Gluten Free & God Seeking: What is Sanctification in the Book of Romans?

Sunday, November 11, 2012

What is Sanctification in the Book of Romans?

What is sanctification all about? For years I didn't get it. And I feel it's important not to let this long word make you think it's theological jargon that doesn't apply to you. In the first few chapters of Romans it's pretty clear that all God's got to work with on this earth are sinners. But how does God after appearing to us and causing us to believe in Him change us inwardly? That's where the word sanctification comes in.

When you were regenerated, the life of God came into your spirit. But is that it? Through the enlightening ministry of Witness Lee and Watchman Nee I have seen that this is just the beginning of a life long journey--a journey of sanctification.

I took this picture just seconds after putting in the tea bag.

I was reading chapter 11 from the Life Study of Romans last week that talked about sanctification, but it made me think back to a classic illustration that Witness Lee's gave in Chapter 1. In order to help you get this illustration I took pictures to illustrate the steps:

What does it mean to be sanctified? Once again we may use the illustration of tea. If we put tea into a glass of plain water, the water will be "teaified." At best, we are plain water, although we are actually not plain, but dirty. Even if we are plain water, we lack the tea flavor, the tea essence, and the tea color. We need the tea to come into our very being. Christ Himself is the heavenly tea. Christ is in us. Hallelujah!

... Christ is in us doing a transforming and sanctifying work, just as the tea, when put into the water, works the element of tea into it. Eventually the water will be wholly "teaified." It will have the appearance, the flavor, and the taste of real tea.
If I serve some of this beverage, I will be serving you tea, not plain water....

If I were to ask you whether or not you have been justified, you would all reply, "Hallelujah! We have been justified because Christ has accomplished redemption. ... However, what about sanctification? Have you been sanctified? ... However, I am not talking about being improved, but being sanctified--that is to have Christ wrought into our very being, just as the essence, flavor, and color of the tea are wrought into the water. This is sanctification" (Lee, Witness. Life Study of Romans. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1974, Print).

I have heard and read this illustration numerous times, and it's one of the best ways to explain what the Lord is doing within us day by day. As I was taking these pictures, I thought about a verse in Ephesians that says: That He might sanctify her (the church), cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, (Ephesians 5:26). Every day when we come prayerfully to the word of God more of the heavenly "tea" permeates our heart and cleanses us, and this sanctifies us a little bit more.