The passages above show, without leaving the shadow of a doubt, that Christ forgave sins before His crucifixion. He had "power upon earth to forgive sins." It is also evident that not only the Twelve, but the Seventy also, believed on Christ, and they that believe on Christ have everlasting life. However, it is not to be presumed that Christ's suffering and death do not have a part in this. Jesus was a "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." It was all in the Plan of Salvation. But Jesus did forgive sins before His death. Those whose sins were forgiven, were justified by faith in Christ. "And almost all things are by the law purged with This is often quoted to deny that Christ could forgive sins on earth, and that His blood was shed in order that He might forgive sins. But reading that verse only as well as its connection in the passage, you can see immediately that this refers specifically to "under the law." However, all Christendom recognizes that Christ died on the cross because of our sins, and to take away the sin of the people. But when the sinner has been "Justified by Faith” has he received all of God's Blessing? Verily, NO. Let us consider the next great step-Sanctification. Sanctification "This is the will of God, even your Sanctification." I once heard of a pious lady in a Holiness church who became discouraged because the Holiness church was persecuted so much more than a neighboring church, the main Sunday morning sermon of which was something to prove that you "Can't be sanctified." During this time of discouragement she had a very significant dream. It seemed that her eyes were opened so that she could see the demon spirits in the world that were fighting against the power of God. At the front door of the Holiness church, where Sanctification was being preached, there was a score of demons working like bees. At the door of the church some distance away where sermons were being preached against Holiness and Sanctification, there was one demon therelying at the church door, sleeping soundly. There was no call for activity by the evil spirits at the place where the power of the Blood of Christ was being disparaged. And certainly that is the case in every community. Where the sanctifying power of the blood of Christ is held forth, the power of the devil rages mightily in opposition. The devil simply cannot pass the Blood of Christ. It is a wall that stands between the saint and his sin and sinning. Let us examine some prominent passages of Scripture that definitely set forth Sanctification, as a Bible doctrine, an attainable experience, and expressly provided for by Jesus Christ Himself: "For this is the will of God, even your SANCTI- "Follow peace with all men, and HOLINESS, "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might SANCTIFY "SANCTIFY them through thy truth: thy word "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also "And the very God of peace SANCTIFY YOU soul and body be preserved blameless unto the 4:12. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, "Ye are witnesses, and God also, how HOLILY All these Scriptures practically explain themselves, but perhaps it will aid to point out in an orderly way the things that these references do teach: (1) We understand Sanctification to be, in its (2) That Sanctification is the will of God. (3) That without sanctification we shall not see (4) That Jesus died on the cross for our Sancti- (5) That there is going to be a church of sancti- (6) Paul indicates definitely that a life of perfec- (7) Jesus prayed that the people might be sanc- (8) Sanctification implies a life without sin-a (9) Sanctification is a second experience, subse- (10) It requires a complete consecration, a set- (11) Sanctification consists in taking out of the In the four references which follow we have a description of what the carnal mind is. The nature that comes into man to make him sin-that is the seed of sin resulting from Adam's fall. Yes, even that carnal nature, the Old Man, can be taken away by the crucifixion of Christ on the Cross. "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with |