Sanctification, purity, and leadership
In his ongoing series on "What is Faith," Brad Huston writes on the relationship between justification and sanctification. Christians are on dangerous ground, Brad says, when we believe our justification is the end of our salvation:
Update: Responding to these posts, John Schroeder asks a few questions on sanctification and leadership.
. . .once justified, the process of being sanctified begins. And it is a process of freedom. That is to say, it is a process of being stripped of the bondages of sin and freed from its entaglements, so that our faith might not shipwreck itself on the rocks of doubt.Along a similar line, David Opderbeck has posted a short reflection on the book of Titus and the importance of purity in Christian leadership:
We often are drawn to leaders who are smart, attractive, accomplished in business, wealthy, or "conservative" in appearance and demeanor. The first thing God requires in a leader, however, is purity. In fact, Titus 1:6-9 tells us twice that church leaders must be "blameless"David also offers a bit of sensible advice on pursuing that purity.
Update: Responding to these posts, John Schroeder asks a few questions on sanctification and leadership.
posted by Milton Stanley at 6:07 AM
6 Comments:
It also says "above reproach", not able to be easily accused, etc. That means behavior traits that are admirable. A true Christian leader leads to Christ above all.
I did an acrostic for a 10 minute talk and it might also shed some light on what makes a good leader, noting that justification and sanctification come as a benefit of salvation.
Here goes....
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
L e a d e r s h i p
L-ove; of people meaning; everyone from everywhere, all the time, especially those whom you are given the task to lead.
E-quality; the idea of treating everyone equally; another strong trait; also applies to principles and ethics.
A-ble; possessing abilities and also able to rise to the occasion; capable, UP for the task. Do everyone a favor-don't lead unless you are able, and willing to be the example. Need a definition of example? See equality and remember to lead by example. Get "able", if you aren't. It doesn't come from within.
D-edication; within and without. Be dedicated. It's not an act and will show if you aren't.
E-nergetic; possessing, exerting, or displaying energy. Get psyched up or be psyched out...
R-esourceful; not only having a vast amount of resources at your disposal, but active in "being a resource" for those you lead. Takes strong "two-way" communication, availability, willingness and respect. The respect aspect is primarily of others time, etc.
S-harp; Intellectually penetrating; astute, or more aptly put, intense, vigilant, keenness.
H-eight; the ability to see beyond oneself and grasp the vision, rising above pettiness. Embracing the solution, NEVER "compromising principle for convenience". Ability to know one's own capabilities, to set a baseline to strive for growth.
I-nsight; goes hand-in-hand with vision, sharpness, resources, etc. It's a struggle here because there are so many good words that could be substituted, including, Inspiring, Innovative, or Inclusive (not showing favoritism).
P-romote; a positive atmosphere that acts as an incubator of ideas that breed ideas. Make an atmosphere that encourages solutions and concepts that are positive, good for ALL and that have merit. The only thing to leave out regarding promotion is oneself...
Good post. Shabbat Shalom TCC
Cool acrostic. I especially like the part about being able to get able!
As in "Study to show thyself approved"?
Yes, as in 'Get "able", if you aren't. It doesn't come from within.'
You raise the ever interesting issue of "Crisis vs. Process" when it comes to the matter of Sanctification. I myself believe that there is both a crisis experience that begins the process of Entire Sanctification.
Having said that, I'll take it any way I can get it when it comes to the impact that it has on Christian leaders in the local church or in the broader area of ministry.
I'd like to hear more of the concept of Entire Sanctification. It's not a concept I came across in my theological studies. I did run across it on the Internet and studied it somewhat, but I'm still not very familiar with it.
That said, thanks much for visiting and commenting. I'm eager to hear from you again.
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