Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1424321
Sanctification Cleansed and Set Apart for Purpose By Marty Edwards When I was growing up in church, the big word "SANCTIFICATION" was a something I heard about almost every week from the pulpit. And while the simplest definition of the word means "cleansed and set apart" I grew up thinking it represented a list of rules that we were to keep. As teenagers we were told that Christian boys didn't have long hair and Christian girls didn't wear short skirts – but when granny dresses (skirts that went all the way to the ground) became popular they too were quickly deemed un- Christlike. [Wait…what?] In reality, sanctification is a matter of the heart, not a list of rules. Sanctification is one being cleansed and set apart for God's purpose and will in our lives. Sanctification can also be defined as "the state of proper function." That means something or someone is being used for the Holy Spirit) to function as a servant of God; not just the clergy, but every Christan. If you are a Christ follower, you must ask what has got set you apart for? There may be several things, for sure, but what is your purpose in the Kingdom of Christ? What is your life's mission? What, then, does sanctification have to do with the pledge that we all made before God when we joined Black Sheep HDFC? Our pledge begins with "I am compelled by God…" What does compelled mean? It is to feel constrained… obliged…urged…moved…by the Spirit of Go" (and in our context) compelled to join this ministry. If done the right way, we did not join Black Sheep because we thought it might be fun or cool. We shouldn't have joined Black Sheep to make friends, meet a girl or have stories to tell our grandchildren. No! We said, "God has sanctified me to do this!" …cleansed and set apart for this time and place and mission. All of us, once we came to Christ, grew in our faith and discovered areas of ministry to which we were drawn, to be used by God for His glory. We have children's workers, those who work with teenagers or senior citizens. Some enter Christian counseling or have a calling to a foreign country, but those of us in Black Sheep declared, "I am compelled by the Spirit of God to join Black Sheep." That declaration should not have been taken lightly or be easily left behind. I was called to youth ministry, and I served for 15 years. Later I had an internal vision to plant a church in a specific town and I spent 13 years in that church before leaving and starting BSHDFC – and even though I am about to retire from being your international president after 22 years, I am as committed to the ministry of Black Sheep as I have ever been. I was set apart for this ministry. Being a pastor or a missionary is not something one does, it's who we are. The work of a pastor or a missionary is not accomplished in a day or a week or a month. The rewards of being called and answering that call are celebrated after years, even decades of service. What could have pulled Billy Graham away from his call to be an evangelist? What might have caused Paul or Peter to give up? (Not even imprisonment or death.) What if someone had hurt their feelings or not appreciated their efforts? What if the going really got tough? In fact, it did…and they stayed the course. "Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation and being willing to pay whatever it may cost." Oswald Chambers I have spoken with dozens of Christian leaders over the years, (pastors, missionaries, heads of various outreach ministries such as Black Sheep) and they all agree that the church today is soft. We offend easily, quit quickly, give sparingly and whine constantly. 20% of the workers do 80% of the work. I am so grateful for the 20% (more like 30-40% when it comes to BSHDFC) of our members who are rock solid and unmoving in their commitment to reaching bikers for Christ! Because of your commitment, I have watched you ride in the rain, polish boots under a hot sun and give most of your weekends to serve bikers. Because of your deep sense of being called to this ministry you have endured the knuckleheads, encouraged the weak and ignored the discouragers and the disappointments. You have not quit. Your calling is firm and many of you will still be riding long after I am gone. God bless you for your faithfulness and long suffering. God bless you for considering the Minsitry of BSHDFC as important as others much larger and more impressive. God bless you for hearing God and obeying God and staying the course. You are the champions. Now, there is a time to slow down and even cease altogether from a task. That is not quitting! Many of our members have retired and rightly so. Even though they have been called and set apart for motorcycle ministry, their eyesight isn't what it used to be. That bike seems heavier than it used to be. They ride a little slower than before and don't look forward to that five hundred mile ride the way that they used to. There is indeed a time for a legitimate shift and change in pace. One of the things I love about this ministry is that nobody gets thrown to the curb when they get old. When a member of BSHDFC retires due to injury or age- related challenges they can remain as committed and as involved as ever, but they just don't ride anymore, hold office or pay dues. Some of them we refer to as RED