
The Old Paths of True
Sanctification
by Rev. Doris Leist
Vicksburg, MS
“Thus saith the Lord,
Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way,
and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
But they said, We will not walk therein” (Jeremiah
6:16).
Many have someone who has traveled the old paths. Today they are in heaven with the Lord because of the old path they took
while here on Earth. There are new paths of false sanctification that definitely lead to another destination.
“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein” (Isaiah 35:8).
Sanctification – What is it?
In Strong’s Concordance, a Greek word for sanctification is “Hagiazo” which is defined as holy, treat as holy, set apart, sanctification,
purify, consecrate, separate and, etc. Sanctification is a doctrine of God’s holy word. It is one of the 29 prominent teachings of The Church of God.
It is a second definite work of grace wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost. It is an act of cleansing or purifying the heart. God planned sanctification, Jesus provided sanctification, and the Holy Ghost performs it.
In Rev. Robert J. Pruitt’s book, “Death of the Third Nature”, He says, the word “sanctification” is synonymous with holiness. It is also referred to
as being dead to sin; cleansed from all inbred pollution; the body of sin destroyed; a clean heart; a pure heart; the second blessing; destruction of the
root of sin; death of the old man; and cleansed from all unrighteousness. Sanctification means all of these things.
Sanctification is necessary because even after we have been saved and justified, the carnal or adamic nature is still in man, therefore, without sanctification, man is unable to please God. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-8).
The doctrine of sanctification is hated by Satan because once we are sanctified, we are no longer under His control. Those who teach against
sanctification such as Atheists and others, I believe they contribute to the immoral values in this world and to the horrible condition of what this world
has become. The world has become consumed with the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Sanctification will take the
world out of you.
In the beginning Adam and Eve were not bothered by the world. They were holy, fellowshipped with God daily and enjoyed all of God’s blessings until Satan entered the Garden and they fell into sin because of their disobedience to God. They once longed for His daily visit, and now they hid from Him because their nature had changed. They had the divine nature in them until they sinned and now another nature had taken residence, the adamic or
satanic nature.
Since that time all of humanity has been born with two natures. A human nature and the adamic nature. God being the loving Father that He is set the plan into motion to remedy the situation. We are blessed beyond measure to know about this great plan and experience it.
The plan was that He would send His son to die and shed His precious blood to eradicate this deadly evil. “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (”Hebrews 10:9-14).
We are the beneficiaries of this glorious plan. We are sanctified by His precious blood. The old adamic nature has been eradicated, and only by true sanctification does this happen. When we are saved, all of the sins we have committed have been forgiven, but that old nature is still lurking.
We have not been forgiven of the adamic nature because we had nothing to do with having it. Now, I have three (3) natures dwelling within me.
My human nature, my new divine nature and my old adamic (sinful) nature. Something has to give. I will yield to one or the other. Without sanctification many people will eventually yield to the old nature. This is why God wants all saved people to be sanctified wholly, so that
the roaring lion cannot get to us.
It has been said that the blood of Jesus diminishes Satan from a roaring lion to a mouse with a microphone. The only thing that will stop a hungry
lion from roaring is a stronger lion starting to roar. This lion is of the tribe of Judah who roars for us!
It is the will of God that we are sanctified.
“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor” (1st Thessalonians 4:3-4).
“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” (1 Peter 1:15).
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (11 Corinthians 7:1).
Now, we are able, as Adam and Eve were in the beginning, to have sweet fellowship with the Father and walk in this glorious experience. “Seeing
then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Justification is what God does for us. Sanctification is what God does in us. Justification puts us in a right relationship with God.
Sanctification exhibits the fruit of that relationship, a life separated from a sinful world and dedicated unto God. As sin is rooted out in our lives by
sanctification, we can now bring forth fruit unto holiness. The blood of Jesus marks us internally, externally, and eternally. “And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot” (Leviticus 8:23).
Two thoughts are prominent in the definition of sanctification: (1) separation from evil; and (2) dedication to God. Sanctification, as a condition of the heart, affects every facet of our lives. It is the heart of our Christian faith, the theme of the Holy Scriptures and the purpose of God for His
people. God desires us to live holy. We are to come out from the world and be separate.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).
There are many “dumpster divers” looking for treasures in this world, but for the child of God there are no treasures to be found in the garbage dumps of this world. Our treasures are in heaven not on this earth. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4). Paul is saying that not only is the adamic nature crucified, but one’s own natural will is now completely yielded to God. Paul taught them how to walk after the spirit and not after the flesh.
How to Stay Sanctified.
“I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the world which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:1-5)
In 1871 Fr: J. Boudreau wrote a short story entitled, “The Happiness of Heaven”. It is a short story about a kindhearted king who was hunting in the forest when he discovers a blind orphan living there. The king takes the blind orphan to his palace and adopts him as his own son. The king gives to his blind son the best education and training money can buy. The blind son loves his father dearly and is grateful for everything his father has done for him.
When the son turns twenty (20), a surgeon performs an experimental surgery on his eyes and for the first time in his life he is able to see. The royal prince, who was once a starving orphan, realizes how he has been blessed with fine food, fragrant gardens and lovely music. But when he gains his sight, he doesn’t care to look at the wealth of his kingdom or the wonders of his palace. Instead he only wants to gage upon the face of his father; the king who saved him, adopted him and loved him.
We will do the same thing in heaven. We were all poor, blind, and wretched orphans. The King of Kings has adopted us into His family. When we arrive in heaven and our faith finally turns into sight, we aren’t going to be looking for the pearly gates, or streets of gold, we will only have eyes to look upon the One who has redeemed us. There is a wonderful promise found in Revelation 22:3-4: “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads”.
We must stay sanctified. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is I heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
There must be a continuous fulfillment of righteous living in order to stay sanctified. Many people do not understand their need for further cleansing after they are saved. The Church of God must teach it, preach it and live it, so the world may see it. As Christians, we must pray, seek God daily, study His word, and witness to others, so as to improve our effectiveness as Christians.
We have nothing to do with the act of sanctification. That is what God does, but as Christians by our own volition we, step by step, separate ourselves from this world and all of its unholy practices. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
We must separate ourselves from all that is unholy and unclean and by continually yielding our bodies as holy instruments unto God for His
glory and purpose. When we surrender ourselves to these acts, sanctification soon becomes the habit of our lives and Satan cannot defeat us.
Physical health is to the body, as sanctification or holiness is to our souls.
Sanctification
by Rev. Doris Leist
Vicksburg, MS
“Thus saith the Lord,
Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way,
and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
But they said, We will not walk therein” (Jeremiah
6:16).
Many have someone who has traveled the old paths. Today they are in heaven with the Lord because of the old path they took
while here on Earth. There are new paths of false sanctification that definitely lead to another destination.
“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein” (Isaiah 35:8).
Sanctification – What is it?
In Strong’s Concordance, a Greek word for sanctification is “Hagiazo” which is defined as holy, treat as holy, set apart, sanctification,
purify, consecrate, separate and, etc. Sanctification is a doctrine of God’s holy word. It is one of the 29 prominent teachings of The Church of God.
It is a second definite work of grace wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost. It is an act of cleansing or purifying the heart. God planned sanctification, Jesus provided sanctification, and the Holy Ghost performs it.
In Rev. Robert J. Pruitt’s book, “Death of the Third Nature”, He says, the word “sanctification” is synonymous with holiness. It is also referred to
as being dead to sin; cleansed from all inbred pollution; the body of sin destroyed; a clean heart; a pure heart; the second blessing; destruction of the
root of sin; death of the old man; and cleansed from all unrighteousness. Sanctification means all of these things.
Sanctification is necessary because even after we have been saved and justified, the carnal or adamic nature is still in man, therefore, without sanctification, man is unable to please God. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-8).
The doctrine of sanctification is hated by Satan because once we are sanctified, we are no longer under His control. Those who teach against
sanctification such as Atheists and others, I believe they contribute to the immoral values in this world and to the horrible condition of what this world
has become. The world has become consumed with the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Sanctification will take the
world out of you.
In the beginning Adam and Eve were not bothered by the world. They were holy, fellowshipped with God daily and enjoyed all of God’s blessings until Satan entered the Garden and they fell into sin because of their disobedience to God. They once longed for His daily visit, and now they hid from Him because their nature had changed. They had the divine nature in them until they sinned and now another nature had taken residence, the adamic or
satanic nature.
Since that time all of humanity has been born with two natures. A human nature and the adamic nature. God being the loving Father that He is set the plan into motion to remedy the situation. We are blessed beyond measure to know about this great plan and experience it.
The plan was that He would send His son to die and shed His precious blood to eradicate this deadly evil. “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (”Hebrews 10:9-14).
We are the beneficiaries of this glorious plan. We are sanctified by His precious blood. The old adamic nature has been eradicated, and only by true sanctification does this happen. When we are saved, all of the sins we have committed have been forgiven, but that old nature is still lurking.
We have not been forgiven of the adamic nature because we had nothing to do with having it. Now, I have three (3) natures dwelling within me.
My human nature, my new divine nature and my old adamic (sinful) nature. Something has to give. I will yield to one or the other. Without sanctification many people will eventually yield to the old nature. This is why God wants all saved people to be sanctified wholly, so that
the roaring lion cannot get to us.
It has been said that the blood of Jesus diminishes Satan from a roaring lion to a mouse with a microphone. The only thing that will stop a hungry
lion from roaring is a stronger lion starting to roar. This lion is of the tribe of Judah who roars for us!
It is the will of God that we are sanctified.
“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor” (1st Thessalonians 4:3-4).
“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” (1 Peter 1:15).
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (11 Corinthians 7:1).
Now, we are able, as Adam and Eve were in the beginning, to have sweet fellowship with the Father and walk in this glorious experience. “Seeing
then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Justification is what God does for us. Sanctification is what God does in us. Justification puts us in a right relationship with God.
Sanctification exhibits the fruit of that relationship, a life separated from a sinful world and dedicated unto God. As sin is rooted out in our lives by
sanctification, we can now bring forth fruit unto holiness. The blood of Jesus marks us internally, externally, and eternally. “And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot” (Leviticus 8:23).
Two thoughts are prominent in the definition of sanctification: (1) separation from evil; and (2) dedication to God. Sanctification, as a condition of the heart, affects every facet of our lives. It is the heart of our Christian faith, the theme of the Holy Scriptures and the purpose of God for His
people. God desires us to live holy. We are to come out from the world and be separate.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).
There are many “dumpster divers” looking for treasures in this world, but for the child of God there are no treasures to be found in the garbage dumps of this world. Our treasures are in heaven not on this earth. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4). Paul is saying that not only is the adamic nature crucified, but one’s own natural will is now completely yielded to God. Paul taught them how to walk after the spirit and not after the flesh.
How to Stay Sanctified.
“I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the world which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:1-5)
In 1871 Fr: J. Boudreau wrote a short story entitled, “The Happiness of Heaven”. It is a short story about a kindhearted king who was hunting in the forest when he discovers a blind orphan living there. The king takes the blind orphan to his palace and adopts him as his own son. The king gives to his blind son the best education and training money can buy. The blind son loves his father dearly and is grateful for everything his father has done for him.
When the son turns twenty (20), a surgeon performs an experimental surgery on his eyes and for the first time in his life he is able to see. The royal prince, who was once a starving orphan, realizes how he has been blessed with fine food, fragrant gardens and lovely music. But when he gains his sight, he doesn’t care to look at the wealth of his kingdom or the wonders of his palace. Instead he only wants to gage upon the face of his father; the king who saved him, adopted him and loved him.
We will do the same thing in heaven. We were all poor, blind, and wretched orphans. The King of Kings has adopted us into His family. When we arrive in heaven and our faith finally turns into sight, we aren’t going to be looking for the pearly gates, or streets of gold, we will only have eyes to look upon the One who has redeemed us. There is a wonderful promise found in Revelation 22:3-4: “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads”.
We must stay sanctified. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is I heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
There must be a continuous fulfillment of righteous living in order to stay sanctified. Many people do not understand their need for further cleansing after they are saved. The Church of God must teach it, preach it and live it, so the world may see it. As Christians, we must pray, seek God daily, study His word, and witness to others, so as to improve our effectiveness as Christians.
We have nothing to do with the act of sanctification. That is what God does, but as Christians by our own volition we, step by step, separate ourselves from this world and all of its unholy practices. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
We must separate ourselves from all that is unholy and unclean and by continually yielding our bodies as holy instruments unto God for His
glory and purpose. When we surrender ourselves to these acts, sanctification soon becomes the habit of our lives and Satan cannot defeat us.
Physical health is to the body, as sanctification or holiness is to our souls.