22. Sanctification of the Spirit

.... As Predestination Phase 2 begins, the sinner is destined to come to Jesus but he still has a big problem. The evil deeds he has accumulated throughout his lifetime weigh heavily on his heart, making him reluctant to approach a holy God for fear of the reproof he will suffer in facing his own sinfulness. It should be emphasized that this debilitation is purely human in nature, self-imposed, and not imposed by our heavenly Father at all. But because of it God must always do another work, by the Holy Spirit, to help us overcome our fear:

.... "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

(John 3:20-21)

.... As shown in the passage above, those who come to the light have a certain testimony: that God began works of truth in their lives even before they approached Him, in order to assist in drawing them near. In our own human mind set, these works of truth form enough of a ‘counter balance’, to help us overcome our natural reluctance based on our sinfulness. This preparatory work is called the sanctification of the Spirit for obedience (1 Pet 1:2).

. .... But what is this preparatory work of truth like? Jesus told us that when the Spirit of Truth had come, He would convict the world of righteousness, sin, and judgment (John 16:7-13) and this gives us our first practical clue. But let’s explore the specifics through a Biblical typology: .

.... In a very curious passages, the Bible speaks of John the Baptist by saying: ‘that all men through him might believe.’ (John 1:7). Of course John was not divine, but this quality very nearly is. That is because, in the days before the Holy Spirit was given, John was the one through whom God convicted the people of righteousness, sin, and judgment, in relation to Christ who was about to come.

. .... In other words, John’s ministry was a foreshadow of the Holy Spirit’s ministry, and this is why he was called the greatest of the prophets (Luke 7:28). As such, he taught the people such lessons as these:

.... "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise . . . Collect no more than what is appointed for you . . . Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

(Luke 3:11-14)

.... Of course, no one would actually be saved by doing any of this. It’s purpose was more fundamental. For the one thing it could do was incline the heart of the hearers toward works of righteousness, to 'turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.' (Luke 1:17). .

.... As this new appreciation and change of heart developed, these persons could face the Light of Christ with anticipation rather than feeling reproved. Thus, when the time came for John to cry out: "Behold the Lamb of God!" his disciples could immediately follow Jesus. (John 3:35-36).

. .... So in a practical sense, persons in Predestination Phase 2 may actually be detected by very astute Christian observers, because of the telltale conduct in their lives. Truth will matter more to them. Justice, mercy, virtue, humility and such concepts will become important to them. In a purely practical sense, these persons often embark in some form of self-improvement such as dieting, exercise, or volunteering with social organizations, as a way of finding an outlet for these pressures and/or desires. They will worry about their sin, and possibly be defensive about it; yet they will become increasingly open to hearing about the Lord if this is discussed in a non-threatening way (for instance, if framed in terms of ‘all’ having sinned). Their time is getting close, which leads to the next section.