"OF SANCTIFICATION" By John GIll

The foundation of "sanctification" is laid in "regeneration"; as it is a holy principle, it is first formed in that; the new creature, or new man, is created in righteousness and true holiness; and it appears in "effectual calling", which is an "holy calling"; and is to be seen in conversion, which is a turning of men "from their iniquities": and that holiness which is begun in regeneration, and is manifest in effectual calling and conversion, is carried on in sanctification, which is a gradual and progressive work, and issues and is finished in glorification; so that it may, with propriety, be distinguished from regeneration, effectual calling, and conversion, and be separately treated of.

"Man's Utter Inability to Rescue Himself" Thomas Boston (1676-1732)

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. John 6.44

WE have now had a view of the total corruption of man's nature, and that load of wrath which lies on him, that gulf of misery into which he is plunged in his natural state.

"THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter 7 of 14

Chapter Seven

We are not to imagine that our hearts and lives must be changed from sin to holiness in any measure, before we may safely venture to trust on Christ for the sure enjoyment of Himself and His salvation.

We are naturally so prone to ground our salvation on our own works that, if we cannot make them procuring conditions and causes of our salvation by Christ, yet we shall endeavour at least to make them necessary preparatives to fit us for receiving Christ and His salvation by faith.

"Walking in Winter" By Craig Chambers

I always slow down in winter as if there is less people that need to know the Lord.  I just always assumed that people on the: street wouldn't stop and talk to me or want a gospel tract, after all it's cold.  However this winter was going to be different here in Vermont, I was going to carry the message of Christ to the cold corner were I street fish at.  Its several weeks before Christmas and I decide to try a new tract, Jumbo Christmas Cash (www.customtractsource.com). 

John Bunyan's Last Sermon Preached August 19, 1688, from John 1:13.

"WHICH WERE BORN, NOT OF BLOOD, NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD;" - JOHN 1:13.

The words have a dependence on what goes before, and therefore I must direct you to them for the right understanding of it. You have it thus, —"He came to his own, but his own received him not; but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them which believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God." In the words before, you have two things—

"THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter 6 of 14

Chapter Six

Those that endeavour to perform sincere obedience to all the commands of Christ, as the condition by which they are to procure for themselves a right and title to salvation, and a good ground to trust on Him for the same, do seek their salvation by the works of the law, and not by the faith of Christ, as He is revealed in the gospel and they shall never be able to perform sincere and true holy obedience by all such endeavours.

"THE HOLINESS OF GOD" By A.W. Pink

Chapter 8 from his book-
"The Attributes of God"

"Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy" (Rev. 15:4). He only is independently, infinitely, immutably holy. In Scripture He is frequently styled "The Holy One": He is so because the sum of all moral excellency is found in Him. He is absolute Purity, unsullied even by the shadow of sin. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). 

" THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter 5 of 14

 Chapter Five

We cannot attain to the practice of true holiness by any of our endeavours while we continue in our natural state and are not partakers of a new state by union and fellowship with Christ through faith.

It is evident all do not have that precious faith by which Christ dwells in our hearts; yea, the number of those that have it is small comparatively to the whole world that lies in wickedness (1 John 5:19, 20); and many of those that at length attain to it do continue without it for some considerable time (Eph. 2:12). 

"The Neglecting of Our Children" By Shane C. Montgomery

      The number of men, women and children in this world that call themselves "Christian" sits at about two billion.  Out of those numbers, half are practicing Roman Catholics, one eighth of that two billionl are practicing Eastern Orthodox.  The rest refer to themselves as Protestant. Out of these people, 623 million claim to be Evangelical Christians, or in other words, people who believe in the Bible completely.  About half of this number resides in the U.S.  Half of the worlds total population think they are true Christians that are going to Heaven after this life on earth comes to an end.  

"THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter4 of 14

Chapter Four

The means or instruments by which the Spirit of God accomplishes our union with Christ, and our fellowship with Him in all holiness, are the gospel, by which Christ enters into our hearts to work faith in us, and faith, by which we actually receive Christ Himself, with all His fullness, into our hearts. And this faith is a grace of the Spirit, by which we heartily believe the gospel and also believe on Christ as He is revealed and freely promised to us in this, for all His salvation.

"The Day of Judgment" By Archibald Alexander (1772-1851)

That a just God will render to every man according to his character and works, is a dictate of reason. Conscience also intimates to every man, when he sins, that he deserves to be punished; and when we see or hear of great crimes committed by others, such as murders, perjuries, robbery, or treachery, we feel something within us demanding that such should receive

" THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter 3 or 14

Chapter Three

The way to get holy endowments and qualifications necessary to frame and enable us for the immediate practice of the law, is to receive them out of the fullness of Christ, by fellowship with Him; and that we may have this fellowship, we must be in Christ, and have Christ Himself in us, by a mystical union with Him.

"What Sinners Should Plead with God" by Ralph Erskine

1. Plead his promise, Ezek 36:26,27. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

"Tears of Repentance" by Thomas Watson

There is no rowing to paradise except upon the stream of repenting tears. Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet. Why are the wells of repentance stopped? Do not the sinners of the land know that they should repent? Have they no warning? Have not God's faithful messengers lifted up their voice as a trumpet and cried to them to repent? But many of these tools in the ministry have been spent and worn out upon rocky hearts. Do we think that God will always put up with our affronts?

"Adoption" By L.R. Shelton, Jr.

NOT ONLY HAS GOD THE FATHER CHOSEN US in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him (v4), but He has in love predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. 
This adoption is another blessing or privilege that God has given us in Christ Jesus which flows out of His saving work for us and our union with Him through grace by faith. This great blessing or privilege is according to the good pleasure of His will, and to the praise of the glory of His grace (v6). 

" THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" by Walter Marshall-Chapter 2 of 14

Chapter Two

Several endowments and qualifications are necessary to enable us for the immediate practice of the law. Particularly we must have an inclination and propensity of our hearts thereunto; and therefore we must be well persuaded of our reconciliation with God, and of our future enjoyment of the everlasting heavenly happenings, and of sufficient strength both to will and perform all duties acceptably, until we come to the enjoyment of that happiness.

"The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification" by Walter Marshal-Chapter 1 of 14 total.

Sanctification in the believers life is of the utmost importance.  Any tool we can find that aids in our growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Son of God is a tool we cannot afford to ignore.  I often post articles on Sanctification, by the Puritans, early Reformers and myself.  For the next several days I will be posting one chapter a day from the book "The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification" first published in 1692 and written by Walter Marshall.  Many believe this book to be the single best work on the believers Sanctification. 

"Your life preaches all the week!" by Robert Murray McCheyne

                                                                                                            A man is what he is on his knees before
God--and nothing more! In great measure,
according to the purity of the instrument,
will be success. It is not great talents which
God blesses--so much as great likeness to
Jesus! A holy minister is a powerful weapon
in the hand of God!

Study universal holiness of life. Your whole
usefulness depends on this; for your sermons
last but an hour or two--but your life preaches
all the week! If Satan can only make a minister
covetous; or a lover of praise, or of pleasure, or
of fine eating--he has ruined your ministry!

"Exalting Holiness" by Shane C. Montgomery

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Romans 8:29-30 (KJV)


  We see from these two verses from Chapter 8 of Paul's letter to the believers in Rome that God has a plan for our lives, (His Elect) and this plan is to conform His adopted children into the imagine of Jesus Christ.