The Very God of Peace Sanctify You Wholly
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the transformative power of God's grace in sanctifying believers wholly and inviting them into a life of divine peace and holiness.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the transformative power of God's peace in the process of sanctification, illustrating how divine intervention can lift burdens and bring about spiritual renewal effortlessly, much like the sun melting an iceberg. He encourages believers to embrace the divine life of holiness and expresses the importance of longing for this sanctification, inviting all to pray for the God of peace to sanctify them wholly. The imagery of a stranded ship being lifted and an iceberg melting serves to highlight the ease and might of God's work in our lives.
Text
The great tide is bearing up the stranded ship until she floats above the sand bar with neither straining seam nor struggling seaman. No need now for the ineffectual and toilsome efforts of the crew and the strain of the engines which had tried in vain to move her an inch before that heavenly impulse lifted her by its own attraction. God lifts up, by means of His sunbeams, the mighty iceberg which a million men could not raise a single inch, but which melts away before the sun's warm rays and rises in vapor clouds to meet its embrace until that cold and heavy mass is floating in glorious fleecy clouds in the blue ocean of the sky. How easy all this! How mighty! How simple! How divine!
Beloved, have you come into the divine life of holiness?
If you have, how your heart must swell with gratitude! If you have not, do you not long for it, and will you not unite in the prayer of the text that the very God of peace will sanctify you wholly?
Sermon Outline
- I points: - The divine lifting of burdens - The role of God's grace in our lives - The contrast between human effort and divine intervention
- II points: - Understanding holiness - The significance of being sanctified - The impact of divine peace on our lives
- III points: - The invitation to experience divine life - The importance of gratitude in our spiritual journey - The call to prayer for sanctification
Key Quotes
“God lifts up, by means of His sunbeams, the mighty iceberg which a million men could not raise a single inch.” — A.B. Simpson
“How easy all this! How mighty! How simple! How divine!” — A.B. Simpson
“Will you not unite in the prayer of the text that the very God of peace will sanctify you wholly?” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- Reflect on areas in your life where you need God's lifting grace.
- Engage in daily prayer asking for complete sanctification and peace.
- Cultivate a heart of gratitude for the divine interventions in your life.