I was recently going through some of my mother’s papers and photos and came across the notebook from ‘The Bethel Series’, a year-long Bible Study that my mother and father participated in at Tower Hill Presbyterian Church in Red Bank, New Jersey. I don’t know how widely used this series has been, but they really enjoyed it.
As I was flipping through the book (and deciding to keep some of the color art for future sermon visuals) I came across the following list under the subject ‘Sanctification’. I was struck by how biblical the steps are, and how well they fit the process as I have been seeing it at work in my own life for a number of years.
Sanctification:
IÂ Â Â Assumes justification by faith through grace
IIÂ Â Produces a hunger to know more and more about God’s will
IIIÂ Prompts a deliberate effort to learn God’s will:
a. through regular worship
b. through study of His Word
c. through fellowship with other saints
d. through prayer
IVÂ Â Results in a broader understanding
VÂ Â Â Changes a person’s sense of values
VIÂ Â Â Increases an awareness of sinfulness and drives the believer closer and closer to Christ
VIIÂ Â Increases the awareness of God’s loving kindness
VIIIÂ Increases the believer’s sense of gratitude to God
IX Â Â Creates a growing responsiveness to God’s will
XÂ Â Â Â Enlarges the believer’s sense of responsibility:
a. in the use of his time
b. in the use of his talents
c. in the use of his possessions
d. for moral and spiritual integrity
XIÂ Â Produces sacrificial involvement whereby life is lived in the role of a servant
XIIÂ Ends in Christlikeness
Suggestions for using this list: (1) Do a Bible Study and find Scriptural support for each point and sub-point. (2) Rate yourself (say from one to ten) as to the reality of each point and sub-point in your life.
