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Salvation: The Path to God's Kingdom (Part One)
CGG Weekly by John ReissSalvation involves a transformative process, with sanctification as a crucial ongoing step. This stage, where we are being saved, entails becoming set apart by learning to live as God lives through obedience to His laws. As the living document God is writing in partnership with us, we must conform to the rules He established to be prepared and completed. This work does not save us, for we are saved by God's grace, but its purpose is to change us so that our lives reflect Jesus Christ, a challenging endeavor for those called out of a world opposed to God.
Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part One)
Sermon by David F. MaasSanctification is a life-long process of acquiring spiritual maturity, distinct from salvation. It is a progressive, incremental journey that spans from our calling to our death, requiring our active participation as junior partners with Almighty God in producing godly character and righteousness. God has gifted us with free will, meaning He cannot create character in us by fiat; character comes only through choice. This responsibility to make choices, which falls under the category of work and volition, is ours as we decide to establish or reject a relationship with Him. Producing spiritual fruit depends on cultivating a relationship with Jesus Christ, a responsibility that rests on us since He has already loved us and sacrificed His life for us. God demands a 100% commitment from us, though it must be our choice, as our efforts in sanctification, while pitifully insignificant compared to His limitless resources, indicate whether we truly desire to reciprocate His love. Our contribution in this process is meager when compared to the infinite contribution of our senior partners, God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, yet it remains vital. Sanctification is not instantaneous at the moment of our calling; it is a continuous, ongoing process, as implied by the scriptural phrase "being sanctified." We have the liberty to terminate this process if it is our will, underscoring the importance of our volitional efforts in yielding to God's shaping of His will within us.
Sanctification and Holiness (Part 1)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSanctification, as presented in the Bible, describes both a state and a process of being separated for God's purposes. It is initiated by God's calling, marking a condition of being set apart, and continues as an active, dynamic process that becomes increasingly refined over time. The basic meaning of sanctify is to set apart or separate, much like a rancher might cut an animal from a herd for a specific purpose. In a religious context, our calling by God begins this condition and process of sanctification for His purpose of salvation and the creation of His image within us. God's sovereign choice and acts of grace separate His called ones from others, as seen with the Israelites, who were distinguished from the Egyptians and other nations they encountered. This separation was not by their own works but by what God did, establishing a clear pattern of sanctification throughout biblical history. This pattern extends from individuals like Enoch, Noah, and Abraham to the nation of Israel and ultimately to Jesus Christ Himself, each called out and set apart by God for specific purposes. For the church, sanctification is not geographical but spiritual, moral, and ethical. While remaining in the world, we are called to depart from its ways, attitudes, and lifestyles, adopting God's manner and system. This spiritual separation aligns us toward the Kingdom of God, not through physical relocation but through a transformation in conduct and attitude, becoming moral and ethical in alignment with God's spirituality. Sanctification also implies cleanliness, purity, blamelessness, and sacredness, carrying the sense of holiness and devotion to God. As living stones, we are being built up by God and His Son Jesus Christ into a spiritual house, a dwelling place for God, individually and collectively as the church. This process involves being shaped and fitted according to an intelligent plan, set apart from others for a specific purpose. Those set apart by God are called to be holy as He is holy, not merely separated but also clean in life and conduct. This holiness extends to offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, reflecting our role as a royal priesthood. Our responsibility as priests is to draw near to God, serving at His altar, which symbolically represents His dwelling place within us and the church. God has set us apart to be His witnesses, demonstrating through our lives that our God is the Creator. By keeping His commandments, statutes, and judgments, we fulfill this witness and allow God to shape us spiritually for the roles He has prepared. This dual process of witnessing and being created underscores our privilege and obligation as a chosen, holy possession of God, bearing a priestly character in relation to Him and the world.
Can a Believer Sanctify a Husband or Wife?
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeIf only God can call someone into His family, how is it possible that a believing husband or wife can sanctify a spouse or child (I Corinthians 7:14)?
Completing Sanctification
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAn emphasis on hyper-grace is wrong-headed, denying any need for repentance and overcoming, and totally at odds with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Seeing Sanctification as an Exciting Adventure
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasThe events in today's news can seem overwhelming, but there are strategies to turn the sanctification process into an exciting adventure.
Sanctification and Holiness (Part 5)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod gives conditions for acceptable sacrifices and offerings, differentiating the holy and authentic from the defiled, unclean and strange.
Sanctification and Holiness (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughDathan and Korah agitated for a democratization of priestly responsibilities. God shows that not everybody set apart is holy in the same way.
Sanctification and Holiness (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe bronze altar, made with the censers from the rebels, was a reminder of the folly of rebelling against holy things, replacing God's standards with human ones.
Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Five): Cultivating Patience
Sermon by David F. MaasNumerous scriptures show the bad effects of impatience committed by ancient Israel, while the patriarchs, Jesus Christ, and the Father set examples of true patience.
An Offering, Sanctification and Atonement
Sermonette by John W. RitenbaughWe will reap what we sow; if we sow in fear, we will reap fear, but if we sow in faith, trust, and love, we will reap spiritual and physical abundance.
Sanctification, Teens, and Self-Control
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughYoung people are responsible for the spiritual knowledge that they have learned from their parents, as well as the custodianship of spiritual blessings.
What Is Real Conversion? (Part Two)
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughSome in Antioch believed the preaching of the persecuted Christians, and they not only agreed with the teaching but also changed or transformed their lives.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Eight)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJustification is not the end of the salvation process, but merely the opening to sanctification, where we bear fruit and give evidence of God's Spirit in us.
Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Four)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughThe Bible makes it plain that salvation is by grace, but it is also clear that we are 'created in Christ Jesus for good works.' Grace and works fit together.
Where Is God's True Church Today?
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughWhere can we find the true religion, the true church, in all this confusion? Only the church Christ founded and heads today has the answers to eternal life.
Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Six)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughWorks cannot earn us salvation. However, they play many vital roles in our Christian walk toward the Kingdom of God, especially in developing holiness.

After Pentecost, Then What?
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughThe holy days typify the steps in God's plan. What happens between Pentecost and Trumpets, the long summer months?
Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGrace's influence extends beyond justification, into the sanctification stage where the believer yields himself to righteousness, keeping God's commandments.
The Christian Paradox (Part Two)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWe have two conflicting natures: a downward-pulling carnal nature versus a divine nature imparted by God's Holy Spirit, continually at odds, seen in Romans 7.
Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Three)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughWe have been called, not just to believe in Christ, but also to overcome sin, which takes a great deal of effort. Justification requires a response.
Saved By Faith Alone?
'Ready Answer' by Earl L. HennProtestantism is based on Luther's insistence that Christians are saved by faith alone. But is the really true? It is true of justification, not salvation.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Nine)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSatan has attempted to obliterate the sanctification step from the conversion process. Sanctification is produced by doing works pleasing to God.
Deuteronomy (Part 7)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSanctification is an incremental process in which we systematically destroy the sin within us as our forebears were asked to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan.
Preparing to Rule (1993)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSanctification is both a state and a process—a time period between justification and glorification during which overcoming, purification, and holiness takes place.
His Eye Is on the Sparrow (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)As the lives of the major biblical figures were predestined, so are our lives. God chooses, moves, and manages the lives of His servants.
Holy Days: Unleavened Bread
Bible Study by StaffThe Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows the Passover. In it we see how hard it is to overcome and rid our lives of sin.
Reconciliation (Part Two): Christ's Work
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAfter reconciliation, there can finally be a meeting of minds as we are fashioned into a new creation, invited to sit in heavenly places, created for good works.
Unity (Part 6): Ephesians 4 (C)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughUnity has to come from the inside out, with God raising a leader which His people, having their minds opened by His Spirit, will voluntarily submit to.
Principled Living (Part Six): Becoming Holy
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPentecost forces us to stand out from the crowd, separated as firstfruits for sanctification and holiness. God has called us to be different.

Christ's Responsibility, Resurrections, and All in All
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughChrist's resurrection was bodily. He will destroy death before returning control back to the Father, at which time the entire creation would be all in all.
Whom the Lord Loves He Chastens (Part Two)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsIf we endure chastisement and discipline from God, we prove we are His children. Sanctification is an incremental process, requiring trials and chastening.
The Holiness Code
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughA portion of Leviticus, dubbed 'the holiness code,' describes how God lives. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expanded the application of the holiness code.
Going On to Perfection
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughEven though everything we need in this quest has been given to us, our spiritual growth depends on believing in the promises of receiving the divine nature.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Twenty-Three)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Psalm 73 describes someone seeing the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer, but it is not true that people in the world are leading superior lives.
The Whole Truth
'Ready Answer' by John O. ReidWe have heard the courtroom mantra, 'the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.' Behavior shows that many shy away from 'nothing but the truth'!
The Beatitudes, Part 6: The Pure in Heart
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughPurity before God is far more than just being clean. To Jesus, being pure in heart, described in the Beatitudes, touches on the very holiness of God.
Who Are We and Where Do We Fit? (Part One)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)If we really considered or believed in our hearts that our calling was truly a treasure, we would take extraordinary steps to prevent any loss of it.

Be There Next Year
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughMembers of God's church usually come home from the Feast of Tabernacles with renewed strength. Yet, some fall away each year. Here's how to stay the course.
Knowing Christ (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSanctification is the longest, most difficult, and most grueling part of the conversion process—a time when suffering and sacrifice are demanded of us.

Why We Must Put Out Leaven
Article by Earl L. HennWhy must we put leaven out, yet we do not have to circumcise our baby boys? Is deleavening 'Old Covenant'?