Unfathomable Grace

Sanctification

God elected Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel to be his holy people. There was nothing righteous, honorable, or commendable about them. They were not special in and of themselves, but they were specially selected to be God’s special people and royal priesthood. Yes, Israel was set apart, consecrated, and sanctified to be collection of saints, and this divine determination was based upon God’s grace alone.

Sin

Throughout Genesis, God presents the character and conduct of his founding fathers. As one reads their story, quickly and continually one recognizes the sad truth — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel, they were not of a special breed. They really were not that different from the nations around them. No, Adam’s sin affected them horribly, and they walked hard and fast down the foolish and forbidden road. Genesis is not the story of holy men doing holy things. Instead, it is the God-inspired record of holy (set apart, consecrated, sanctified) men living wholly unholy lives.

Slavery

Between the end of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus, God’s saints suffered horribly. All manner of personal liberties were taken away. They were not free to live, work, relocate, procreate, disciple and worship as they deemed best. Throughout the day, the cries of Hebrew men could be heard following the crack of Egyptian whips. Throughout the night, the cries of Hebrew women filled the camp as mothers learned their male babies had been discovered, snatched, thrown, and drown in the Nile River. For 400 years, God’s elect saints suffered as sinful slaves under the tyrannical lordship of an Egyptian god.

Sin

Additionaly, during their time in Egypt, Israel became very Egyptian. Other than their suffering, there was no much that separated them from their pagan counterparts. Yes, like their forefathers, God’s holy (set apart, consecrated, sanctified) men and women lived wholly unholy lives.

Salvation

Then came the glorious month when God remembered and graciously rescued his holy children living wholly unholy lives.

In Exodus 12, while they ate God’s Passover meal, God’s death-angel went to war on their behalf. That night, Pharaoh and his household were dominated, traumatized, humiliated, and defeated. The next morning, Pharaoh was divinely affected; he was feverishly motivated to set God’s people free.

It was a few days later when God determined to finalize his work of salvation. Pharaoh hardened his heart, had a mental relapse, and fell back into his former state of spiritual and intellectual retardation. He believed he could best God and reclaim his slaves. Therefore, he gathered his army, loaded his chariots, and pursued God’s people out into the wilderness. Upon their convergence near the Red Sea, Pharaoh could not press forward and attack, for God had set his dark glory-could between them. Later, as God moved his glory-cloud, Pharaoh saw the God-parted Red Sea and fearlessly charged down the God-paved highway with a heart to reclaim and dominate God’s people.

The story has become famous as things did not go as Pharaoh had planned. Bottom line, he lost big! By the end of his story, Israel was found safely singing songs of praise on the distant shore while he and his army were found “not-floating” at the bottom of the sea.

Again, all of this was due to God’s sovereign, mysterious, undeserved, unfathomable, and gracious love. Like their forefathers, God’s saved nation was not of a special breed. They were holy, (set apart, consecrated, sanctified) but they were wholly unholy in their character and conduct, and it did not take long for their stubborn and stiff-necked rebellion to show itself.

Sin

Almost immediately after their salvation or redemption, God’s holy saints begin disbelieving, lusting, grumbling, scheming, tempting, and doing that which seriously angers the Lord:

• Exodus 14:11-12     Israel complains God is killing them. It would be better for them to be in Egypt.
• Exodus 15:23-26     Israel complains of having no water. They had plenty of water in Egypt.
• Exodus 16:1-18     Israel complains of having no food. At least they ate well in Egypt.
• Exodus 16:19-22     Israel is told to collect enough manna for one day. Quickly they covet and disobey their Savior.
• Exodus 17:1-7     Israel complains again of having no water. They lust to return to the land of Egypt.
• Exodus 32:7-8     Israel disobeys God’s Second Commandment. Eagerly, they manufacture and worship a golden calf.
• Numbers 11:1-3     Israel complains about something else not specifically identified. 
• Numbers 11:4-35     Israel lust for the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic they once enjoyed in Egypt.
• Numbers 13:1-25     Israel believes God is not powerful enough to grant them the land of Canaan.
• Numbers 14:1-4     Israel complains about Moses and Aaron. They longed for better leaders who will take them back home.

Sanctification

Back in the days of Genesis, God never turned his back on his predestined people. Though Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel be prolific sinners, they were predestined, set apart, consecrated, and sanctified. They were unfaithful to God, but God was faithful to Himself and them. Nothing could separate them from his love.

The same proves to be true with Moses, Aaron, and the post-exodus Israelites. They are God’s special possession, his royal priesthood, his holy nation — set apart, consecrated, and sanctified for God’s glorious service. And their “sanctification” is never based upon their “living like saints.” No, Israel’s sanctification is the positional and definite work of God. They are saints because God sets them apart and declares them to be such — despite their often living like wholly unholy Egyptians.

Suffering

Is their sin good? Absolutely not!

Is their sin allowable and acceptable? No way!

Is their sin horribly blasphemous? You bet!

Is their sin costly? Absolutely, the multi-multi-generational damage of their sin and transgressions is brutal to behold. Rebellion is always foolish. It is always hated by God. And sometimes it is followed by hard consequences, great suffering, and discipling discipline. Sin is to be deplored and hated. It is to be prayed against and practiced not. Sin is never a light and trite matter.

Concerned brothers and sister reading this post, we are not libertine antinomians. Sin is abhorrent, and it is fantastic to see God’s Spirit do good work within and without. Glorious it is to make progress and see greater maturity in living out the fruit of the Holy Spirit who communes with us each and every day. Positional sanctification is always to be practiced. Yes, let’s do it!

Sanctification

However, let us not add to our list of serious transgressions by disbelieving God’s good work and good declaration. We who are saved and redeemed, we who believe our God and eat at his table, we who have been rescued from the tyranny of the Evil One, we who have faith alone in God’s grace alone, we are already set apart, consecrated, “saint-ified” or sanctified. This is not a result of our performance. This is due to God’s performance, and he who began the good work in us, he will prove wholly faithful. One day we will really see that which he really proclaims. What a glorious day that will be.