Self-santification

Motivation is the key component when it comes to self-sanctification. Do we have a self-sanctification in the positive sense of separating ourselves from those things we know that are not good for us or not good for others, not in order to merit any more righteousness before God through that performance, but in light of all that God has already made us to be IN Christ (Our new identity). On the opposite end of that self-sanctification spectrum, we have those who suppose that their behavior is the source of their right standing with God, that is self-sanctification negatively. They suppose that becoming more righteous in practice will make them more righteous in God’s sight, faulty thinking on their part, Paul called it foolish. It will not gain them Heaven, it will not help them avoid the second death. Paul lets us know that in the book of Romans that God did not make Heaven for good people, God made Heaven for sinners who are justified freely by God’s grace. Paul did not set himself apart in order to gain a greater righteousness before God through his performance, but that he made his life-style (to the best he could) conform to who God had already made him to be in his sanctified or set-apart position being joined to Christ that he might more affectively reach others. That was Paul’s key motivation; there is a vast difference in those two motivations. Setting oneself apart for holiness is one thing, setting oneself apart because of the holy standing God has already given that individual in Christ is something altogether different.

God’s Reconciliation of Man, read more about it at godsreconciliation.blogspot.com...

That god guy

I am him
paragraphs and subject matter does go a long way here.

reply to post by newnature


Dear newnature,

I like what you said.

reply to post by newnature

Motivation is the key component when it comes to self-sanctification.

The Bible is not a self-help guide.
There is no such thing as self-sanctification in the New Testament.
In the NT, sanctification is always a group thing, either the church in general or a congregation.
Justification is the process of becoming justified by the measure of God, and that comes through the spirit of God that is given to us by Jesus and our faith in him.

. . . becoming more righteous in practice will make them more righteous in God’s sight . . .

I don't know anyone who believes that.
Being righteous is a yes or no question and we don't decide it for ourselves and we don't decide it for other people. God is the judge of that.

Paul lets us know that in the book of Romans that God did not make Heaven for good people, God made Heaven for sinners who are justified freely by God’s grace.

No, Paul said "do not be deceived, sinners will not enter heaven."

. . . it will not help them avoid the second death.

The "second death" is in Revelation, where it talks about the books being opened and the dead judged by the works recorded there. Being righteous would come in real handy at that point.

Setting oneself apart for holiness is one thing, setting oneself apart because of the holy standing God has already given that individual in Christ is something altogether different.

This is where you get confused because of your wrong definition of sanctification which you get from your cult. The biblical definition of sanctification belongs to the church. The church is what is set apart for sanctification, which means when you step into it you have a demand set upon you to conform to that standard of holiness. Membership in the church is not unconditional.
Being in Christ is not unconditional.
You may believe yourself to be in "right standing" as you put it, but it is self delusion if you are not living righteously because the unrighteous are not part of Christ, sorry but that is the way it is.
Now there is an opportunity there for everyone, that is unconditional, you don't have to be from a particular tribe, or not be a slave, or not be rich, to believe and repent and be baptized and to enter Christ's church. That is available.
What is not available is a permanent seat in the church when you just go through the motions and are not converted by changing your behavior according to the spirit that God gives you.

reply to post by newnature

Hello, and welcome to ATS.

The poster who mentioned using paragraph breaks is quite correct. Also, if you lift the entire OP from a blog, you should use the external brackets to indicate that.

But leaving that aside, I have to put on my Mr. Confusion cap. You seem to be talking about self-sanctification, but you also say:

Paul lets us know that in the book of Romans that God did not make Heaven for good people, God made Heaven for sinners who are justified freely by God’s grace. Paul did not set himself apart in order to gain a greater righteousness before God through his performance, but that he made his life-style (to the best he could) conform to who God had already made him to be in his sanctified or set-apart position . . .

That sounds as though God sanctified him. See my confusion?