My notes from "The Pusuit of Holiness - Heb.12:14" by Dr. Pipa

• Sanctification is often missunderstood, yet it is a cardinal truth to the christian because of the cross. To look unto Jesus we must persue sanctification. He Himself is our example.


• God sends us trials b/c He loves us and wants us to be holy as He is holy. He does this by dicilplining us like parents dicipline children - something we must not be a wimp about! Even though we are week and feeble we must keep on in the race.


• Sanctification is not following man made rules but being Christ-like in your character, to conform to Christ. We must love God's holiness to love Him and realize that He cannot look on sin with any favour.


• Chararistics of holiness - supernatural, purchased by Christ, a work of the Holy Spirit, (God planted the seed and the Spirit hovered over it to protect and perfect, it's a work that begins from the inside out.),progressive work (God works in us this way wisely, He works with each one of us differently - therefore we must not compare our spiritual growth to others, negativly or positivly! That means not looking down on those who have not matured as far as we have, or wishing we could be like those who are more spiritually matured than we are. It involves humility, and the more we grow, the more we'll realize our sin.) Finally, santification is beautiful! (That is because it comes from God, and by it, we will become beautiful from the inside out! We must also remember that holiness and happiness go together - it is a lie of Satan that if you are holy you won't be happy.


• Holiness should be the consuming passion of a christian. We must persue it with purpose, with faith (looking to Jesus), through the use of the means of grace, (word and sacriments) through prayer, christian fellowship, and through excersise, (putting off the old man and putting on the new.)


• Although sanctification won't get us to heaven, we won't get there with out it. If you have no desire for holiness than you are most likely unconverted.


• We must esteme holiness like God does.