Sanctification: The Honorable Obsession

The subject of this article is Pastor John Macarthur’s sermon on Christian “Sanctification”:

Sanctification: The Honorable Obsession, John Macarthur (Eph. 4)

In the above sermon, John establishes the following biblical facts:

1. Christianity is a calling.
2. God DOES the calling. You don’t. God CHOOSES you, you don’t choose HIM. That is the ONLY way He can be a “sovereign”. See:
   Why We Can’t Choose God, R.C. Sproul
   https://sedm.org/why-we-cant-choose-god/
3. When you are called, it is important to “act in a manner worthy of being called”. Eph. 4:1. THIS is what he means by “sanctification”.
4. Sanctification is the ONLY way to achieve “honor” within the Kingdom of God. It is, in fact the ONLY “honorable obsession” in all the bible.
5. The Apostle Paul who wrote this passage of scripture in Eph. 4 was identified in the passage as “the prisoner of the Lord”. He was “an ambassador in chains” (Eph. 6:20), as he called himself, as he wrote Eph. 4. He wrote the epistle from Roman prison, in fact.
6. He uses the phrase “power and privileges” or “blessings” to describe the “benefits” of Christianity. These are FRANCHISE terms (Form #05.030). This is a method in essence of enticing us into SERVICE within the biblical civil office of “Christian”. By “Christian” we also mean “citizen of Heaven and NOT earth”. He is offering us a position in the Kingdom of Heaven franchise as “citizens”. That franchise is described in:
   Delegation of Authority Order from God to Christians, Form #13.007
   https://sedm.org/Forms/13-SelfFamilyChurchGovnce/DelOfAuthority.pdf
7. He refers to the OBLIGATIONS that GO with these “benefits” of the office of Christian as mandatory. In other words, by BEING called, we must accept not only the “benefits” (“power and the privileges” and “blessings”) of the “office” of “Christian” as God’s representative on Earth, but we must also accept the biblical OBLIGATIONS that go WITH these “benefits” (“privileges and powers” or “blessings”) of Christian citizenship. The two always go TOGETHER. That biblical citizenship is described in Phil. 3:20.
8. Accepting the BIBLICAL obligations of BEING a “Christian”, a “citizen of Heaven and NOT earth”, and God’s officer on earth is an essential part of our Christian walk.

In a legal sense, Macarthur, without even knowing it or explaining it, is trying to recruit us as “public officers” of God on Earth. The “calling” he references is an “office” within the “Kingdom of Heaven, Inc”. We are corporate officers of God, and God’s family is the “corporation” we are a member of as Christians. The biblical OBLIGATIONS attached to the civil office of “Christian” and “citizen of Heaven” are legal evidence of the EXISTENCE of a BIBLICAL office, as evidenced by the Supreme Court of New Hampshire:

“The term office’ has no legal or technical meaning attached to it, distinct from its ordinary acceptations. An office is a public charge or employment; but, as every employment is not an office, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between employments which are and those which are not offices…. A public officer is one who has some duty to perform concerning the public; and he is not the less a public officer when his duty is confined to narrow limits, because it is the duty, and the nature of that duty, which makes him a public officer, and not the extent of his authority.’ 7 Bac. Abr. 280; Carth. 479…. Where an employment or duty is a continuing [***65] one, which is defined by rules prescribed by law and not by contract, such a charge or employment is an office, and the person who performs it is an officer…. The powers vested in the government of the state of Mississippi are either legislative, judicial, or executive; and these respective branches of power have been committed to separate bodies of magistracy…. Whether an office has been created by the constitution itself, or by statute,… the incumbent, as a component member of one of the bodies of the magistracy, is vested with a portion of the power of the government…. The words civil office under the state’… import an office in which is reposed some portion of the sovereign power of the state, and of necessity having some connection with the legislative, judicial, or executive departments of the government…. The local and limited power and duties of the levee commissioner can have no effect in determining the question whether his office is not an office under the state. A member of the board of county police, or a justice of the peace, is as much an officer under the state as the executive, the heads of department, or a member of the judiciary. The powers attached [***66] to the office of levee commissioner evidently pertain to the executive branch of the government. Clothed with a portion of the power vested in that department, the commissioner, in the discharge of his proper functions, exercises as clearly sovereign power as the governor or a sheriff.” Shelby v. Alcorn, 36 Miss. 273, 288-290, 292. The constitution provided that “no senator [*233] or representative” should, during his term, “be appointed to any civil office of profit under this state,” which had been created during his legislative term. The object of the clause was manifest, and the office of levee commissioner was held to be within the mischief which the prohibition was intended to prevent.

[Ricker’s Petition, 66 N.H. 207 (1890)]

What Macarthur is doing in BIBLICAL terms we do in the following LEGAL and SECULAR terms on the opening page of our website. We are saying that you can’t accept the “benefits” without also accepting the “obligations” that PAY for the benefits, and that if you don’t accept the obligations, you are a THIEF.

People of all races, genders, political beliefs, sexual orientations, and nearly all religions are welcome here. All are treated equally under REAL “law”. The only way to remain truly free and equal under the civil law is to avoid seeking government civil services, benefits, property, special or civil status, exemptions, privileges, or special treatment.  All such pursuits of government services or property require individual and lawful consent to a franchise and the surrender of inalienable constitutional rights AND EQUALITY in the process, and should therefore be AVOIDED.  The rights and equality given up are the “cost” of procuring the “benefit” or property from the government, in fact.  Nothing in life is truly “free”.  Anyone who claims that such “benefits” or property should be free and cost them nothing is a thief who wants to use the government as a means to STEAL on his or her behalf. All just rights spring from responsibilities/obligations under the laws of a higher power.  If that higher power is God, you can be truly and objectively free.  If it is government, you are guaranteed to be a slave because they can lawfully set the cost of their property as high as they want as a Merchant under the U.C.C.    If you want it really bad from people with a monopoly, then you will get it REALLY bad. Bend over.  There are NO constitutional limits on the price government can charge for their monopoly services or property.  Those who want no responsibilities can have no real/PRIVATE rights, but only privileges dispensed to wards of the state which are disguised to LOOK like unalienable rights.  Obligations and rights are two sides of the same coin, just like self-ownership and personal responsibility.  For the biblical version of this paragraph, read 1 Sam. 8:10-22.  For the reason God answered Samuel by telling him to allow the people to have a king, read Deut. 28:43-51, which is God’s curse upon those who allow a king above them.  Click Here for a detailed description of the legal, moral, and spiritual consequences of violating this paragraph.

[SEDM Website Opening Page; http://sedm.org

From all of this, we can also see that our legal system is in effect, a counterfeit or copy of how God’s law works. Satan, in fact, is the great IMMITATOR of God. He wants to be LIKE God and be equal to or ABOVE God. A government that is ABOVE you rather than EQUAL to you IN COURT, seeks to be God. If you can never approach the government in equity as an equal in court, then court is just a government church to WORSHIP pagan idols.

Requirement for Equal Protection and Equal Treatment, Form #05.033
https://sedm.org/Forms/05-MemLaw/EqualProtection.pdf

Are you a CITIZEN of the Kingdom of Heaven or a CITIZEN of Caesar’s pagan civil religion (Form #05.016) of socialism? You can’t be BOTH! Why? Because:

1. “citizen” depends on domicile from a civil statutory legal perspective. See:
   Why Domicile and Being a “Taxpayer” Require Your Consent, Form #05.002
   https://sedm.org/Forms/05-MemLaw/Domicile.pdf
2. You can only have ONE domicile at a time.
3. The “government” or “person” ABSOLUTELY OWNING the land you have a domicile ON is the person who you swear allegiance to and derive protection from when you choose a civil domicile
4. God owns “the Heaven and the Earth”, so His kingdom is the ONLY one we can have a civil domicile within. Psalm 89:11.
5. Caesar does NOT own “the Heaven and the Earth”, but is a mere trustee under the Bible trust indenture.
6. When Jesus says in Mark 12:17 to “Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s”, we must ask ourselves:
   “WHAT exactly does Caesar OWN that we must render BACK to him if God owns the ENTIRE Heaven and the Earth?”
7. We are God’s “trustees” over the property (land) he conveyed into the Bible trust indenture as the Grantor of the Trust.
8. Any attempt by Caesar to “tax” land or property that he doesn’t own is THEFT. Therefore, he can’t tax LAND and in fact DOES NOT. “Property tax” is a tax upon IMPROVEMENTS to land, not the land itself.

What Macarthur describes as “sanctification” is summed up at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes:

The Whole Duty of Man

⁹ And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set^[c] in order many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. ¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. ¹² And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments [LAWS],
For this is man’s all.
¹⁴ For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

[Eccl. 12:9-14, Bible, NKJV]

Our question for John is:

“What part of the word ‘ALL’ do you NOT understand? And what part of the bible is ‘law’ for YOU and your congregation?”.

The correct answer is that the WHOLE bible is the law we should view as our delegation of authority order and “law”. As absolute and unchanging law reflecting the CHARACTER of God, the bible AS LAW is the ONLY objective standard for how to fulfill the “obligations” created by receiving the “privileges and power” of the Kingdom.

We are non-plussed by John’s sermon on sanctification as it produces some kind of nebulous froth because it is devoid of law. This is typical of dispensationalists who are antinomian!! John hates law as the objective standard for holiness. Thus, he portrays himself as an “anarchist” in respect to God’s law and therefore an apostate. Apparently, he doesn’t want to prosper, because you need LAW, and not mere policy, to prosper:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
[Joshua 1:8-9, Bible, NKJV,
IMPLICATION:  If you aren’t reading and trying to obey God’s law daily, then you’re not doing God’s will and you will not prosper]

John’s view of sanctification righteousness leaves the believer with individual, touchy-feely “kind of good” spiritual energy rather than an objective standard of right and wrong found in God’s absolute laws. Ugh! And, the worst thing about it is that all the dispensationalist and immature believers accept this as good preaching. Tell people this and you’ll be labeled a pariah.

Since he doesn’t define the biblical standard by which “the obligations” of Christian citizenship are measured, he opens the door for his audience to fill in the blanks with “whatever feels good”, and thus promotes anarchy. This anarchy and apostacy repeats that found in the book of Judges. God is supposed to be the king, but when you don’t obey His laws, or you don’t recognize His word as LAW, he CEASES to BE “king” and YOU replace him as King by making your OWN rules to replace HIS rules:

“ In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
[Judges 21:25, Bible, NKJV]

You can’t have a King without written Law, and you can’t have SUBJECTS of the King without people who FOLLOW that written law. Jesus is our KING!

Jesus is My ONLY King and Lawgiver and Civil Ruler, SEDM
https://sedm.org/jesus-king-of-all-kings-thats-my-king/

And, the “source of law” is the actual and de facto King where that law is acted upon or enforced. The source of law is always the God of any society, as Rousas John Rushdoony correctly pointed out in his book “The Institutes of Biblical Law”. See:

Why All Man-Made Law is Religious in Nature, Family Guardian Fellowship
https://famguardian.org/Subjects/LawAndGovt/ChurchVState/WhyAllManmadeLawRelig.htm

We’re sure that if Macarthur had couched his discussion in the legal context we do in this article, he probably would have cleared out all the pews in the process. Modern Christians are famous for avoiding SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY and avoiding such pure, unadulterated truth. If the pews turn empty, then the pastor starves. For modern Christianity, its all about the money and the “blessings”/”benefits”. Its SUPPOSED to be about Biblical justice (Form #05.050), personal responsibility, and accepting the OBLIGATAIONS that go with the “benefits”.

What do YOU worship: God or Mammon? Do you worship God as reformed theologists do, or mammon as “prosperity gospel” types like Joel Osteen do?

Is Jesus merely and only a liability insurance salesman for the WRATH of hell or a SOVEREIGN LORD and LAWGIVER over your life? He can’t be both!

More on this subject at:

Corruption Within Modern Christianity, Form #08.012
https://sedm.org/Forms/08-PolicyDocs/CorrModernChristianity.pdf