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The Fullness of Salvation is the lifestyle of Soul Sanctification

Many born-again believer disciples in Christ Jesus are bearing the cross of sanctification.  In Christ Jesus we have taken up our cross in the sanctification process of truth in an ever increasing participation in His death. The cost of sanctification is death to self-will; so the will of God’s purpose and vision for your life can be done in earth as it is in heaven. It is the life exchange; lose your life to Jesus and gain His life (Galatian 2:20).  Jesus explained the cost of sanctification to His disciples in the following: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 16:24-25).  Jesus called the people to prove this teaching is not limited to the present disciples, but extends to all who would serve Jesus.  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his own soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:34-38).

Jesus must be first place in your life as Lord of your life. He is before your ministries, families, jobs, careers, possessions, and anything in life (Luke 14:25-33).  The born-again believer in Christ Jesus cannot be Jesus’ disciple without bearing his cross and forsaking all to follow Him. The daily Spirit of life victories in Christ Jesus are a result of dying to self-will, so God’s Word of His will, purpose, and vision can be manifested in your life in Christ Jesus.

The soul-life of the born-again believer disciple in Christ Jesus is the life-long learning cycle process of sanctification in God’s Word of truth by the Spirit of truth (John 17:17; 14:16; 16:13). The sanctification is the growth, development, maturity, and fruitful harvest process of God’s Word of truth by the work of the Holy Spirit of truth. In the soul-life of our hearts, we bear the fruitful harvest of God’s Word of truth from faith to faith, glory to glory, and grace to grace in our thoughts, words, and deeds. The cross of sanctification is dying to self-will of the flesh; so God’s will of His Word of truth can sanctify us daily in our thoughts, words, and deeds. The sanctification process is the work of the Holy Spirit of truth according to God’s Word of truth.  Through the life-long sanctification process of God’s Word of truth by the Spirit of truth, we pray to God in Christ Jesus that our whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Thessalonians 5:23-24). 

The hour of the Cross of Jesus, the Son of Man had come (Mark 8:31). It was time for Him to be glorified (John 17:4-5).  Jesus spoke of His coming death on the Cross, then taught how His disciples or followers would be required to give themselves wholly: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone:  but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.  If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be:  if any man serve me, him will my Father honor (John 12:24-26).

Jesus is our example. He had a Cross to bear and God’s will, purpose, and vision for His life to fulfill. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).  Jesus had a Cross, and we have a cross. For years many born-again believers in Christ Jesus had avoided the soul’s sanctification process of truth by refusing to continue in God’s Word as Jesus’ disciple to know the truth.  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32).  We had continued in self-will of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I John 2:15-17).  Self-will of the carnal mind led us to a dead end in life.  We had come to the end of ourselves with no place to turn; so we cried out to Jesus for help! The Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29), and the Spirit of faith (2 Corinthians 4:13) led us back to the Gospel of the Cross of Jesus, and to our cross according to the Word of God.

The end of self is the point of surrendering all to Jesus as Lord of your life.  You no longer live for self, but Christ Jesus lives His life in and through you (Galatians 2:20), by the work of the Holy Spirit according to God’s Word. Acknowledging Jesus as Lord of your life is denying self and taking up your cross to follow Jesus. It is dying to self-will; so the will of God can be done in your life. It is dying to self-will daily in your thoughts, words, and deeds of the carnal mind of the flesh; so the life of God’s will in the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is manifested in thoughts, words, and deeds of the spiritual mind of life (Romans 8:1-13; Galatians 5:19-23).  It is dying to self-will to present your body a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God (Romans 12:1). It is dying to self-will of being conformed to this world’s belief system to be transformed by the renewing of the mind in the belief system of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:20-24).  Dying to self-will means to yield to the Lord Jesus in everything in spirit, soul, body, and possessions manifesting your love for Him.  AND THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND, AND WITH ALL THY STRENGTH:  this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.  There is none other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).  It is dying to self-will; so God’s will of the sanctification process of God’s Word of truth can be manifested in fulfilling His will, purpose, and vision for your life in the Great Commission of the Church in Christ Jesus.

If we want the Spirit, life, and power of God in Christ Jesus to be manifested in our lives in thoughts, words, and deeds, then we cannot avoid the cross of the soul’s sanctification. If you choose to take up your cross to fulfill God’s will, purpose, and vision for your life, then you will manifest Jesus’ delegated power and authority in Jesus’ Name, in Jesus’ Blood to enforce Satan’s defeat while fulfilling the Great Commission of the Church.

Watkins Bible School of Purpose and Vision Writers:  James & Edwena Watkins