Kiadás dátuma
1916. 04. 01.
Kötet
37
Szám
7
Az Őrtorony
How are We Sanctified?
Az eredeti angol nyelvű Őrtorony folyóiratok
../literature/watchtower/1916/7/1916-7-2.html
APRIl, 
1, 
1916 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(99-101) 
than 
this 
one, 
and 
none 
more 
necessary 
to 
be 
made 
plain 
to 
others. 
The 
word 
sanctification 
not 
only 
has 
in 
it 
the 
thought 
of 
this 
definite 
and 
complete 
consecration 
at 
the 
beginning, 
but 
also 
takes 
in 
the 
entire 
process 
of 
transformation 
of 
character 
and 
preparation 
for 
the 
Kingdom. 
It 
progresses 
throughout 
the 
Christian 
course 
until 
the 
character 
is 
fully 
developed 
and 
ripened, 
and 
it 
must 
then 
be 
maintained 
until 
the 
end 
of 
the 
way. 
HOW 
TO 
ENTER 
THE 
HEAVENLY 
RAOE 
Many 
professed 
Christians 
do 
not 
see 
the 
initial 
step 
of 
full 
consecration 
as 
essential 
to 
one 
who 
would 
be 
a 
follower 
of 
Christ. 
In 
our 
conversation 
with 
people 
many 
tell 
us 
that 
they 
have 
been 
trying 
for 
years 
to 
be 
children 
of 
God, 
that 
they 
have 
been 
for 
years 
seeking 
to 
do 
God's 
will 
and 
live 
a 
holy 
life. 
We 
try 
always 
to 
get 
these 
down 
to 
the 
particular 
point: 
Have 
you 
begun 
right? 
Have 
you 
been 
trying 
to 
run 
the 
Christian 
race 
on 
the 
outside 
or 
on 
the 
inside? 
Then 
they 
ask 
us 
what 
we 
mean. 
And 
we 
tell 
them 
that 
the 
matter 
is 
like 
a 
race-course, 
where 
there 
is 
a 
certain 
prize 
offered, 
with 
certain 
definite 
rules 
and 
regulations. 
The 
person 
who 
is 
to 
run 
in 
the 
race 
must 
be 
entered 
in 
the 
regular 
way. 
The 
con­ 
tract 
must 
be 
made 
and 
signed. 
The 
man 
must 
agree 
to 
all 
the 
conditions. 
Then 
he 
will 
be 
entered 
as 
a 
contestant, 
and 
must 
run 
on 
the 
prescribed 
track 
and 
for 
the 
goal. 
Now 
another, 
who 
had 
failed 
to 
make 
this 
contract 
and 
to 
enter 
the 
race 
in 
the 
prescribed 
manner, 
might 
rUn 
around 
and 
around 
on 
the 
outside 
of 
the 
track. 
He 
might 
run 
as 
fast 
and 
as 
well 
as 
those 
on 
the 
inside. 
He 
might 
boastingly 
say, 
"I 
can 
beat 
anyone 
running 
on 
that 
track!" 
But 
would 
he 
gain 
the 
prize? 
Assuredly 
not. 
He 
would 
be 
only 
amusing 
himself 
or 
wasting 
his 
breath 
and 
his 
strength. 
The 
real 
race 
was 
run 
on 
that 
track. 
He 
had 
faHed 
to 
meet 
the 
prescribed 
conditions, 
and 
all 
his 
running 
would 
be 
in 
vain 
so 
far 
as 
gaining 
the 
prize 
was 
concerned. 
And 
so 
it 
is 
with 
one 
who 
endeavors 
to 
live 
a 
Christian 
IHe 
without 
first 
having 
care­ 
fully 
learned 
and 
met 
the 
conditions 
and 
terms 
required 
in 
order 
to 
become 
a 
real 
disciple 
of 
Christ, 
and 
be 
recognized 
of 
the 
Father 
as 
his 
child. 
We 
believe 
that 
this 
is 
the 
trouble 
with 
many 
who 
call 
themselves 
Christians. 
Many 
who 
talk 
with 
us 
express 
good 
desires 
and 
all 
that, 
but 
we 
pin 
them 
right 
down 
to 
the 
point: 
"Have 
you 
made 
a 
full 
consecration 
to 
God?" 
We 
had 
a 
case 
of 
this 
kind 
only 
recently-a 
gentleman 
who 
has 
now 
called 
upon 
us 
twice. 
In 
our 
conversation 
at 
his 
last 
visit 
we 
said, 
"'VeIl, 
you 
remember 
what 
we 
spoke 
about 
when 
you 
were 
here 
before." 
He 
replied 
that 
he 
had 
been 
praying. 
We 
then 
told 
him 
that 
he 
had 
no 
right 
to 
pray, 
that 
he 
could 
not 
properly 
pray 
until 
he 
had 
an 
Advocate 
with 
the 
Father; 
for 
the 
Father 
does 
not 
hear 
sinners. 
'Ve 
said, 
"You 
cannot 
pray 
until 
you 
have 
surrendered 
your 
will 
to 
God. 
And 
all 
access 
to 
the 
Father 
must 
be 
through 
the 
Advocate. 
'No 
man 
cometh 
to 
the 
Father, 
but 
by 
me.' 
There 
is 
a 
definite 
way. 
It 
is 
not 
that 
you 
can 
go 
in 
your 
way 
and 
I 
in 
mine. 
All 
the 
terms 
of 
discipleship 
are 
laid 
down 
by 
the 
Lord 
himself. 
'If 
any 
man 
will 
be 
my 
disciple,' 
said 
the 
Lord 
Jesus, 
'let 
him 
deny 
himself, 
and 
take 
up 
his 
cross, 
and 
follow 
me.' 
Unless 
we 
take 
this 
step 
of 
denying 
ourselves, 
yielding 
up 
ourselves 
to 
the 
Lord, 
we 
may 
do 
a 
variety 
of 
things-go 
to 
church, 
etc., 
etc., 
and 
yet 
not 
be 
Christians. 
'Ve 
are 
not 
Christians 
until 
we 
have 
accepted 
Jesus 
as 
our 
Redeemer, 
and 
made 
a 
conse­ 
cration 
to 
God 
through 
Christ." 
TWO 
PARTS 
TO 
SANOTIFIOATION 
In 
one 
Sc.ripture 
we 
read, 
"Sanctify 
yourselves, 
and 
I 
will 
sanctify 
you." 
This 
means, 
set 
yourselves 
apart 
to 
God, 
and 
he 
will 
set 
you 
apart. 
We 
have 
a 
part 
in 
this 
work 
and 
God 
has 
a 
part. 
If 
we 
make 
a 
full 
consecration, 
God 
will 
conse­ 
crate 
us; 
he 
will 
accept 
us 
and 
set 
us 
apart 
for 
himself. 
He 
gives 
us 
the 
indication 
of 
this 
acceptance 
in 
the 
begetting 
of 
his 
holy 
spirit. 
Such 
soon 
begin 
to 
realize 
that 
they 
have 
a 
new 
mind, 
a 
new 
disposition, 
a 
new 
heart. 
It 
is 
of 
this 
clas~ 
that 
the 
Apostle 
Paul 
is 
speaking 
in 
our 
text. 
"This 
is 
the 
will 
of 
God" 
concerning 
you, 
"even 
your 
sanctification"-you 
who 
have 
consecrated 
yourselves 
to 
him 
and 
whom 
he 
has 
accepted 
and 
consecrated, 
has 
set 
apart 
for 
his 
service. 
The 
acceptance 
of 
us 
by 
the 
Fat'her 
is 
only 
the 
beginning 
of 
the 
sanctifying 
work. 
And 
it 
is 
his 
will 
that 
this 
work 
should 
continue 
and 
progress 
in 
us, 
to 
its 
full 
completion. 
This 
sanctifying 
work 
should 
affect 
our 
minds, 
our 
hands, 
our 
eyes, 
our 
ears, 
our 
tongues-our 
all-that 
we 
may 
be 
fully 
used 
of 
the 
Lord. 
It 
is 
the 
will 
that 
is 
given 
up 
at 
first, 
and 
the 
will, 
of 
course, 
includes 
the 
service 
of 
our 
mortal 
body. 
But 
this 
body 
has 
natural 
tendencies 
of 
its 
own. 
The 
giv­ 
ing 
up 
of 
the 
will 
means 
that 
the 
individual 
will 
seek 
to 
bring 
every 
thought, 
word 
and 
act 
into 
subjection 
to 
the 
will 
of 
God. 
It 
is 
one 
thing 
for 
the 
will 
to 
be 
made 
holy, 
and 
another 
thing 
to 
bring 
the 
mind 
and 
the 
body 
fully 
into 
line 
with 
this 
holiness 
of 
the 
will. 
The 
will 
is 
present 
with 
us, 
but 
how 
to 
perform 
is 
the 
problem. 
Not 
only 
are 
our 
wills 
to 
maintain 
this 
sanctified 
state, 
but 
we 
are 
to 
broaden 
our 
appreciation 
of 
the 
Lord's 
will 
for 
us, 
and 
thus 
have 
more 
and 
more 
of 
the 
spirit 
of 
sacrifice. 
SANOTIFIED 
THROUGH 
THE 
TRUTH 
Now 
what 
powers, 
what 
spiritual 
forces, 
are 
there 
that 
will 
aid 
us 
in 
this 
work 
of 
sanctification? 
Our 
Lord 
Jesus, 
in 
his 
last 
prayer 
to 
the 
Father 
before 
his 
death, 
prayed, 
"Sanctify 
them 
through 
thy 
truth; 
thy 
word 
is 
truth." 
(J 
ohn 
17: 
17 
) 
Here 
he 
gives 
us 
the 
key 
as 
to 
how 
this 
work 
of 
sanctification 
will 
proceed. 
The 
one 
who 
consecrates 
him­ 
self 
to 
God 
will 
not 
at 
first 
have 
a 
full 
knowledge 
of 
himself 
or 
of 
sin. 
He 
is 
only 
a 
b!libe 
at 
the 
beginning. 
But 
he 
is 
to 
be 
helped 
onward 
by 
the 
power 
of 
the 
revealed 
Word, 
by 
the 
message 
of 
truth. 
How 
will 
this 
message 
sanctify? 
'Ihe 
Apostle 
Paul 
answers 
that 
thus 
God 
works 
in 
us 
both 
to 
will 
and 
to 
do 
his 
good 
J?leasure. 
He 
gives 
us 
in 
his 
Word 
exceed­ 
ing 
great 
and 
precIOUS 
promises. 
He 
gives 
us 
counsel 
and 
admonition. 
And 
as 
these 
enter 
our 
heart 
and 
impress 
them­ 
selves 
upon 
us, 
through 
the 
illumination 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
we 
are 
constrained 
to 
work 
out 
in 
ourselves 
the 
peaceable, 
pre­ 
cious 
fruits 
of 
righteousness 
and 
holiness, 
We 
realize 
that 
by 
faithfully 
walking 
in 
the 
narrow 
way 
which 
our 
Master 
walked, 
we 
shall 
be 
pleasing 
to 
our 
God 
and 
shall 
receive 
an 
exceeding 
great 
reward, 
even 
joint-heir­ 
ship 
with 
Christ 
to 
"an 
inheritance 
incorruptible 
and 
unde­ 
filed, 
that 
fadeth 
not 
away, 
reserved 
in 
heaven 
for 
us 
who 
are 
kept 
by 
the 
power 
of 
God 
through 
faith 
unto 
salvation, 
ready 
to 
be 
revealed 
in 
the 
last 
time." 
(1 
Peter 
1: 
4, 
5) 
Thus 
we 
see 
how 
very 
important 
is 
the 
Word 
of 
Truth 
in 
this 
sanctifying 
process, 
whether 
we 
receive 
this 
truth 
from 
the 
reading 
of 
the 
Bible 
or 
from 
a 
hymn 
or 
from 
the 
STUDIES 
IN 
THE 
SCRIP­ 
TURES 
or 
however. 
Whatever 
impresses 
upon 
our 
hearts 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
and 
increases 
our 
measure 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
is 
a 
part 
of 
that 
which 
does 
the 
sanctifying 
work. 
THE 
:METHOD 
OF 
SANCTIFIOATION 
There 
is 
another 
text 
which 
tells 
us 
how 
we 
are 
to 
be 
sanctified. 
It 
declares 
that 
by 
God's 
will 
"we 
are 
sanctified, 
through 
the 
offering 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Jesus 
Christ 
once 
for 
all." 
(Hebrews 
10:10) 
The 
Apostle's 
thought 
here 
is 
that 
we 
were 
not 
sanctified 
in 
the 
beginning, 
but 
"were 
children 
of 
wrath, 
even 
as 
others." 
We 
could 
not 
sanctify 
ourselves; 
and 
the 
offering 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Jesus 
Christ, 
the 
sacrifice 
of 
his 
un­ 
tainted 
life 
for 
us, 
was 
the 
basis 
whereby 
we 
might 
become 
God's 
sanctified 
people. 
No 
amount 
of 
consecration 
could 
have 
made 
us 
the 
people 
of 
God 
unless, 
first 
of 
all, 
the 
founda­ 
tion 
for 
this 
should 
be 
made 
in 
the 
sacrifice 
of 
Jesus 
Christ. 
His 
sacrifice 
opened 
the 
way. 
His 
merit 
cleansed 
us 
and 
made 
us 
acceptable 
to 
Jehovah. 
Again, 
we 
read 
that 
we 
are 
of 
the 
elect, 
"through 
sanctifica'­ 
tion 
of 
the 
Spirit." 
(I 
Peter 
1: 
2) 
When 
we 
present 
ourselves 
in 
consecration, 
we 
are 
next 
accepted 
and 
begotten 
of 
the 
Spirit. 
This 
acceptance 
and 
begetting 
sets 
us 
apart; 
it 
in­ 
ducts 
us 
into 
the 
body 
of 
the 
Anointed. 
The 
spirit 
of 
the 
truth 
inspires 
us 
and 
guides 
us 
in 
the 
heavenly 
way. 
It 
first 
showed 
us 
that 
we 
were 
sinners 
needing 
a 
Savior. 
Next 
it 
showed 
us 
how 
to 
present 
ourselves 
to 
God. 
And 
after 
we 
had 
taken 
the 
steps 
thus 
shown, 
and 
were 
accepted 
as 
son~ 
of 
God, 
it 
led 
us 
on 
step 
by 
step 
into 
the 
fulness 
of 
the 
stature 
of 
men 
in 
Christ. 
Thus 
the 
Spirit, 
through 
the 
Word, 
brings 
about 
our 
complete 
sanctification. 
We 
are 
told 
again 
that 
it 
is 
"the 
blood 
of 
the 
covenant 
wherewith 
we 
are 
sanctified." 
(Hebrews 
10: 
29) 
How 
is 
this? 
God 
has 
made 
a 
great 
covenant 
with 
the 
church. 
It 
was 
first 
made 
with 
the 
Head 
of 
this 
church, 
and 
then 
with 
those 
who 
are 
to 
constitute 
his 
body. 
It 
is 
a 
covenant 
of 
sacrifice. 
Jehovah 
said, 
prophetically 
through 
the 
Psalmist, 
"Gather 
my 
saints 
[my 
holy 
ones, 
my 
sanctified 
ones] 
together 
unto 
me; 
those 
who 
have 
made 
a 
covenant 
with 
me 
by 
sacrifice." 
(Psalm 
50: 
5 
) 
The 
way 
to 
come 
into 
this 
class 
thus 
called 
and 
gathered 
is 
to 
accept 
the 
terms 
laid 
down 
by 
Jehovah 
him­ 
self. 
No 
one 
comes 
into 
this 
class 
except 
by 
the 
blood 
of 
the 
covenant. 
When 
our 
Lord 
Jesus 
entered 
into 
a 
covenant 
with 
the 
Father, 
it 
was 
by 
the 
consecration 
of 
himself 
at 
baptism. 
This 
consecration 
was 
carried 
out 
and 
finished 
in 
his 
death 
on 
Calvary. 
There 
the 
shedding 
of 
his 
blood-the 
sacrifice 
of 
his 
life--was 
finished. 
There 
was 
no 
other 
way 
to 
fulfil 
his 
covenant. 
It 
was 
necessary 
that 
he 
do 
all 
this 
'that 
he 
might 
enter 
into 
his 
own 
glory 
as 
well 
as 
be 
the 
Savior 
of 
the 
world. 
And 
we 
who 
have 
become 
his 
body 
members 
must 
make 
this 
same 
covenant 
with 
the 
Father. 
We 
are 
to 
drink 
with 
him 
his 
cup 
of 
suffering 
and 
death. 
We 
are 
to 
lay 
down 
our 
lives 
[5877] 
ApRIL 1, 1916 than this one, and none more necessary to be made plain to others, The word sanctification not only has in it the thought of this definite and complete consecration at the beginning, but also takes in the entire process of transformation of character and preparation for the Kingdom. It progresses throughout the Christian course until the character is fully developed and ripened, and it must then be maintained until the end of the way. HOW TO ENTER THE HEAVENLY RACE Many professed Christians do not see the initial step of full consecration as essential to one who would be a follower of Christ. In our conversation with people many tell us that they have been trying for years to be children of God, that they have been for years seeking to do God’s will and live a holy life. We try always to get these down to the particular point: Have you begun right? Have you been trying to run the Christian race on the outside or on the inside? Then they ask us what we mean. And we tell them that the matter is like a race-course, where there is a certain prize offered, with certain definite rules and regulations. The person who is to Tun in the race must be entered in the regular way. The contract must be made and signed. The man must agree to all the conditions. Then he will be entered as a contestant, and must run on the prescribed track and for the goal. Now another, who had failed to make this contract and to enter the race in the prescribed manner, might run around and around on the outside of the track. He might run as fast and as well as those on the inside. He might boastingly say, “I can beat any one running on that track!” But would he gain the prize? Assuredly not. He would be only amusing himself or wasting his breath and his strength. The real race was run on that track. He had fatled to meet the prescribed conditions, and all his running would be in vain so far as gaining the prize was concerned. And so it is with one who endeavors to live a Christian life without first having carefully learned and met the conditions and terms required in order to become a real disciple of Christ, and be recognized of the Father as his child. We believe that this is the trouble with many who call themselves Christians. Many who talk with us express good desires and all that, but we pin them right down to the point: “Have you made a full consecration to God?” We had a case of this kind only recently—a gentleman who has now called upon us twice. In our conversation at his last visit we said, “Well, you remember what we spoke about when you were here before.” He replied that he had been praying. We then told him that he had no right to pray, that he could not properly pray until he had an Advocate with the Father; for the Father does not hear sinners. We said, “You cannot pray until you have surrendered your will to God. And all access to the Father must be through the Advocate. ‘No man cometh to the Father, but by me.’ There is a definite way. It is not that you can go in your way and I in mine, All the terms of discipleship are laid down by the Lord himself. ‘If any man will be my disciple,’ said the Lord Jesus, ‘let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.’ Unless we take this step of denying ourselves, yielding up ourselves to the Lord, we may do a variety of things—go to church, etc., etc., and yet not be Christians. We are not Christians until we have accepted Jesus as our Redeemer, and made a consecration to God through Christ.” TWO PARTS TO SANCTIFICATION In one Scripture we read, “Sanctify yourselves, and I will sanctify you.” This means, set yourselves apart to God, and he will set you apart. We have a part in this work and God has a part. If we make a full consecration, God will consecrate us; he will accept us and set us apart for himself. He gives us the indication of this acceptance in the begetting of his holy spirit. Such soon begin to realize that they have a new mind, a new disposition, a new heart. It is of this class that the Apostle Paul is speaking in our text. “This is the will of God” concerning you, “even your sanctification”’—you who have consecrated yourselves to him and whom he has accepted and consecrated, has set apart for his service. The acceptance of us by the Father is only the beginning of the sanctifying work. And it is his will that this work should continue and progress in us, to its full completion. This sanctifying work should affect our minds, our hands, our eyes, our ears, our tongues—our all—that we may be fully used of the Lord. It is the will that is given up at first, and the will, of course, includes the service of our mortal body. But this body has natural tendencies of its own. The giving up of the will means that the individual will seek to bring every thought, word and act into subjection to the will of God. It is one thing for the will to be made holy, and THE WATCH TOWER (99-101) another thing to bring the mind and the body fully into line with this holiness of the will. The will is present with us, but how to perform is the problem. Not only are our wills to maintain this sanctified state, but we are to broaden our appreciation of the Lord’s will for us, and thus have more and more of the spirit of sacrifice. SANCTIFIED THROUGH THE TRUTH Now what powers, what spiritual forces, are there that will aid us in this work of sanctification? Our Lord Jesus, in his last prayer to the Father before his death, prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) Here he gives us the key as to how this work of sanctification will proceed. The one who consecrates himself to God will not at first have a full knowledge of himself or of sin. He is only a babe at the beginning, But he is to be helped onward by the power of the revealed Word, by the message of truth. How will this message sanctify? ‘Lhe Apostle Paul answers that thus God works in us both to will and to do his good pleasure. He gives us in his Word exceeding great and precious promises. He gives us counsel and admonition, And as these enter our heart and impress themselves upon us, through the illumination of the holy Spirit, we are constrained to work out in ourselves the peaceable, precious fruits of righteousness and holiness. We realize that by faithfully walking in the narrow way which our Master walked, we shall be pleasing to our God and shall receive an exceeding great reward, even joint-heirship with Christ to “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:4, 5) Thus we see how very important is the Word of Truth in this sanctifying process, whether we receive this truth from the reading of the Bible or from a hymn or from the STUDIES IN THE ScrIPTURES or however. Whatever impresses upon our hearts the Word of God and increases our measure of the holy Spirit is a part of that which does the sanctifying work. THE METHOD OF SANCTIFICATION There is another text which tells us how we are to be sanctified. It declares that by God’s will “we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10) The Apostle’s thought here is that we were not sanctified in the beginning, but “were children of wrath, even as others.” We could not sanctify ourselves; and the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, the sacrifice of his untainted life for us, was the basis whereby we might become God’s sanctified people. No amount of consecration could have made us the people of God unless, first of all, the foundation for this should be made in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice opened the way. His merit cleansed us and made us acceptable to Jehovah. Again, we read that we are of the elect, “through sanctifica’ tion of the Spirit.” (1 Peter 1:2) When we present ourselves in consecration, we are next accepted and begotten of the Spirit. This acceptance and begetting sets us apart; it inducts us into the body of the Anointed. The spirit of the truth inspires us and guides us in the heavenly way. It first showed us that we were sinners needing a Savior. Next it showed us how to present ourselves to God. And after we had taken the steps thus shown, and were accepted as sons of God, it led us on step by step into the fulness of the stature of men in Christ. Thus the Spirit, through the Word, brings about our complete sanctification. We are told again that it is “the blood of the covenant wherewith we are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:29) How is this? God has made a great covenant with the church. It was first made with the Head of this church, and then with those who are to constitute his body. It is a covenant of sacrifice. Jehovah said, prophetically through the Psalmist, “Gather my saints [my holy ones, my sanctified ones] together unto me; those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psalm 50:5) The way to come into this class thus called and gathered is to accept the terms laid down by Jehovah himself. No one comes into this class except by the blood of the covenant. When our Lord Jesus entered into a covenant with the Father, it was by the consecration of himself at baptism. This consecration was carried out and finished in his death on Calvary. There the shedding of his blood—the sacrifice of his life—was finished. There was no other way to fulfil his covenant, It was necessary that he do all this that he might enter into his own glory as well as be the Savior of the world. And we who have become his body members must make this same covenant with the Father. We are to drink with him his cup of suffering and death. We are to lay down our lives [5877]

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