---

I. WHY THE SPIRIT WAS SENT. The first purpose which was to be answered by Christ's coming in the flesh was, as St. Paul tells us, that He might "redeem us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." Christ's death has answered that purpose fully; for, as the same apostle declares, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law." But there are other things in Christianity beside the death of Christ; and they must have their purpose also. Why was the Holy Ghost sent to us? and why does He vouchsafe to come? He comes to sanctify us men. You remember that, in the account of the creation, God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God created He him." This image of God in the soul of man — for that, of course, is the thing meant — did net descend from Adam to his children. He lost it at the fall, and so could not leave it to his posterity. Adam's first son was born in the likeness of sinful man. What was the consequence? "All flesh corrupted his way upon the earth." At last it became quite clear that, so long as this evil root — this hereditary taint — remained within us uncorrected, so long men would go on sinning; nay, would grow worse and worse; just as a bowl with a bias, if you try to send it straight, the longer it rolls, the further it will swerve. Now, if this state of things could be allowed to go on, Christ would have died in vain; therefore, that He might finish the work He had begun for us, He sent His Holy Spirit to correct the bias of our evil nature, and gradually renew the image of God in our souls. This includes the renewal "in the spirit of our minds," and the putting on "the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Here, then, is another great purpose which the plan of our redemption is meant to answer. The death of Christ was to redeem us; the coming of the Holy Ghost is to sanctify us. "For this is the will of God," etc.

II. THE SPIRIT'S DIFFICULTY IN SANCTIFYING. That must needs be a great and difficult task which the Holy Ghost has taken upon Himself. Could a lesser arm have upheld us in our battle against sin, God would have sent us that lesser and weaker arm. But He sends us His own Spirit. The work, then, from its importance and difficulty, must be worthy of that eternal Spirit. It is a war against sin and Satan. Satan has lodged himself in the heart, and knowing the value of the heart, he will fight for it inch by inch. But the work of sanctification is something more than merely driving out Satan: it is binding the old man which has hitherto held a tyrannous sway within us, and replacing him by the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. To sanctify or hallow a thing is to set it apart for God's service. Thus Christians are called in Scripture "holy" and "saints," because they are God's people and serve Him. So when we say that it is God's will we should be sanctified or hallowed, this is the same as saying that our hearts ought to be like a church. A church is a house of prayer; and our hearts should be full of prayer also. Again, a church is the place for reading and explaining the Word of God; and the Word of God must be the food of our minds and the delight and meditation of our hearts. Moreover, a church is the last place for doing any wicked thing; so should it be with the heart of a Christian. Above all, a church is devoted to God; and this is the chief mark of a Christian: he should be devoted — heart and mind, soul and body, wholly given up to God's service. Not always praying, not always reading the Bible; but he is to be always serving God. Strength, as well as liveliness, is necessary to a principle; and it is the principle of sanctification to give ourselves up to God, and to give up everything that offends Him. In fine, it is in a measure living the life of heaven upon earth. This is God's will, and this is our beatitude.

(A. W. Hare, A. M.)

---

---

KJV: For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

WEB: For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,