The Harp of God: Proof Conclusive That Millions Now Living Will Never Die
John Stuart Mill · en
[342]Sanctification, then, is to be made holy, in the likeness of our
Lord. Concerning such Jesus said: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy
word is truth". (John 17:17) The Christian now must feed upon or study
the Word of God, learn its principles, learn of Jehovah's character and
that of the Lord Jesus, and strive to conform his own life thereto. He
now has set before him the hope of being made like the Lord in glory;
and "every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he
is pure". (1 John 3:3) This process of sanctification is done by the
Lord through his Word. "Both he who sanctifies and those whom he is
sanctifying have all one Father, and for this reason he is not ashamed
to speak of them as brethren." (Hebrews 2:11, _Weymouth_) Here we see
the sanctifier is the Lord Jesus Christ, and those whom he is
sanctifying are the members of his body; and all of these have one
Father, Jehovah God; therefore all of the one body, constituting the
mystery of God.
[343]All this work of sanctification is done in what we designate the
school of Christ; and it is only those who are in this school by being
in Christ Jesus that can be sanctified and ultimately be a part of that
glorious mystical body, the heavenly kingdom class that will constitute
the great prophet, priest, and king.
[344]This mystery hid from ages and generations and made known only to
the saints is, says the apostle Paul, the Christ; and the Christ in you
is the hope of glory. Those who are in Christ and who have the spirit of
Christ in them have the glorious hope of being born on the divine plane
as members of the body of Christ. These are called to the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to them are given all the
exceeding great and precious promises contained in the Word of God. The
Prophet speaking of them and to them said: "The nations shall see thy
righteousness, and all the kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by
a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a
crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand
of thy God." (Isaiah 62:2,3) These have the promise: "When Christ, who
is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory".
(Colossians 3:4) And "then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in
the kingdom of their Father".--Matthew 13:43.