I invite you to turn with me tonight to Titus 2, Titus chapter 2, this is one of the portions of scripture we can read in connection with article 24 of our confession of faith, a summary of God's word, of God's teaching on man's sanctification and good works. Article 24 is found on page 80, bottom of page 80, top of page 81 in the back of the Psalter hymnal, if you would please turn there as well to Article 24 of the Belichick Confession of Faith, page 80, and Titus chapter 2, in particular verses 11 through 14 in connection with Article 24. We read together the chapter as we hear now the Word of God. You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the Word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything, set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted so that in every way they will make the teaching about God, our Savior, attractive. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ one thing that all people have in common no matter where you live or what you believe or what language you speak is that we think we speak and we are busy and we are active doing doing something and this is true for all people every day and of course we know that it's true of some more than others and there may be exceptions for old age and certain diseases that attack the mind, but even the most helpless person in a bed whose mind is still good at least thinks. That's what we as Christians have in common with all people alike. Yet there is a difference. There's a difference between those who are born again and those who are not when it comes to these common activities. And that's because those whom God justifies for the sake of Christ, the Holy Spirit sanctifies in Christ. For Christians, every thought, word, and action is performed under the banner of God's command to be holy. For God's people, every thought, word, and action is affected by his or her faith. Believers are set apart in the faith. That's what Article 24 of the Belgic Confession deals with. Follow along if you would. It's a little bit lengthy, but it's good if we read it. Bottom of page 80, man's sanctification and good works. We believe that this true faith, that gift of faith we've talked about, being wrought in man by the hearing of the Word of God and the operation of the Holy Spirit, regenerates him and makes him a new man, causing him to live a new life and freeing him from the bondage of sin. Therefore, it is so far from being true that this justifying faith makes men remiss in a pious and holy life, that on the contrary, without it, they would never do anything out of love to God, but only out of self-love or fear of damnation. Therefore, it is impossible that this holy faith can be unfruitful in man. For we do not speak of a vain faith, but of such a faith which is called in Scripture a faith working through love, which excites man to the practice of those works which God has commanded in His Word. These works, as they proceed from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable in the sight of God forasmuch as they are all sanctified by His grace. Nevertheless, they are of no account towards our justification, for it is by faith in Christ that we are justified, even before we do good works. Otherwise, they could not be good works any more than the fruit of a tree can be good before the tree itself is good. Therefore, we do good works, but not to merit by them. For what can we merit? Nay, we are indebted to God for the good works we do and not He to us, since it is He who worketh in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Let us therefore attend to what is written, when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants, we have done that which it was our duty to do. In the meantime, we do not deny that God rewards good works, but it is through His grace that He crowns His gifts. Moreover, though we do good works, we do not found our salvation upon them, for we can do no work but what is polluted by our flesh and also punishable. And although we could perform such works, Still, the remembrance of one's sin is sufficient to make God reject them. Thus, then, we would always be in doubt, tossed to and fro without any certainty, and our poor consciences would be continually vexed if they relied not on the merits of the suffering and death of our Savior. Now, beloved, this article, this article, as you may have noticed, is practical for you and me. It's practical Christianity, really. It's something for us to take to work or to take to school tomorrow. It's something for us to think about, for example, when we are trying to make decisions. Should I do this or should I do that? Should I not do this? Should I not do that? Sanctification deals with the life, both inside and out, the life of one who is justified. One who has been declared not guilty by God. Sanctification, we might say, responds to God's grace day by day in a life of good works. With Article 24, we are reminded once again that salvation is indeed a package. And although we might speak of the different elements that make up the whole of salvation, like calling, regeneration, conversion, justification, adoption, and so forth, and so on, yet they all fit together. All the elements are necessary. There is no such thing as a partial salvation. Either you are or you are not saved. There's no sitting on the fence. Justification, you remember, teaches how we are restored to God's favor. And through sanctification, we learn how to walk every day in the light of His favor before the face of God. And that gift of faith that we talked about is instrumental for both. Again, in justification, faith is that instrument that embraces all the blessings earned for us by Christ, and faith is also instrumental in sanctification by producing fruit. Good works are intimately tied to sanctification and faith as evidence, as a product of these things. You see, there is no such thing as an inactive Christian. That's simply impossible. Because one who is being renewed on the inside will show that on the outside. The Bible makes it clear that out of the heart flows the issues of life. All of our thoughts and motives and desires and words and actions have their root in the heart. And if the heart is new and improved, the same will be true of all of these things. And the source of sanctification is God Himself through His Holy Spirit. Now when we understand what sanctification is, then it becomes clear that there cannot be any other source than God Himself, than the Holy Spirit. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 3, Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus be cursed. No one who has the Spirit living in them would say something like that. And he goes on, and no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. Those who are temples of the Holy Spirit, those in whom the Holy Spirit lives, are led by that Spirit, and it is the Holy Spirit of God who applies God's grace to our hearts. And as Paul says to Titus in chapter 2, verse 12, It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. It is through the Holy Spirit, the Comforter sent by Jesus Christ, that we are purified as God's people. You see, beloved scripture teaches us that sanctification has to do with holiness, with purity, with separation. And the Bible teaches us about sanctification, we might say, in a couple of different ways. It teaches that God's people are sanctified, that they are being sanctified, and one day will be fully sanctified. Now, first of all, positionally, believers, those whom God declares to be not guilty, those whose state, whose standing before God has been changed by Him. Positionally, believers are also sanctified in the sense that they are set apart as holy unto the Lord. Separation. In 1 Corinthians 1 verse 2, Paul addresses those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy. God's people are set apart for a special purpose. But also believers will one day be fully or entirely sanctified when he who began a good work in them brings it to completion. And this will be in the glory of heaven after this life. Jude 2 says, To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy. And as Paul says in Ephesians 5, Christ will present his bride without blemish, without stain, without wrinkle. But between being set apart for a special purpose, even now, and being perfected in glory one day, is the process of sanctification leading to that perfection that the Bible teaches. Now, a good theological definition of sanctification that Louis Burkhoff writes is this. He says, Sanctification is that gracious and continuous operation of the Holy Spirit by which He delivers the justified sinner from the pollution of sin, renews His whole nature in the image of God, and enables Him to perform good works. Now, man's disobedience, we know, resulted in the guilt of sin, In the corruption or the pollution of sin, as well as in the misery of sin. Well, in Christ we are justified before God. The guilt is dealt with. The guilt is removed in justification. In glory we will be forever delivered from the misery of sin, from the effects of sin we must endure in this life. We talked about that this morning, the trials and temptations, sickness, difficulty, as well delivered from committing any sin. that's one of the beauties of death, if you think about it, that when I die, I will never again offend God. I will never again sin against God. But again, in between those two, sanctification is the process, the work of the Holy Spirit, taking those whom God sees and declares as holy and righteous in Christ Jesus and making them actually holy and righteous in their being. Cleaning up the pollution of sin. Now, boys and girls, we are totally depraved. You've heard that expression before. Totally depraved. Sinful through and through. That means that like a sponge that soaks up water, our thoughts and desires and motives, Our heart, our actions, apart from Jesus, are soaked full of sin. We need to be scrubbed and cleaned like when you take a bath or a shower to get the dirt off your body. And sometimes you have to wash a number of times, don't you, to get, for example, a magic marker or a paint or a grease stain off your hands. It takes a few times of scrubbing, but it gets fainter and fainter each time, doesn't it? The Holy Spirit works in us throughout our whole life, whether it's a short life or whether it's a long life, cleansing us, purifying us from all unrighteousness. It gets fainter and fainter, preparing us, polishing us for heaven. And the nature of sanctification in the second place, pardon my voice, it's driving me crazy, But the nature of sanctification is that it affects all of our life. Every last bit of it. Again, the beginning of Article 24. We believe that this true faith, being wrought in man by the hearing of the Word of God and the operation of the Holy Spirit, regenerates him and makes him a new man, causing him to live a new life and freeing him from the bondage of sin. The Holy Spirit gives the elect child of God new birth. regeneration Jesus says we need to be born again Paul says in Ephesians 2 God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions the Holy Spirit takes his word of truth and gives the gift of faith to believe that word of truth he makes us new creatures in Christ that's what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5.17 if anyone is in Christ He is, He is already a new creature, creation. The old has gone, the new has come. And out of a new heart come new thoughts, new motives, new desires, new words, new deeds. There's a new understanding. And that is that by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are conscious of the fact, as we considered this morning, that we are not our own. that we belong to someone else, to our faithful Savior. And we know, we are conscious of the fact that we have a basic freedom that all Christians have, and that is that we have been freed from slavery to sin. Sin is no longer our master. The devil is no longer our boss. We no longer desire to please him, but to please our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. doesn't mean we do it perfectly. We don't. But sin and the devil is no longer our master. Sanctification includes what we call the dying away of the old man, of sin. That's begun in conversion. The old man in us is the human nature that is controlled by sin. But the Holy Spirit, as He gives us a greater understanding of the truth that the gems reminded us of, The truth of our sin and misery. The truth of our justification in Christ. The truth of the holiness of God. The truth of the joy of salvation. As He gives us a greater understanding of that truth, He also gives us new desires and gradually removes, continues to scrub away the pollution and the corruption of that sinful nature. The dying away of the old man. And that's because the new man created in Christ Jesus unto good works is coming to life more and more. This may seem strange. There's a dying more and more and a coming to life more and more going on at the very same time. And as that new man comes to life more and more, the Holy Spirit strengthens the holy nature of the soul and increases holy actions and deeds so that the whole life is set on a new course. And this means the whole life. Body and soul, intellect, affections, and the will. Which also means, beloved, that we know it. That we are conscious of it. Paul was, as we know. He was conscious of the new man coming to life as he spoke of the good he wanted to do and the evil he didn't want to do. That was his desire. But he was also very aware of the old man that still tried to have his way in Paul's life as he didn't do the good that he wanted, but he did the evil that he didn't want. And that's why in a number of his letters, he constantly admonished his audience to put off, to get rid of, to stop doing the things consistent with the old man of sin. He understood the struggle. For example, in Galatians chapter 5, we read a contrast in the last part of the chapter between the deeds of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. And in connection with that, we read in verses 16 and 17, So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature, For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. The two don't mix. Then in verse 24, those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. And in Colossians 3, the first ten verses, he says, Put to death the deeds of the flesh, for we have set our minds on things above. James says in James 1 verse 21, Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you. Through sanctification, which has its source in the Holy Spirit of God himself and by its very nature affects the whole life of man, through sanctification, the sanctified believer is equipped then for a specific purpose. We know that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. And the Bible says that whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, that we do it all to the glory of God. Now, sanctification affects the whole life, the whole of life. So that as the believer's life is made more and more holy, his heart is made more and more holy, that life is lived more and more in a holy way. Paul says it's a life that says no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. And he says it is a life that's eager to do what is good. For the junior high boys and girls who were at junior high youth group the other night, remember what we considered from Acts. From Acts that we are to be devoted to prayer, to life, devoted to prayer, to the Word of God, to fellowship, and to witnessing. Now, Article 24 sets the record straight against those who say that justification, by grace alone, through faith alone, makes us complacent, makes us lazy in the Christian walk. So that we can live like we want because it doesn't matter, we're saved anyway. That's not what the Bible teaches. Paul says in Ephesians 2, we are God's workmanship, created to do good works. And this article also reminds us, on the other hand, once again, that good works aren't done to get saved, but because one is saved. Because one is justified. If you're not justified, you cannot do good works. Good works are the fruit of faith and of the Holy Spirit's cleansing work of sanctification. And as Jesus said, we are and we are to be known by our fruit. And the bottom line, beloved, is that Christians are to produce for the Lord. There's no such thing as a dormant Christian. A Christian is never on vacation from striving to live the Christian life with good works. The Christian part of the Christian's life is not a compartment of life that is reserved for Sunday, or reserved when we're in the Christian school, or when we're sitting in Bible study, or on the mission field. It's not one little compartment. The Christian life is exactly that. It's the life, the whole thing. We are always to be active in living for Jesus according to the truth of His Word. Hebrews says as well that as God's people that we are to consider how we may spur on each other toward love and good works. Article 24 says it is faith working through love which excites man to the practice of those works which God has commanded in His Word. It excites believers. Now this excitement is not talking about an uncontrollable exuberance that we sometimes demonstrate when we are excited. For example, boys and girls, when you are the guest of honor at a birthday party. But this excitement is talking about the power of God that excites us, motivates us, moves us to do good works, that makes us care about glorifying God. Believers are stirred up and want to do good works by the work of the Spirit. Does that describe you? Are you eager, eager to do good works for the Lord? Now, I think, I trust that it would be true of most, if not all of us, that we are on our guard. We guard ourselves to avoid doing anything that would really be offensive to God. Not one of us wants to do something that we know is really offensive to God. But flip it around and ask yourself, Am I really eager to please Him? Am I eager for that? Do I actively want to and do I actively try to please Him? You see, beloved, a growing, responsible, mature faith has that desire. Not just to stay out of trouble, but a real desire to please the Lord. James says, faith without works is dead. Genuine faith has to produce fruit throughout my whole life. Oh, it may not be a bushel full all the time. It may just be small quantities. For each one of us, it's different. Each one of us are at a different place in our Christian walk in that process of sanctification. But, beloved, this is where the rubber meets the road for the Christian. What are you producing for God? Are you just staying out of trouble and not offending others? Or are you really producing? And don't forget, that which pleases God will offend some. But that's an okay kind of offense. Is it obvious in your life, by your good works, that you are a Christian? You see, the message of the gospel is that for the Christian, everything, being transformed in Christ Jesus, everything, your outlook on life, how you view it, the way you think, how you express yourself, your style of life, is different because you are a Christian. Notice, Article 24 says, the first sentence of the second paragraph, These works, as they proceed from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable in the sight of God for as much as they are all sanctified by His grace. Now that's quite a confession, isn't it? Think about this. If you are trying to produce for the Lord, which you and I are commanded to do, how can you say of your life, as we say in this confession, that these works are good and acceptable in the sight of God. Because the last paragraph points to what Isaiah says, that even our best works are as filthy rags. It says, for we can do no work but what is polluted by our flesh and also punishable. The truth is, in this life, we are freed from slavery to sin, but not from the taint, from the stain of sin. And let's be honest, sometimes we do good things, and they turn out to be good things, to be sure, but sometimes we do good things to show off, to be noticed by others. So others might say, well done. Or we do good things because we're scared what might happen to us if we don't. The truth is our motives mess up a lot of good works. And at times we don't persevere in the faith as we should. The struggle is ongoing. So how can we confess that our good works are good and acceptable in the sight of God? Well, the answer is that when God sees us as Christians, as new creatures in Christ, He doesn't see the work of our hands, first of all, but He sees the work of His own hands. He sees his own grace at work changing and sanctifying us and in that way accepts the works we produce, works that are done from true faith, that conform to his law, and that glorify him as the catechism says. But that doesn't mean that his acceptance of those works puts us in a right relationship or keeps us in a right relationship with him. Only Christ does that. but we are still to produce in this life by God's grace and by his power. And as we do, beloved, he sees the new life he gave to us at work. He sees it as we try to raise our children in a godly way. He sees it as we try to be honest at work and in school. He sees it as we strive to work in his kingdom, to advance his kingdom. He sees it as we encourage and sympathize with each other. As we try to provoke one another unto good works, not unto evil. Young people, He sees it as you strive to keep pure for Him and for your future spouse one day. He sees it. He sees us as we support the church and His kingdom with our dollars. He sees the new life He gave at work as we pray and try to live a holy life in this world. He sees, beloved, that the things that once did not seem to us or that we did not consider to be harmful or dangerous or offensive, especially to Him, we now see as they are in truth. And we strive to avoid these things which might require a change in our language, a change in our actions, a change in our thoughts. And he knows that it's all by his grace because we ourselves could only get in the way. We are set free from slavery to sin to live in service to God. It's not the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life we live for in Christ Jesus, but to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. That's the character of the Christian life. Again, Article 24 stresses the point that we do not found our salvation upon our good works. Our good works are not the foundation of our salvation. We don't take comfort in our works because we know that one sin, the remembrance, it says, of one sin is sufficient to make God reject them. The last sentence, thus then we would always be in doubt, tossed to and fro without any certainty and our poor consciences would be continually vexed if they relied not on the merits of the suffering and death of our Savior. Our comfort is to be found only in Christ. All of our sin is forgiven in Him, even the sin that continues to stain our good works. And that must be ever so comforting to you and me because every day we can recognize where our good works were outnumbered by sinful and offensive works. Yet, beloved, the true believer will see his or her eyes will be open to the Holy Spirit's progress in their lives. It may be ever so little at times. It may be only baby steps. And some days it may seem like we haven't traveled very far down that road of sanctification But when you look back over your life, God will show you His grace. He will show you where you were before. He will show you where you are now by the work of His Spirit. And therefore, beloved, praise Him when your conscience accuses you of your sin. Praise Him when you recognize your sin because that's sanctification. Praise Him when you recognize that this movie or that activity is not fit for your soul. That's sanctification. Praise Him when you care about others' needs more than your own. When you realize that your temper and your selfishness really isn't as bad as it used to be. That's sanctification. Praise Him when you are concerned about how your words or your actions will either shame or exalt His name. That's sanctification. And praise Him, beloved. When you come to realize that you cannot do without His Word, when you cannot do without spending time in prayer to Him, that's sanctification. We are called to be holy. Holiness is not a feeling or a warm, fuzzy experience. But it's a way of living so that the Father and the Son are seen in your life. Holiness demonstrates a relationship with God that shows that we're in God's world. Living according to His will, separated from the world's ideas and the world's way of living. For example, living together before marriage or participating in homosexual lifestyle or many other things. We are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And the world will hate us for that. And in some way, shape, or form, the world will attack us for that because it doesn't worry about playing by the rules. But we must take that in stride because greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Beloved, may we be thankful for our salvation that doesn't rest on our record. but on Christ's record. May we be humbled that in Christ we are new creatures that will be exalted with Him one day, guaranteed. And may we pray each and every day that the evidence of the Holy Spirit's power in our lives may increase more and more each day so that there is more fruit than ever. May our sanctified hearts confess, Jesus is all the world to me. my life, my joy, my all. He is my strength from day to day. Without Him I would fall. And may our sanctified desire be, Jesus is all the world to me and true to Him I'll be. Oh, how could I, the friend, deny when He's so true to me? Let us not worry about what the world thinks of us and therefore be ashamed of our faith. But may we desire in all things to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Beloved, take time to be holy. Be calm in thy soul. Each thought and each motive beneath His control. Thus, led by His Spirit to fountains of love, thou soon shalt be fitted for service above. Amen. Shall we pray? Father we praise you for the truth of your word and the truth of your work in our hearts and in our lives we pray oh Lord that you would be pleased to continue that work to bring it to completion even as you have promised and may we be conscious each and every day of your work in our hearts and lives and may we desire to demonstrate that work in grateful living before you hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake and in his name, amen.