Creflo Dollar - Inside Sanctification - Part 1
Now, the next couple of weeks, I want to deal with something, I call this inside sanctification, inside sanctification. It's gonna deal with your sanctification and how it has moved on the inside of you. It's really a carryover from Sunday's message for you to realize how important it is for you to accept, by faith, who Jesus has made you. That's a key deal. Satan's strategy is to attack your new identity on a daily, hourly, sometimes minute or second, to try to get you to not accept it, to try to get you to question it. And you've got to get in the habit of, you know, somebody says, "How do I bring this to a place of practicality"? You gotta get in the habit of, you know, get up in the morning and say, "You know, I am pure. I am holy. I am righteous. I am sanctified. God has found no fault in me".
And as you begin to declare those things, when the attack comes, you are already ahead of the game, and you've already accepted what Jesus has already done. Other than that, anytime you make a error or miss the mark somewhere in your life, he's always going to attempt to try to get you to back off of what Jesus wants you to receive by faith. "I am righteous. I am redeemed. I have wisdom. I am pure. I am holy". And so I thought, you know, we really need to deal with this area, especially in the area of holiness and sanctification, so you can realize that we're not talking about something working itself in you. We're talking about it is totally completely done the day you believe it. It's not working it in you. It's more or less working the fruit out of you. You follow what I'm saying? It's working what you already have out of you into fruit form.
So the Bible explains that just like Jesus has become our righteousness, he has also become our sanctification. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 30 and 31, and we'll begin here tonight. He says, "But of him are you in Christ Jesus". Say out loud, "I am in Christ Jesus," all right? "Who of God is made onto us wisdom". So Jesus has been made onto us and for us. He has been made unto us wisdom. He has been made unto us righteousness. He has made us sanctification or holiness. He has made unto us redemption. "That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord". So because of what Jesus has done, I have already been made righteous. "I am the righteousness of God," say that. "I am sanctified," say that. "I am holy," say that. "I have wisdom," say that.
These things are so important for you to understand that it's not by any performance of your own. I am not here tonight preaching the gospel of performance. I'm here tonight preaching the gospel of grace. And so, your sanctification is a person, according to what we just read, your sanctification is a person. Your righteousness is a person. Your wisdom is a person. Your redemption is a person. Could you tell me his name? Jesus. Jesus is your sanctification. Jesus is your holiness. And you've received him, then you've received everything that he has been made. So the moment we are born again, we are made righteous. The moment we are born again, we are made holy. It is an instant miracle. The day you got born again, it is an instant miracle. You have been made righteous. You have been made holy. It is an instant miracle. How many of you say, "I believe it by faith"? Say it again, "I believe it by faith".
That's the key. That's the key right there. That's the key in this life of grace is you believing and receiving what you've been made. And the battle is Satan's gotta talk you out of that. He's gotta knock you off that foundation because that then is the true foundation for everything to work like it's supposed to work. So some people say, "But I thought I had to try to live holy". Their attitude is to gradually become holy. And so, you know, "Yeah, I know I'm holy, but, you know, I'm trying to live holy". No, no, no, no, no, no. That's called self-holiness, just like self-righteousness. No, that's not how this goes. We do not live holy in order to become holy. Did you hear what I just said? That goes against everything we've ever heard. You do not live holy in order to become holy, but we live holy because we have already been made holy.
Let me say that again maybe two or three times, all right? We do not live holy in order to become holy. See, that is now your behavior trying to determine who you are. That is now your behavior saying how you behave determines how you are. So you feel like, "I gotta live holy in order to become holy," but we live holy because we have already been made holy, and this is who we are now. So I live holy 'cause that's who I am. That's who I really am. I am holy. I've received that by faith. Now, from that decision to receive by faith that identity, I begin to behave that way. It is not behaving that way to become that. I've already been made that, that's why I start behaving that way. Glory be to God, amen. So this is who we are now. So the Bible repeatedly calls believers, watch this, and I'll show you two Scriptures tonight. It repeatedly calls believers, once you've been born again, saints.
Now, why do I bring that up? Even people in church refer to believers as sinners saved by grace. That's not right. "Well, you know, Brother Dollar, we're still sinners saved by a grace". Talk for yourself. I am a saint. "You know, ain't none of us in here saints". Well, all of us are, if you're born again, are saints. Here's what I do know, you are not a sinner. You are not a sinner. "Well, you know, we're just bunch of sinners saved by grace". That doesn't match, does it? I used to be a sinner but now that I've been saved by grace, I'm a saint. Somebody said, "That ain't in the Bible". Let's go look at two places. I don't know how we missed this stuff.
Colossians 1 and verse 2. Colossians 1 and verse 2, and then Philemon verse 5. Colossians 1, verse 2 and then Philemon verse 5. Verse 2 says, "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossae: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ". And now I don't need to read it, I just want to back up to the first part. Notice how he began and who he's addressing. To who? To who? To the sinners. He's talking to the saints, and who are the saints? The faithful brethren in Christ. Who are the saints? The faithful brethren in Christ. How many of you are in Christ? Hello, Saint. Illustrate moving in... the illustration that I used a while back was, you know, when you move in a different house, you re-clean and to make sure the house is clean.
When you move into a different house, even though you reclean it to make sure it's clean. How many of you have ever recleaned something to make sure, oh, come on, let's talk about your house. Forget moving. How many of you know you gotta reclean your house. Cleaning your house last week won't make it clean today, amen? You have to reclean it. Now, here's what I'm gonna show you. This is so fascinating. Only the blood of Jesus could do a perfect job of cleaning. Now, watch these Scriptures that I'm about to show you now. Hebrews 10:10. Hebrews 10:10, and then drop on down to verse 14. I am sanctified. My sanctification is inside. I have inside righteousness and inside sanctification and inside holiness, and it is working itself out. The fruit is growing.
See, the fruit grows from the root, right? So the root of your behavior is your identity. Don't ever forget that. The root of your behavior is your identity. It's who you have claimed to be. Hebrews 10:10, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all". Look at that again. "By the which will we are sanctified," how? Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. So when Jesus offered his body as the payment for all of our sins, we were sanctified and made holy when he offered his body. All right, does he have to offer his body every time you get dirty? He did it how many times? And how long is it gonna last? Oh, do y'all have that? You have that? He offered his body to sanctify us once, and it'll last for all times. So if he sanctified us through the offering of his body, tell me when you stop being sanctified and holy.
See, here's the deal. Everything we are is because of him. So basically, as long as he all right, we all right. Is Jesus still sanctified? Is he holy? Me too. If don't nothing happen crazy with him, it ain't gonna happen to me. Somebody say, "But what if something happen crazy to him"? It can't. Why? He's the Lord. Huh? And so remember that every time the enemy wants to show up and talk you out of who you've been made, let them know, "Hey, I ain't get no memo. Nothing happened to Jesus. If he's good, I'm good. If he's holy, I'm holy". He did it once, and it's still lasting today, amen. So you're not gonna stop being sanctified and holy. "Yeah, but what if I ain't behaving that way"? Well, you need to move some weeds out the way so it can go ahead and grow.
You know, when things are not growing, a lot of times you just gotta move the things. Some stuff is in your way, get the weeds out the way. It's working. You just ain't seeing the fruit right now. Get the weeds out the way. The root is working. You are righteous. You are holy. That behavior's coming up out of you. Now, you gotta go home and look at what kind of weeds you got growing in the ground that' stopping that, all right? But it's not because something's wrong with the system.
Look at verse 14, "For by one offering he hath perfected forever". That's a powerful word because when he says he's perfected forever them that are sanctified, well, I know you and I are sanctified. And look at what he just added to this. He says, we have been perfected. Who? You who are sanctified. You see how this is by faith? You see how the grace life is by faith? All of the things that Jesus has made available through his blood and through grace, it has to be received by faith. You are now cleansed and holy, so holy, you're so holy, you're so holy that even the Holy Spirit decided to live on the inside of you.
"Well, you know, Brother Dollar, the Holy Spirit can't inhabit dirty vessels". Well, ain't no other kind. I know what they're trying to say but for you and I, you gotta receive by faith, "I am holy. I am sanctified. I am so holy and so sanctified, and I live by the faith of Jesus Christ. And Jesus believes it so much and God believes it so much, that the Holy Ghost decided to believe it so much to come and to live on the inside of us". He lives in me. Praise God.
Now, look at Ephesians 4. He lives in me. This is the stuff you need to start telling yourself when you start thinking you're not worthy and you don't deserve it. "And yeah, but what I did, and oh, yeah, but what I said," and all that. No, no, no, you've gotta make sure the devil knows that little Romper Room stuff don't work with me no more. I know who I am. Ephesians 1:4 he says, "According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world", wow. He has chosen us in him before the foundations of the world. Wow, we were chosen before the foundation of the world. Wow, wow. "That we should be holy". He chose us to be holy and without blame before him in love.
So I stand before God, you stand before God, holy and without blame. Now, what's the enemy gonna do? He's gonna try to convince you you're not holy and put the blame on you. And you've got to know and understand that by faith, I'm not buying in on this. The Holy Spirit doesn't move in and out. You got a Holy Ghost? Yeah. Next week, "You got it"? "He moved out". The Holy Ghost doesn't move in and out. "He in today 'cause I did good. I didn't do too good after church, so he moved out". Well, when he gonna move back in? "I don't know. We gotta see what the Lord say". That's not God. The Holy Ghost doesn't move in and out. He does not move in and out. He comes to stay forever. The Holy Spirit comes, you want to see this.
John 14:16. He comes to stay forever. John 14:16, he's not moving in and out. Look at this. He says, "And I will pray the Father, he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you," for how long? For how long? So you do not have a in-and-out guest. He will live with you forever. You ought to try it sometimes. Try it when you're disappointed in how you behaved. He'll talk to you. In fact, he's probably brought it to your attention. In fact, if you'll listen to him close enough, he'll show you how to correct it. He'll show you a better way. He'll show you the best way. That's why Christianity should be a relationship with the Holy Spirit and not some religious thing, some jerk or jiggle that you perform in church. The Holy Spirit has been sent to lead and guide you into all the truth. He's not a moving-in, moving-out God. He is there forever. Check with him sometime.
You could avoid a whole lot of things in life if you'll learn how to live a daily life with the Holy Spirit leading and guiding you in all that you do. Let him talk to you, man. Let him talk to you. My relationship with the Holy Spirit is just to such a point right now, it's just pretty amazing. I think it was the other day, I was... have you ever got just yourself in a place where you're overthinking a thing? And I was overthinking a thing. And I just heard God like, "You're overthinking it". And, you know, and then you think that was you. That ain't you 'cause you overthinking it. You understand what I'm saying? That's the Spirit of God like, "You're overthinking it. You're overthinking it".
That's the type of relationship you'll have with him. He will begin, and then sometimes you'll overthink that. "Why did God tell me that I'm overthinking? You know, I thought that we was all right. I prayed in tongues for two hours. Why am I overthinking it"? He's like, and now he ain't gonna say nothing else to you no more. "I'm not talking to you more because you won't grow up". Immaturity, ladies and gentlemen, is so valuable. It's something you gotta kick the bucket where immaturity is concerned. Immaturity keeps you out of a lot of God's blessings, not because he hasn't released it upon you. You just too immature to get up and walk in him. He'll tell you to do something and then now all of a sudden, you think you got the mind to counsel God. "No, Lord, I ain't ready for that".
Well, he just told you you were. You gotta remember who you're talking to. Remember who you talking to now. It's like you go to God and you know he God, so you already know he know what's already on the inside of you before you even thinking. So ain't no use in debating with God, "No, God, that ain't what I meant". Be honest. "I meant every word of it, Lord. I meant every word". The Lord say you need to let that thing go. You in unforgiveness. "Lord, I ain't in unforgiveness". Look who you talking to. There's so much he knows about you before you even recognize it about yourself, amen? We have already been made holy. Say out loud, "I have been already made holy". That's comforting.
It may be hard for you to hear when you first started, that's why you need to hear it more. Somebody says, "Well, who's gonna tell it"? You're speaking the truth, speaking the truth in love. You need to talk to yourself a little bit more. "Don't crazy people talk to themselves"? Well, you know we living in a crazy world, so talk to yourself. Talk to yourself. Speak to yourself. Get up and declare that. "Father, I am holy. I am righteous. You've I am blameless. I am pure". After I told you that story on Sunday, man, from that point up until today, I've been announcing to myself, "Boy, don't you know you're pure"?
I don't ever want to go back into that situation again where I don't even believe I'm pure. I am pure. I am holy. I am sanctified. I am the righteousness of God cause he said so. I am forgiven of all my sins. I've been perfected forever. Glory be to God. And I'm all right with God, and he loves me. Think about it. You're talking to you about this. You don't reserve this somewhere. This is the stuff you use to train your soul and your body to begin to line up with what you believe. You know what? Things don't change just because you have a knowledge of something. I used to think just because I know something, then that'll make the difference. Knowing about it won't change it. It's learning how to practically move in the thing you know. It's how much you move in the thing that you know.
I know people who walk around with a lot of knowledge, but it's not turning into anything because they don't know how to practice it. They don't know how to bring it to a place of practicality. They leave it in the realm of fantasy and religion and fable, and that's all it becomes. It becomes a story that you tell when you get around other Christians. It becomes a fable that you talk about when you get around other Christians to kind of somehow show your level of spirituality, and you're not spiritual at all. I am really, I trip a little bit when I get around people who they get really, really deep spiritual.
I'm uncomfortable with that because I'm like, is that a cover that they're using to hide something? What is it that you're trying your best not to let me see that I already see? But I ain't gonna let you know I see it because you think you're safe behind that cover. Uh-uh, uh-uh. I respect a drunk who will cuss you out more than I do a Christian who has perfected phoniness 'cause most likely if you can be phony with your brothers and sisters, you've been that way with God. And God loves you, man. And if there's any place where you got to practice being transparent and vulnerable, it's with God. That's what's gonna cause you to love him more because you know God knows this thing about you that nobody else knows.
So here's the real truth. He's always known that thing about you that nobody else knows. You don't ever reveal a secret to God because he knows all secrets, amen, amen. But it's an opportunity for you to have fellowship with him, to invite him in to your heart, and he does the same thing. He invites you in and he begins to say things to you. Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling. See, he's able to keep you from and to present you faultless before the Almighty God, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power.