Many of the leaders of our churches are teaching people how to live a more sanitized life rather than a more sanctified life. One message appeals to the flesh and the other matures the soul. If your in a church that teaches sanitization rather than sanctification you are probably among the majority. Many people today love the sanitization message because the message appeals to their bodies of flesh.<\/p>\n
Just because the message is popular with the world does not mean it gives people the truth they need to overcome this evil world or that it helps Christians to grow. In fact, sanitization teachings often encourage baby Christians and non Christians to feel good about living in their fallen nature of flesh. Do not confuse teaching like the prosperity message, the success message and the better living through postmodern religious chemistry message with biblical teaching given for the sanctification of your soul.<\/p>\n
The sanitization message appeals to those who want to perfect a body of flesh that God has already condemned. The sanctification message matures the soul of those who will be given a new body perfected by God.<\/p>\n
Bob DeWaay in this article aptly shows those with eyes to see the difference between the popular message of sanitization that is preached in many churches and modern movements, and the Biblical message of Sanctification that is increasingly becoming rarely heard.<\/p>\n
Sanitization or Sanctification?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n A reader phoned me recently and explained how he has seen churches depart from Bible teaching only to institute various programs for better living. He made an intriguing statement: “These programs do not sanctify, they sanitize.” And he was absolutely right about that. Let me unpack that idea and show from Scripture that this is the case.<\/p>\n It is possible to use human wisdom and good advice programs in order to help people achieve better living. It is possible to get an alcoholic sober, an abusive husband to be considerate and caring, a compulsive gambler to quit, a person driven to make money at the expense of family to change priorities, and to help an unhappy person become happy. All of this can be done without any special work of grace. In fact, it can be done without religion at all.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Dispensing human wisdom can produce many satisfied customers. A local pastor, known for preaching the prosperity gospel, was exposed in the newspaper for his lavish lifestyle and possible misappropriation of church funds. One of his members wrote a letter to the editor defending the pastor. The letter writer cited all of the positive changes that had happened since attending that church: a better family, better finances, freedom from addiction, and so forth. But he did not mention anything distinctive to Christianity. Some people who believe the health and wealth gospel actually are healthy and wealthy. But so are some atheists.<\/p>\n Many churches simply have given up salvation and sanctification and settled for sanitization-clean and happy “Christian” living without regard to holiness in the sight of God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n