A Forty-Day Study of Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification: Our Journey in Christ

By Rick Jory

This book addresses the Bible’s teachings on the three central elements of our Christian journey:

• Sin—our spiritual death and separation from God.
• Salvation—our being brought into the family of God solely by the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Sanctification—God’s work through us because of the Holy Spirit within us.

It answers three key questions: Why do we need to be saved? How are we saved? What are we saved for?

Other books in this series include A Forty-Day Study of the Biblical Story, volumes one and two; A Forty-Day Study of the Book of Hebrews; and A Forty-Day Study on John’s Gospel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664252769

Rick Jory

Dr. Rick Jory has authored the two-volume work, A Forty-Day Study of the Biblical Story as well as A Forty-Day Study of John’s Gospel, A Forty-Day Study of the Book of Hebrews, and A Forty-Day Study on Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification. This book completes this series. After forty-three years in the business world, upon the sale of his company, Dr. Jory formalized his passion for studying the Bible. He received his Master of Arts degree, Biblical Studies - New Testament, from Denver Seminary in 2012; the Doctor of Ministry, with emphasis in Theological Exegesis, from Knox Theological Seminary in 2017, and his Doctor of Educational Ministry, with emphasis in Adult Christian Education, from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2019. His ministry today includes teaching pastors and church leaders in Vietnam. He is the founder of Friends of Vietnam Ministries, a non-profit organization aiding several Vietnamese faith-based centers that provide care to Vietnamese orphans and at-risk children, as well as scholarships to help young Vietnamese attend Bible college.

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CONTENTS

Author’s Introduction

Chapter 1 Questions

Chapter 2 Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification

Chapter 3 Religion Versus Christianity

Part I: Sin

Chapter 4 Four Principles

Chapter 5 Four Violations

Chapter 6 Four Broken Relationships

Chapter 7 Death

Chapter 8 The Human Condition: Romans, Chapter 1

Chapter 9 The Human Condition: Romans, Chapter 2

Chapter 10 The Human Condition: Romans, Chapter 3

Part II:Salvation

Chapter 11 The Seed of Woman

Chapter 12 The Blood of Isaac

Chapter 13 The Blood of Bulls and Goats

Chapter 14 The Lamb of God

Chapter 15 The Blood of Christ

Chapter 16 The Biblical Story

Chapter 17 Election

Chapter 18 Regeneration – New Life

Chapter 19 Imputation: Our Sins Given to Christ

Chapter 20 Substitution

Chapter 21 Propitiation

Chapter 22 Reconciliation

Chapter 23 Imputation: Christ’s Righteousness Imputed to the Believer

Chapter 24 Justification

Chapter 25 Redemption

Chapter 26 Positional Sanctification

Chapter 27 Adoption

Chapter 28 Security

Chapter 29 Resurrection

Chapter 30 Glorification

Part III: Sanctification

Chapter 31 Progressive Sanctification

Chapter 32 Why We Are Saved

Chapter 33 Who the Holy Spirit Is

Chapter 34 What the Holy Spirit Does

Chapter 35 The Gifts of the Spirit

Chapter 36 The Fruit of the Spirit

Chapter 37 Faith

Chapter 38 To My Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Chapter 39 To Those Who May Not (Yet) Call Themselves a Christian

Chapter 40 A Return to the Two Questions

Appendix A: Group Bible Study

To

my grandson, Cody Dale Blissett

Soli Deo Gloria

AUTHOR’S

INTRODUCTION

Sin. We don’t seem to talk about sin anymore. For some, it hits too close to home, creating a feeling of guilt and unworthiness. Others deal with the issue simply by comparing themselves to the worst of the worst—or even to the beer-drinking neighbor next door who doesn’t pull all of the weeds from his yard. We certainly aren’t as bad as this guy is—so our pride and self-righteousness remain intact and unthreatened.

Salvation. We know the fundamentals. Christ died on the cross to take away our sins. Yes, we may hear words like election and justification and redemption—and maybe the occasional propitiation. But these all get jumbled together and mean the same thing—don’t they?

Sanctification. Isn’t this where we try our best to be holy? Or maybe this is something that happens to us when we are in heaven? Does it really matter?

In this book we are going to look at these three topics: sin, salvation, and sanctification. Most of my formal Bible teaching occurs while working with Vietnamese pastors and church leaders. But I’ve found that it doesn’t matter which side of the ocean I’m on, there are many questions, confusion, and a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to what the Bible has to say about these three topics.

This book begins by looking at two assignments I’ve given students numerous times in the past. These are quite simple, and both generate good discussions. Unfortunately, what I find almost without exception is that these assignments highlight a misunderstanding people have—centered on sin, salvation, and sanctification.

So what are the assignments?

The first is to simply have the students answer this question:

Why did Jesus come to earth?

How would you answer this? Unfortunately, while all of the answers I typically get are correct, they are never complete. The answers all have something in common and miss a very important concept, particularly with regards to sanctification. Something is omitted—and that something shows a lack of understanding that will shortchange one’s Christian journey.

The second assignment involves an exercise where I ask the students to picture themselves standing face-to-face with Jesus when they first get to heaven. In this hypothetical scenario, I tell them that Jesus will ask one, and only one question. Each individual is to decide what that question will be. I remind my students that in this exercise they have already made it to heaven, so it is not a question relating to Why should I let you in here?

What question do you think Jesus might ask?

This is conjectural, of course. But I find almost 100% of the time, the students answers have something in common. And this, too, shows a major misunderstanding when it comes to sin as well as salvation and sanctification. They all make an assumption concerning Jesus that I think truly misses the mark.

As we go through what the Bible teaches concerning sin (why we need a savior), salvation (how we are saved), and sanctification (what we are saved for), I believe we’ll develop a much broader understanding as to why Jesus came to earth and the type of question that he might ask us when we appear before him.

With this book containing over four hundred scripture references, there’s quite a bit of ground to cover. But the material has been broken down into forty short lessons and each lesson should only take a few minutes. You might consider going through these as a daily devotional or as part of your personal Bible study.

If you are involved in group Bible study, an appendix is included that contains discussion questions and addresses ways the lessons can be used for that purpose.

As we journey through this material, the goal is that each of us will develop a better understanding of the three main topics. We’ll learn the difference between religion and Christianity. We’ll learn the four principles God gave to humanity and how all four were immediately broken in the garden of Eden. We’ll also learn of the result of this: the four broken relationships that characterize the human condition.

We’ll look at salvation, spending time looking at the breadth of what God has done to forgive our sins and sinfulness. Here, we will sort through such terms as election, regeneration, substitution, reconciliation, redemption, justification, propitiation—just to name a few. We’ll also look at themes such as what part we play in our salvation, if any, and whether we can lose our salvation.

We’ll then discuss sanctification. We’ll see how God has invited us into His kingdom plans and how this changes how we are to live in the here and now. Jesus promises fullness of life. We’ll look at what this means and how we get this.

I’m looking forward to an enjoyable journey as we go through these materials together.

May God bless this endeavor richly. And may all that we do glorify God.

1

Questions

Years ago I was asked to speak to a group of teenagers taking part in a gathering in the foothills of the colorful Colorado Rocky Mountains. I had participated in this annual event several times before, so I knew what to expect.

On my way to this engagement, though, I was troubled. I had prepared a short talk on a passage from the book of Numbers. I can’t remember the exact message I was planning on sharing, but as I made my way up the winding roads along the foothills, I found myself wondering, Do teenagers really want to hear this? Isn’t this a bit too technical? Do they want to sit and listen to some codger talking about theological concepts surrounding things that took place thousands of years ago involving a group of strange, foreign people who have long since died?

While the lesson I had planned might possibly have been of interest to adults, with each passing mile I became more and more convinced that what I was about to share would fall on deaf ears.

I began rattling through other options for my presentation—but time was running out. Surely there was something else I could teach that would be more suitable or relevant or interesting for teenagers. But by the time I pulled into the parking lot, my mind was still blank. There was only enough time left to do one thing.

It’s called winging it.

I think in my case, winging it is part of the fruit of the Spirit. I’m good at winging things. So on this occasion I came up with a last-minute thought: Why not ask a question and let the young people do most of the talking? This approach would at least start things rolling, and we could see where the conversation would lead and go from there. Perhaps this could turn into a meaningful lesson after all.

But what question would I start with? What might stimulate a good discussion?

I decided to ask, Why did Jesus come to earth?

I was curious to hear how these young people would answer this. So when my time came to participate, I presented the question.

It didn’t take long for individuals to begin speaking up. One girl blurted out, Jesus came to earth for me get to heaven.

A slightly older boy raised his hand and responded, Jesus came to earth to die for my sins so that I can go to heaven when I die.

These are good answers.

And many additional good answers followed:

- Jesus died for me and forgave me so I can be with God.

- Jesus went to the cross so that when I die, I can be with him throughout all of eternity.

- Jesus paid the price for my sins. He came to earth to die on the cross for my sins. He has forgiven me of my sins so I can go to heaven.

- I know I’ve done bad things and Jesus took these on himself and died in my place. We call this ‘salvation’ and I’m saved, and I can be with him when I die.

All of the answers were quite similar and all were entirely correct.

Let’s pause, though.

What do all of these answers have in common? If you have a pen and notepad handy, you might jot down your thoughts before we proceed. We’ve got time.

And you might also jot down how you would answer the question asked of the students. Why did Jesus come to earth? List as many answers as you can.

While the young people’s answers are correct, they are not complete. What they have in common is that they all focus on the hereafter—nothing was said about the here and now. They center on what Jesus did that allows one an eternity in heaven (the new earth of Revelation 21).

And yes, Jesus did come to earth to give us eternal life. But what about the here and now? Didn’t Jesus tell his listeners that he came to give life to the full, to give a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10)? A rich and satisfying life references the here and now.

So what aspect of our belonging to Christ is associated with the here and now? And how on earth do we get this rich and satisfying life in the here and now?

That’s what this study is about—the here and now. We’ll talk about sin and what it means for the Christian in the here and now. We’ll talk about salvation and what it means for the Christian in the here and now. And we’ll talk about sanctification and what it means for the Christian in the here and now. Yes, all three are associated with our eternity with God, and a good theological understanding of these three will help transform our lives into that which is more vibrant and satisfying—here, now, today.

The first topic we’ll cover is sin. Sin is an ongoing characteristic of each of us—both saint and sinner. Try as we might, none of us escape this condition. For us to receive eternal life, Jesus had to do something about this sin problem. All of the answers from the young people recognized this. But our sin, in the eyes of God, no longer exists. As MercyMe has penned it, the cross has made us flawless. For the Christian there is now no condemnation. Our motivation to be more like Christ shouldn’t center on guilt and punishment but on the joy we have because of God’s grace and mercy.

The second is salvation. Salvation refers to what Jesus did because of sin. Salvation allows us to be with Jesus. Yes, this includes eternity in heaven, as the young people had recognized. But this companionship begins in the here and now—right now, right this very minute. It’s important to see how Jesus defined eternal life:

Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. (John 17:3)

Jesus is telling us that eternal life is knowing God the Father and God the Son. Here. Now. None of the answers recognized our new status as being participants in God’s kingdom now, on earth, in the present, and what our new relationship means.

The third topic is sanctification. Sanctification is our being separated from sin and worldliness and set apart for God’s work. In the eyes of God, because of our salvation we are considered fully sanctified. And in the world to come we will experience the joy of complete sanctification. But sanctification also includes the here and now. It involves the changes that happen because of our salvation. Sanctification is the work God does through us because of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.

So we’ll talk about these three things: sin, salvation, and sanctification and what they mean in the here and now.

There is another event I’d like to share. Years later I found myself halfway around the world from the Colorado mountains, teaching a group of young pastors and church leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam. I decided to start the five-day event by giving them an exercise involving something hypothetical. I asked them to picture themselves in heaven and appearing before Jesus. He is going to ask them one, and only one question and they are to come up with suggestions as to what that question might be. I reminded them that they are in heaven, so the question from Jesus won’t be one along the lines of Why should I let you into my kingdom?

After a few minutes to think about their answers, the students were asked to share what they came up with. All of the answers presented were thoughtful. I’ve listed some of them below. As you read these, remember they all came from pastors and church leaders:

- Jesus will ask me if I read the Bible enough.

- Jesus will ask me how well I led the church.

- Jesus will ask if I loved God and loved others.

- Jesus will ask if I truly was kind to everyone around me.

- Jesus will ask if I was a good husband and father.

- Jesus will want to know what I did with my time, treasure, and talent.

- Jesus will ask, figuratively, if I took care of the widows and orphans.

What do all of these answers have in common?

For the question Why did Jesus come to earth? answers from the young people at the event in the Colorado foothills focused on the hereafter—not the here and now. Their answers were correct, but not complete.

For the question in Hanoi—What would Jesus ask you when you appear before him?—everyone came up with questions focusing on themselves and their behaviors. It centered on them—who they were and what they had done.

We tend to do two things. We tend to picture sin, salvation, and sanctification in the context of the hereafter and whether we will spend eternity in heaven or in hell. (Items appearing in bold are explained in more detail at the end of the lesson.) But there is far more to our salvation than the hereafter. What does it mean for the here and now?

In this hypothetical face-to-face with Jesus, we make it all about us. And we seem to think Jesus’ main task is to stand in critical judgment. We focus on whether we are worthy of his acceptance—whether we’ve done everything we should have done or could have done while we had the opportunity.

Do we really think that’s what Jesus is going to focus on?

I think Jesus will look at each one of us with the most amazing, welcoming grin and ask, "While you were on my earth, did you ever truly, fully realize how much I love you?"

Sin, salvation, and sanctification all relate to how much God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit love us. And while they certainly impact the hereafter—we are kingdom participants in the here and now and should live life to the full accordingly.

Let’s look at God’s love and the topics of sin, salvation, and sanctification.

Does sin show God’s love for us?

Yes, definitely.

God doesn’t love us because of our sin, of course. But God could have handled our sin in a number of ways. What way did he choose? He loves us enough to die for our sin. Jesus taught those close to him,

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

The Apostle Paul reminds us,

God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Jesus laid down his life not because we were deserving of this. Our loving, merciful God of grace died for us while we were still in hideous rebellion against Him. God and God alone paid the price for our sinfulness. There is no greater expression of love.

Similarly, salvation shows God’s love for us because our salvation required the blood of Christ—blood that was shed for you and me.

Paul writes,

In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. (Ephesians 1:7, NIV)

The author of Hebrews writes,

Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many. (Hebrews 9:28)

Salvation shows God’s love for us because Christ voluntarily died for our salvation. Jesus didn’t have to do this. What Jesus did, he did voluntarily. In talking about his life, he told those around him,

No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. (John 10:18)

Sanctification shows God’s love for us because God desires to bring us from spiritual death to spiritual life—and to perform His work through us as part of His kingdom plans. Paul writes,

Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in our trespasses. (Ephesians 2:4–5)

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life. (Ephesians 2:10)

The author of Hebrews writes,

By a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10)

Christ shows his love for us by dying for our sanctification. God the Father shows His love for us by inviting us into His family and making us a valued part of His kingdom plans. The Holy Spirit shows his love for us by indwelling us and empowering us for the works of God. All of these ongoing activities are part of our sanctification as we are transformed to be more like Christ.

Sin, salvation, and sanctification—the subject matter of these lessons—depict God’s immeasurable love for each one of us:

- God the Father forgives our sin,

- through God the Son’s having offered his blood for our salvation,

- and God the Holy Spirit sealing our position in Christ and transforming us in our ongoing sanctification.

So let’s begin our journey as we investigate what the Bible teaches concerning God’s love and the topics of sin, salvation, and sanctification.

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heaven: When using the term heaven I am referring to the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 21—our final destiny and eternal home.

2

Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification

There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love.

Let that sink in.

Nothing means nothing. Zero. Zip. Nada.

There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love because He has already shown us how much we are loved.

He died for us.

What more can God possibly do than that which He has already done?

Recognizing this allows us to get the first hurdle out of the way.

We can forget about all the things we have done, or want to do, or could do, or should do, or will do, or hope to do in order to gain God’s approval—God’s love. Striving to earn God’s love is what we call religion—people reaching for God.

Let’s avoid this. Historically it hasn’t been a winner.

During the time Jesus walked the earth, a group of highly religious people—passionate zealots probably far more religious than you and I will ever be—tried all of this. Jesus called them a family of snakes. He did this twice.

I don’t think that’s what we want.

I think what we