go through my heart,
Illuminate my soul;
Scatter Thy life through every part,
And sanctify the whole.”
It’s the whole life that God want to cleanse.
I wonder if there is something you’re holding back from God? You want His love, but you still want your sin. You still want your pornography, your sex outside of marriage, your lies, your dishonesty, your gossip, your getting drunk, your whatever. You want God’s mercy, but you don’t want God to touch your pleasure, your money, your business, your home.
But this is not a half off deal, friends! God wants all of you, because it’s only when He’s sanctified the whole of you that you will really find peace.
Will you offer it all today? Will you believe He can cleanse you? Will you receive His full heart circumcision?
And having believed and received, will you continue to walk blamelessly before Him by faith through grace?
I pray so.
