The passages above show, without leaving the shadow of a doubt, that Christ forgave sins before His crucifixion. He had "power upon earth to forgive sins." It is also evident that not only the Twelve, but the Seventy also, believed on Christ, and they that believe on Christ have everlasting life.

However, it is not to be presumed that Christ's suffering and death do not have a part in this. Jesus was a "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." It was all in the Plan of Salvation. But Jesus did forgive sins before His death. Those whose sins were forgiven, were justified by faith in Christ.

"And almost all things are by the law purged with
blood; and without shedding of blood is no remis-
sion." Hebrews 9:22.

This is often quoted to deny that Christ could forgive sins on earth, and that His blood was shed in order that He might forgive sins. But reading that verse only as well as its connection in the passage, you can see immediately that this refers specifically to "under the law." However, all Christendom recognizes that Christ died on the cross because of our sins, and to take away the sin of the people.

But when the sinner has been "Justified by Faith” has he received all of God's Blessing? Verily, NO. Let us consider the next great step-Sanctification.

Sanctification

"This is the will of God, even your Sanctification."

I once heard of a pious lady in a Holiness church who became discouraged because the Holiness church was persecuted so much more than a neighboring church, the main Sunday morning sermon of which was something to prove that you "Can't be sanctified." During this time of discouragement she had a very significant dream. It seemed that her eyes were opened so that she could see the demon spirits in the world that were fighting against the power of God. At the front door of the Holiness church, where Sanctification was being preached, there was a score of demons working like bees. At the door of the church some distance away where sermons were being preached against Holiness and Sanctification, there was one demon therelying at the church door, sleeping soundly. There was no call for activity by the evil spirits at the place where the power of the Blood of Christ was being disparaged.

And certainly that is the case in every community. Where the sanctifying power of the blood of Christ is held forth, the power of the devil rages mightily in opposition. The devil simply cannot pass the Blood of Christ. It is a wall that stands between the saint and his sin and sinning. Let us examine some prominent passages of Scripture that definitely set forth Sanctification, as a Bible

doctrine, an

attainable experience, and expressly provided for by Jesus Christ Himself:

"For this is the will of God, even your SANCTI-
FICATION." 1 Thes. 4:3.

"Follow peace with all men, and HOLINESS,
without which no man shall see the Lord."
Hebrews 12:14.

"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might SANCTIFY
the people with his own blood, suffered without
the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him with-
out the camp, bearing his reproach." Hebrews 13:
12, 13.

"SANCTIFY them through thy truth: thy word
is truth." John 17:17.

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he
might SANCTIFY and cleanse it with the washing
of water by the word, that he might present it to
himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
HOLY and without blemish." Ephesians 5:25-27.
"For I will take you from among the heathen,
and gather you out of all countries, and will
bring you into your own land. THEN WILL I
SPRINKLE CLEAN WATER upon you, and ye
shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from
all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also
will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within
you: and I will take away the stony heart out of
your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 36:24-26.

"And the very God of peace SANCTIFY YOU
WHOLLY; and I pray God your whole spirit and

soul and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thes. 5:23, 24.
"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ,
saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you
in prayers, that ye may stand PERFECT AND
COMPLETE IN ALL THE WILL OF GOD." Col.

4:12.

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the
flesh and spirit, PERFECTING HOLINESS IN
THE FEAR OF GOD." 2 Cor. 7:1.

"Ye are witnesses, and God also, how HOLILY
and justly and unblameably we have behaved our-
selves among you that believe." 1 Thes. 2:10.
"Being then made FREE FROM SIN, ye became
the servants of righteousness." Romans 6:18.
"And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and
he lifted up his hands, and blessed them." Luke
24:50.

All these Scriptures practically explain

themselves, but perhaps it will aid to point out in an orderly way the things that these references do teach:

(1) We understand Sanctification to be, in its
regularly accepted sense in the English language
-A Cleansing, a Setting apart; a Consecration.
But perhaps we think of it more often as the Ex-
perience of Cleansing. We are safe in assuming
that Sanctification is faithfully translated from
the original.

(2) That Sanctification is the will of God.

(3) That without sanctification we shall not see
the Lord.

(4) That Jesus died on the cross for our Sancti-
fication, which is alone ample evidence that we
can be sanctified.

(5) That there is going to be a church of sancti-
fied people for Christ to present to Himself.

(6) Paul indicates definitely that a life of perfec-
tion and sanctification can be attained in this
life. He declares that he himself lived "holily and
unblameably."

(7) Jesus prayed that the people might be sanc-
tified. Will His prayer be answered?

(8) Sanctification implies a life without sin-a
life of holiness. (This feature is discussed at
length further on in this book.)

(9) Sanctification is a second experience, subse-
quent to Justification. First the sins of the sinner
are pardoned and then his soul is purified. This
is the logical sequence.

(10) It requires a complete consecration, a set-
ting apart, in order to attain the experience of
sanctification.

(11) Sanctification consists in taking out of the
man the very nature of sin. It takes out the
"prone to wander" nature, the "Old Man," the
carnal mind.

In the four references which follow we have a description of what the carnal mind is. The nature that comes into man to make him sin-that is the seed of sin resulting from Adam's fall. Yes, even that carnal nature, the Old Man, can be taken away by the crucifixion of Christ on the Cross.

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that