Sanctified fishermen.

Jesus with divine sagacity knew that if these untutored fishermen were to light up Europe and Asia with the torch of the gospel they must have an experience themselves which would transform them from self-seeking, cowardly men to giants and heroes.

The carnal mind.

While the true Christian loves Christ and His words, while his higher and more spiritual nature says “Amen” to the Lord’s teaching, yet it must not be forgotten that the “carnal mind” which remains, “even in the heart of the regenerate,” is “enmity against God.”  There is a dark somewhat in the soul that fairly hates the word “sanctification.”  Theologians call it “inbred sin” or “original depravity”; the Bible terms it the “old man,” “the old leaven,” “the root of bitterness,” etc.  Whatever its name it abhors holiness and purity, and though the regenerate man loves Christ and His words, he does so over the vehement protest of a baser principle chained and manacled in the basement dungeon of his heart.

George Fox.

The devout of all churches recognize the existence of an inner enemy who bars the gate to rapid spiritual progress.  George Fox, the pious founder of the Friends’ Society, said in relation to an experience which came to him:  “I knew Jesus, and He was very precious to my soul, but I found something within me which would not always keep patient and kind.  I did what I could to keep it down, but it was there.  I besought Jesus that He would do something for me, and when I gave Him my will He came into me and cast out all that would not be patient, and all that would not be sweet, and that would not be kind, and then He shut the door.”

“Sin in believers.”

John Wesley preached a sermon on “Sin in Believers” which is extant and widely read.  All churches recognize it in their creeds, and all have provision in their dogmas for its expulsion before entrance into heaven.  The Catholics provide a convenient Purgatory; other denominations glorify Death and ascribe to it a power which they deny to Christ; while still others rely on growth to cleanse from all sin and get us ready for the glory-world.  The Bible, however, with that sublime indifference to all human opinions and theories becoming in divine authority, reveals a salvation from all sin here and now.

The word sanctify means simply “to make holy” (L., sanctificare = sanctus, holy, + ficare, to make).  The work of sanctification removes all the roots of bitterness and destroys the remains of sin in the heart.

Unreasonable antagonism.

What sound sense can there be in antagonizing a blessing which is nothing more or less than cleanness—­mental, moral and physical cleanness.  The kind of character that would wittingly fight holiness would object to a change of linen.