The Four Fold Gospel Week 4 - Christ Our Coming King - Revamped February 2026

        A few years ago my wife came to me and asked me if we could get a few chickens. A family we knew had several and needed to find new homes for them. At the time, Marika had been wanting to get chickens for a while, and I had been pushing them off, because I’ve been around them, and honestly, I don’t really care for them. So I told her, since the house we were living in wasn’t our house, it was the church’s, she’d have to ask the elders if it’s okay, but even if they gave their approval, I wasn’t having anything to do with them. They were her and the kid’s chickens, not mine. 

So she contacted the elders, leaving messages with each. I would say about 10 to 15 minutes later, I got a call from two of them, asking me if they needed to say no. I told them no, that if they approved it, I was okay with it. Well they did approve it, so we got four chickens. Now when I say we got chickens, I really mean we got chickens, because I got drug into it.

Before we even got the chickens, I was asked to help get the coup ready for them. At first I had help taking things out of the old shed we are going to use, but that help quickly evaporated. The kids went off to their after school program, and Marika had to get some paper work together. So, for about four hours, I worked on that chicken coup alone. And the next day, the worse thing about it was the fact that I couldn’t close my hands from bending the wire.

So here I was, supposedly not having anything to do with the chickens, building their home. And I knew, then that I would be taking care of those four animals. And do you know how I knew? I knew because I saw the signs. When we got our god Dodger, who isn’t my dog, the kids said they’d take care of it. Well there’s been quite a few times where I have had to. I knew because I did it to my parents with a cat I brought home, who eventually became my dad’s cat. I knew, because all the signs were there.

And as we come to the end of our Fourfold Gospel sermons series, that’s what we’re talking about, knowing the signs. Except the signs that we’re talking about, deal with the return of Jesus, not getting roped into taking care of chickens. So if you have your Bibles, we’re going to start in Matthew Chapter 26 verse 62, as we talk about the return of Jesus

And this emphasis on Jesus’ return is what brings all of what the Alliance believes together. Listen to how A.B. Simpson, the founder of the Alliance, describes this uniting of the Fourfold Gospel: “It is the glorious culmination of all other parts of the Gospel. We have spoken of the Gospel of SALVATION, but Peter says our salvation is ‘ready to be revealed in the last time.’…We have spoken of SANCTIFICATION, but John says: ‘When He shall appear, we shall be like Him, and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.’ And we have spoken of DIVINE HEALING, but Paul says: ‘God hath given us the “EARNEST” of the resurrection in our bodies now,’ and Divine healing is but the first- springing life of which the resurrection will be the full fruition. So that the truth and hope of the Lord's coming is linked with all truth and life, and is the Church's great and blessed hope.”

So if we step back from what we have been speaking about in the last three weeks, we can see that the whole of the Fourfold Gospel reaches from the distant past of God’s work throughout history and is accomplished in the cross of Jesus. This is Jesus as our Savior, and we accept him as such when we recognize our sin and rebellion against God, and take Jesus’ free gift of reconciliation into our lives. It’s this lesson that we took away from the first week, where we understood that God wants us to know the depth from which he pulled us from, and the life he intends for us.

This gift of reconciliation, of justification, leads us into a life long experience of Jesus as our Sanctifier. Meaning, that over the years through the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ work on the cross is transforming us into the person God created us to be. A mirror image of himself; unique yet the same. So in the second week we understood that, God is working to cleanse us from all unrighteousness right in front of our eyes.

And it’s through Jesus’ work on the cross and his resurrection, that we can experience Jesus as Healer. That means that God’s divine life infuses into the believer for the glory of his kingdom, and his healing work becomes part of the believer’s life. In that third week, we came to understand that, we have access to God’s healing through Christ our Savior, the sanctifying work of the Spirit, and by the will of the Father.

And all of it, the saving work, the sanctifying life, and the ultimate healing comes as Jesus returns for his Church.

So let’s jump into our first stop in Scripture, in Matthew 26:62-65, where Jesus has been taken before the Jewish counsel and is being tried for blasphemy. Meaning, the Jews are asking Jesus if he truly claims to be God or not. So let’s read together:

62 And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.

I love this passage, because Jesus knows what’s going to happen, he’s going to his death, so what does he have to lose? Now it’s funny because Jesus goes beyond a simple yes to the request of, “Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” No, Jesus does one better. Jesus references Daniel’s vision in the Old Testament. 

In Daniel 7:13-14 we read, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Jesus’ connection to this passage isn’t some simple reference, he is connecting himself to a deep Israelite theological teaching. The cloud riding son of man in Daniel’s vision was an attack on the pagan belief that the god Baal was the cloud rider. Time and time again in the Old Testament, the Israelites attacked this idea, saying, no Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, is the true cloud rider. So when Daniel sees one like the son of man riding the clouds, it’s an association with this cloud riding imagery for Yahweh. And now Jesus, in his response, is connecting himself to the cloud riding son of man and is calling himself, in essence, Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews. In addition, the son of man figure in Daniel, receives both an eternal kingdom and service, which is the word for worship. Jesus claims to be the Son of Man, who is both the cloud rider Yahweh, and the king of the everlasting kingdom who is worthy of worship. This is why the high priest tears his clothes, and calls Jesus’ words blasphemy.

For the Jews, this would be Jesus’ clearest pronouncement of his deity. He’s telling it like it is and letting people deal with the implications. But this idea of Jesus coming in the clouds is synonymous with his return for his Church and the day of judgment.

Verses like Acts 1:11, describe two men dressed in white who tell the disciples that Jesus will return in the clouds. Or 1 Thessalonians 4:17, where Paul says that we who are alive at Christ’s return will be caught up in the clouds.

This emphasis on Jesus’ return is all over the New Testament being one of the main theological concepts that drives almost all of Paul’s writing. But what does it mean that Jesus is going to return? Well, like we’ve done in the past few weeks, let’s take a look at what the return is not, and what it is.

  First off, what the return of Jesus is not, is Jesus coming to the individual Christian's heart. Meaning, Jesus’ return is not just in our life. We’re not just experiencing him on an individual basis, he will come fro the whole world to see. 

Nor, is Jesus’ coming at our death. Meaning, when we’re talking about Jesus’ return, we don’t mean when we meet him after we’ve died and gone to heaven. It’s not an after death experience that we’re talking about.

It’s also not a spiritual coming of Christ through the spreading of the Gospel. Jesus’ coming is not when people accept him, and Christianity grows, and it’s some sort of spiritual progression. This is not the return of Christ, but rather Christ’s Church being built.

One final not, is that Jesus’ second coming has not happened yet, as some in a group called preterists believe. They believe Jesus has returned in a spiritual sense. The return of Jesus is still a future event.

Jesus’ return is none of these spiritual ideas. Instead, what the Scriptures say is that when Jesus returns…

First, everyone’s going to see it. Revelation 1:7 states, "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” Everyone will know that Jesus has come. This is why Jesus says in Matthew 24:23-27, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

So we need to understand that though people claim Jesus has returned, we are not supposed to believe them, because when he returns, there will be no doubt. Everyone will know. 

Which leads us into, Jesus’ return will be quick and its timing unknown. Paul says this in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Throughout history people have come up with a lot, and I mean a lot of dates on when Jesus is going to return. But I don’t know if you know this, none of them have been right. Why? Because it’s not for us to know. In fact Jesus gives us a description of what the state of the world will be like when he returns. This comes from Mathew 24:36-39, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

  The timetable is God’s, and the idea of the imminence of Jesus’ returns means that it cannot be calculated, because no one has that knowledge. If we did have the knowledge we would be living for ourselves until right before that time, and then turn to God for salvation, if we could. Which is just using God at that point, rather than truly seeking him.

Finally, even though it will be quick and unknown, it will not come out of the blue. Jesus says in Matthew 24:32-33, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.”

We’re instructed to be prepared, and anticipating Jesus’ return. We are to see the world around us and recognize the decaying, decadence, and self-love that continues to grow all around. This keeps our minds on Jesus, seeking to know him and drawn ever closer to him. Paul says this in his letter to the Philippians, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (1:9-11).”

Time and time again we are given proceeding events to the return of Jesus, which, we don’t have time to get into here, so I would encourage you to tread through Matthew 24 and 25 to see some of these signs. But what we need to know is that we are called to be prepared for Jesus’ return, growing in our relationship with him. Knowing that with every passing moment, we are getting closer to his return. So, we must be ready for it.

In order to be prepared, there are a few things we can do when it comes to the return of Jesus. It’s actually a mantra, and a shout that the Alliance has used for decades. And it is based on Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

The mantra of the Alliance is, “Bring back the King!”

You and I can participate in the return of Jesus by sharing the Gospel with others. I have heard it said that there are about 16,000 languages in the world, and we’re only reaching about 8,000 of them right now. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We have been given a commission to share the Gospel, to reach this world with the message of Jesus. And everything we’ve talked about in the last weeks, leads us in this direction.

Jesus’ saving work, his cleanings sanctification, his healing, and his return. These are the four messages, the Fourfold Gospel, that drives the Alliance to do what it does. Because we desire to see Jesus coming in his glory, and as he moves, we want to move with him. 

We want the King to return. We want to see Jesus coming in the clouds. We want his kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

So today my challenge is a question with two implications. The question is: “If Jesus returned today would you be ready?”

This readiness is first, have you come to know Jesus as your Savior? Putting your trust in him, that through his work on the cross and his resurrection, he offers you the gift of having your sins and rebellion forgive, and eternal life. And now calls you to grow closer to him? If you haven’t, accepting Jesus as Savior, confessing him as Lord, is the first step in preparedness of his return.

And second, this readiness means that you are prepared to share the Gospel as Jesus leads. That you are ready to given an answer for why you believe. And that you are ready to do what he wants and make it more important that what you want. If you a believer, it’s laying your will before God’s and being transformed by the Holy Spirit for his work.

My challenge is to wrestle with this question, because I don’t know when Jesus will return, I don’t have that insight. What I do know is that we are to be ready; growing closer to Jesus and sharing the Gospel. 

Because if we’re not doing those two things, then when Jesus does return, we’re going to be like the man in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 22. Jesus says this about a man who was invited to a wedding feast, “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless (v. 11-12).” The man was prepared for the king’s return even though he was at the wedding.

Let us not be speechless at the return of Jesus. Instead let us be people whom it can be said of us, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. (Matt. 25:21)” Let us be rejoicing today, and everyday forward, for the Jesus’ return, because we are ready for it. Amen.

The Four Fold Gospel Week 3 - Christ Our Healer Revamped February 2026

  A church back in the midwest hired on a pastor, and from the beginning there was conflict between the new pastor one particular elder. They would get into arguments constantly in meetings, because their approaches to the running the ministry were very different. Animosity grew between the two; in fact it got to the point where they couldn’t even speak to each other without venomous words spewing out. Then one day the elder became sick. There was a spot on one of his organs; cancer, that if not operated on, would spread and eventually kill him. As he was lying in the hospital bed God spoke with him about making amends with the pastor. So, the elder asked to see the man he had battled with for so long. At their meeting the elder asked for forgiveness, but it wasn’t given. The pastor walked away with animosity still in his heart, but the elder had obeyed what he was instructed to do.

Soon after the elder had his surgery. It was shorter than expected, and when he was lucid again, he found out why. When the doctor opened him up, there was no spot, no cancer, nothing was wrong. 

This story comes from a Reverend who is our district superintendent. David Gilmore’s father was the elder. He shared his father’s story several years ago at one of our conferences. It highlighted one of the main aspects of what the Alliance emphasizes, Jesus is our healer.

It’s this third message of the Fourfold Gospel, that we’ll look at today, and we’re going to zero in on one particular healing moment from the book of Acts chapter 3, starting in verse 1. As we open up to Acts 3:1, let’s recap where we’re at in our sermon series on the Fourfold Gospel.

In our first week, we looked at the first message of the Alliance’s Fourfold Gospel, Christ our Savior. We looked at what Jesus has saved us from and what he has saved us to. In the end we talked about how God wants us to know the depth from which he pulled us from sin, and the the life he now intends us to live. 

Then in our second week, we talked about Christ our Sanctifier. God has saved us to bring us into the image of the Son. God intends to for us to see ourselves as he does, righteous. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we begin a process through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, where God is cleansing us from all unrighteousness right in front of out eyes. This process last until the day the trumpet sounds, or we pass into glory through death. 

Now that the last two weeks are fresh in our minds, let’s dive into Acts:3:1-10.

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

I love this passage because it sums up what divine healing is and what it isn’t. For the last two weeks we have been going all over the Bible and showing passages that connect with our topic. Today, I want share some insights, as we look at the healing we see in Acts 3.

First, we need to notice some things about this healing in the passage. Peter and John, two of Jesus’ closest disciples, are heading to the Jewish temple at prayer time. There is a man who cannot walk from birth. This man begged every day for help with his situation, and everyone knew him. The lame man requested money, Peter had none, but Peter said the only thing he did have was Jesus. Peter grabbed the man and stood him up. The lame man was completely healed, and began praising God, then the people were amazed. These are the basic beats of the story.

Now, let’s talk about nine thing that divine healing is not.

First, Divine healing is not medical healing. We’re there any doctors, or medical professionals operating on the man? No, so divine healing is not simple medical fixes of the body. It is more than operations, more than prescriptions, more than physical therapy. Can we be healed through medical work? Yes, but that’s not what we’re talking about when we’re talking about divine healing.

Next, divine healing is not metaphysical healing. This means that the man isn’t “mind curing” himself. He wasn’t put into a state of hypnosis, or trance. Can we “trick” ourselves into feeling better? Of course, that’s the placebo effect, but that’s not what we’re talking about with divine healing. This man was simply grabbed and healed of his infirmity.

Third, divine healing is not magnetic healing. We see this all the time in Quartzsite and maybe you’re wearing one right now. Using magnetic bracelets to help our bodies natural electrical charge flow better. This isn’t divine healing. We don’t see any bracelets, or magnets anywhere to be found, because that isn’t divine healing.

Following that, divine healing is not spiritualism. This is referencing that Satan has power to give and take away disease. We see this in the Old Testament where the enemy gives boils to Job. The healing we’re talking about is not Satan’s work, or any other spiritual being’s power. Peter says, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Satan has no power in response to Jesus.

Next, divine healing is not prayer cure. I get this all the time. Because I’m a pastor people ask for me to pray for them, because my prayers seem to work. If my prayers work, it’s only because I pray in God’s will. No one believer has any greater access to the throne of God than any other one. A pastor is not more spiritual because he has a title. There is no truth to the idea that some of us were made to be closer to God than others. The real question in prayer is, are we asking in God’s will, or our own. Peter and John didn’t even pray in this situation, they simply acted as the Spirit led.

Fifth, divine healing is not faith cure. The last one focused on someone else’s prayer and faith, this one focuses on our own. I’ve heard it so many times, “If you would just have more faith, then you would be cured.” No! Faith is not the object of the healing, Jesus is! More faith does not equal more healing. The man in Acts didn’t have any faith to be healed, he wasn’t even thinking about being healed, he was thinking about getting money from the disciples, yet he was healed.

Sixth, divine healing is not will power. This one piggy backs on the metaphysical, “mind cure” one. We might will ourselves to stay off a cold. We might will ourselves to work through the pain. But these are only temporary “cures”. The man could not will his legs to work, it only came from the outside power of God to move in his body.

Next, divine healing is not defiance of God's will. I have heard this from people who usually quote places like Matthew 21:22, where Jesus says, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” But what people tend to miss, is that every time Jesus mentions words like this, it’s always in the context of our will being submitted to God’s. Therefore we’re asking for things that fit his will and not our own. We’re not forcing him into something, we’re agreeing with him. The man in the passage didn’t even seek the healing, but it was thrusted upon him, because it was the will of God.

This next one I think we want, but isn’t even close to what God wants: divine healing is not physical immortality. Several years back, I was praying that one of our members would still be with us, because there was so many things that would have benefited from his touch. I prayed several times for his healing, but it came to a point where my prayers changed from wanting to keep him here, to letting him go to be with God. This is a momentary life, we are meant for the eternity of God. We had another man several years back named Ralph who was healed of a back pain. But only a couple years later God took him home. The temporary healings we may receive here, are not meant to be permeant. 

Finally, divine healing is not a mercenary medical profession. This means, that you can’t make a living off people going around healing them. Peter and John’s purpose was not to go around and just heal people. Jesus’ purpose was not just going around and healing people. They could have done that, but their purpose was the spreading of the Gospel. That was their intention, and the healing of this man, gave the disciples that very opportunity.

So what then is divine healing?

First, it’s the supernatural divine power of God infused into human bodies. This is what the tree of life is in Genesis 2. This is what the river of life is in Revelation 22. This is the branch connected to the vine in John 15. This is what Peter said to the man, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you.” Peter had the Holy Spirit and that’s all he could give the man. Divine healing is God’s divine power penetrating our very being to heal us.

Next, divine healing is founded on the Word of God alone, not on anyone else’s word. People are not healed because I say people are healed. People are not healed because some evangelist says people are healed. And people are not healed because other people say they have been healed. No, people are healed because God says, people can be healed. Isaiah 53:5 states, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” God’s work of healing, is deeply connected to the saving work of Jesus on the cross. And by God’s Word, the Savior came and died for us, and by God’s Word, we can be healed in a multitude of ways through that sacrifice. Peter was only there and was only able to be used to heal that man, because Jesus had sacrificed himself on the cross.

Third, divine healing recognizes and submits to the will of God. People ask, why didn’t someone get healed? I don’t know, but what I do know is God’s will is a major crux of why. In the case of the man in the passage, I know why he did. Everyone recognized him as the lame man begging day in and day out. But all of the a sudden he was healed, and jumping around causing a scene. This gave Peter and John an opportunity to share the Gospel, which led to the disciples being arrested and put in jail. But then something interesting happens in verse thirty-one of the fourth chapter. After Peter and John we’re released and returned to the Church, it says, “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul. (4:31-32)” This one healing was a catalyst to the Gospel being proclaimed, believers being filled with the Spirit, believer’s became embolden, and the Church was united. What more is the will of God than these?

Next, divine healing is the work of the Holy Spirit and cannot be produced by man. We cannot force God’s hand, nor can we manifest this type of healing on our own. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. This goes hand-in-hand with our will being submitted to God’s will. And us not being able to produce it through medical, metaphysical, or our own faith focus. But rather it is God’s will accomplished through the Holy Spirit.

  Fifth, divine healing comes to us by faith in Jesus. This means that God is the focus, not what we can do, but what he can do in us. It’s not about me having more faith, or finding people that have enough of it, but rather knowing that if it is God’s will, then we may be healed. Peter and John had faith that healing was only found in God, and God moved.

Finally, we know that divine healing is in accordance with Church history, and that it is one of the signs of the age. Take a survey of church history, and you will find personal testimonies of people agreeing with the miraculous healing work of God. Origen, Justin Martyr, D.L. Moody, A.B. Simpson, David Gilmore. There are even people in this church that have experienced God’s divine healing in their lives, I mentioned Ralph as one. The Holy Spirit was at work at the beginning of the Church, and he is still at work today.

But here’s the thing, how does this impact us? How does God’s divine healing effect us today?

Maybe you’re dealing with an infirmity, most people in Quartzsite are. I would encourage you to seek God’s healing. Maybe you have sought it, and nothing has happened, I would encourage you to keep seeking it until God says no. Whether you have sought it or not, here’s the key that I have found to divine healing: We have access to God’s healing through the saving work of Jesus on our behalf, we are being transformed by God through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and as we are aligned in his will, the healing of our bodies becomes secondary to the work that God desires to produce in us.

And when our attitude moves beyond our own momentary glory, to God’s eternal glory, then we will be content in the work of God in our lives. Whether we experience healing or not. But until God says and abrupt no to healing, we continue to seek him, as a child seeks their parent for the good things that they have. 

So then, this is my challenge for you today, if you have something you desire to be healed, and that might be a physical ailment, a mental ailment, or a spiritual ailment, the elders of the church want to pray for you. We’re going to anoint you with oil, and lift you up to God for his work to be done. But don’t ask if you’re not willing to have your will aligned with God’s, because then we’re just going to be seeking our own good, rather than the glory of God.

This is the third message of the Gospel that drives the Alliance forward. God is active and working through his people today to heal every aspect of us, in accordance with his will. What great and wonderful things has he for us? Let us seek them from him together. Amen.

The Fourfold Gospel Week 2 - Christ Our Sanctifier Revamped February 2026

  After I accepted Christ, I began to share my experience with others. With my friends at school, with people online, whoever I could share with, I did. Even when I was fulfilling my community service, I would share my experience of coming to know Jesus

But as I did, I found that there was a lot of resistance. From those weren’t Christians, the resistance was understandable, they simply didn’t believe in Jesus. That resistance only spurred me on to deeper reading of the Bible, and how to refute arguments that were presented against me. It deepened my faith rather than shaking it. What was strange to me, however, was the resistance I received from Christians.

As I shared with my Christian teachers, including my Bible teacher of the school I was attending, I found a wall. Looking back, I felt kind of like Paul. Though I hadn’t tried to kill any Christians, I had created enough of a bad image, that an experience didn’t seem to be enough to break people’s perception of me. Not only them, but my fellow classmates, who I thought were Christians, rejected this new me. It was through this experience of speaking to other Christians, especially those that were in my age group, I came to realize that, though they professed to be believers, many of them had not taken Jesus as their personal Savior. It was a social acceptance of the Gospel, not a personal one.

At the end of that school year, I had been basically expelled and asked not to come back to that school, which made perfect sense for the year I had with them. No amount of change could stop that at the point I was at. But I spent the summer in pursuit of knowing God deeper. Things began to change in my life, and how I related to people. This was nowhere more evident than in my relationship with my parents.

A few years later, I was led by God to a deeper life in him. This put me on the path of going to Redding, CA, to attend college. Through that time, I received a calling to full-time ministry, a wife, and an understanding of what had been going on for the last several years. I was now longer the rebellious youth of fifteen, Christ had changed me. I came to understand that God had been sanctifying me, and it’s this concept of sanctification, which will now take a look at, as we first turn to the Gospel of John chapter 15 starting in verse 1. And as we open our Bibles to John 15:1, I want to quickly recap what we talked about last week.

Last week we began to talk about what drives the Alliance at it’s core. And so we talked about how the Alliance is driven by, what the founder of the movement called, the Fourfold Gospel. It was the first message of this Fourfold Gospel that we covered last week, which is Christ our Savior. An aspect that is so important that it drives us to go to the ends of the earth to share with people we’ve never met. It’s not unique to the Alliance, every Christian denomination holds to this truth of sharing the Gospel, but the emphasis on it by the Alliance is something I like. Last week we ended with the understanding that, God wants us to know the depth of sin from which he pulled us from, and the life he intends for us. When we have this understanding, then the next message of the Fourfold Gospel makes sense.

With this first message now back in our minds, let’s dive into John chapter 15 starting in verse 1. Jesus states, 

  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.  (Jn. 15:1-8)”

This passage is essential to the Christian’s walk with God, because it speaks to the very nature of our relationship with God. You and I were never intended to be unconnected with others. That’s why when people try to get away from civilization, civilization follows them. That’s why we get married and have children, and have animals as pets. We were made to be connected, but the greatest connected relationship that we are to have is with God. And without him, we can do nothing. We are simply unfulfilled, and never reaching a full experience of life. We limp along without a cure for our alignment, we are zombies roaming the earth until we finally decay enough to no longer move.

This is because of sin. Sin disconnects us from the life of God, our source of fulfillment, healing, and life. When we do something that’s in rebellion against God’s law, like lie, cheat, steal, or a list of other things, we create a barrier between us and God. We become unconnected to the source of life, and because of that, all of our other connected relationships become brittle to the point where we break them as well. 

But through God’s love, God the Son came down to earth to live as one of us, yet in perfect connectedness to God the Father and Holy Spirit. He then willingly allowed himself to be killed and sacrificed on our behalf for our sin. And when we accept that sacrifice, that work of Jesus, we are brought into connectedness with God. That is Christ as Savior which we talked about last week. Too often that’s where we leave it. We got our ticket out of hell, so now it’s time to wait for the uncloudy day, that sweet by-and-by. But that’s not all!

Jesus is not in the ground, he’s risen! And those who put their trust into Jesus as Savior are also risen to new life. That life is a life that begins at the moment of accepting Christ and last into eternity. It’s a life where we are being reoriented into the person we were created to be. This is why Paul tells on us in Romans 12 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (v.2)” Jesus says it like this later on in his pray in John 17, “And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. (v.19)” This transformative, deeper connectedness, is the sanctifying life that God has brought us into through Jesus our Savior. This is the second message of the Fourfold Gospel, Christ our Sanctifier.

Now the word sanctification is a big word, but it simply means “to be set apart” or “to be made holy.” I’ve always likened the idea to that of laundry.

Picture this, you worked all day, sweating, getting dirty, there might even have been some blood from a cut, and all you want to do is get out of those clothes. So you do, and they go right in the washing machine, because they’re just too stinky, and dirty to go in the regular wash basket.

That is exactly what being saved by Jesus is, stinky clothes being put in the washer. But you don’t just leave them there, or the whole house would smell. You grab that detergent, and dump it in and turn on the roughest cycle to make sure those clothes get cleaned. That’s sanctification. That detergent is the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. In fact, that’s just what Paul says about the Church in Ephesians 5:25-26. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”

Have you ever listened to a washing machine go? I’m glade I’m not those clothes. They get beat around. Dirty clothes go in, the machine starts moving, and sure enough, out of that washer, comes those stinky dirty clothes, fresh and clean and ready to be dried.

God’s sanctifying work sends us through trials so that we can come out on the other side cleaned of all our sin and ready for him. Through suffering and trials, highs and lows, through failing, and getting back up, God works through every circumstance of the believers’ life to cleanse them of the sin that once held them in bondage. If any of you have ever made a New Years commitment to change a long standing behavior in your life, you know the difficulty of change. The sanctification of God battles against the sin that wants its control in our lives back, and it can truly be a battle sometimes. Several weeks ago, while we were working through the problem of evil, I mentioned the question, why do the saints suffer? One reason is because God is sanctifying us through suffering. This is why, in James 1:2-3, were told, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

For the first two years of my Christian life, I didn’t have anyone to tell me that this was part of my relationship with Jesus, and so I floundered. But when we begin to understand that God wants us to go through this process, where he is cleaning us from every stain of sin, the depth that we can go, and the experience we can have with God is endless. Because it doesn’t push off the glory of God to some future date, but rather brings it to the here and now.

Like we did last week, here are some insights to this sanctification process by the Alliance founder, A.B. Simpson. Simpson gives us Six “Nots” of sanctification of what the process isn’t. And Four “Is’s” of what the process is.

The first off the nots of sanctification: Sanctification is not justification. Paul says in Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Justification is the moment we move from death to life in an eternal and spiritual scope. Sanctification, on the other hand, happens in the life you have now, so that the person Jesus sees us as, is the same person that we see ourself as. Here, Paul tells us to work out what has been given to us. We work out Jesus’ saving work, meaning, we are active in the process alongside the Spirit. Justification is the moment when salvation begins, from then on out, we’re in the sanctification process.

  Second, sanctification is not merely a moral improvement. Isaiah 64:6 states, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” Having a better moral compass is not what’s happening. This idea that sanctification gives me a better morality, has some truth to it, but if we’re just trying to become more moral, more good in the human sense, then we’re just falling into legalism. It’s us trying to just adhere to a code, which the Bible teaches cannot bring us to God. And in our own power, we just make things filthy, because their tainted with our own self-centered desires. This leads into the third “not.”

Sanctification is not our own work. Ephesians 2:8-9  says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Piggy backing on the concept of filthy rags, we can’t do this by just working on it. We didn’t enter into salvation by our own works, we cannot hope to transform ourselves by works. If we do, we’ll fall into legalism, trying to fix ourselves in our own power. We can then project it on to others. That’s the kind of people Jesus doesn’t want. That type of earning the cleansing is what the Pharisees were getting people to do. No it’s God who does the cleansing, we get to be actively a part of it, but we cannot do it solo.

This fourth “not” is a big one, sanctification doesn’t happen at death. In John 10:10, we’re told by Jesus that, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The sweet by-and-by is a great aspect of God’s work to look forward to, but in the sweet now-and-now, Jesus is actively working in this life. That’s life now, not just later. This life is given to us to be fully experienced with Jesus, and through Jesus, not just in a future time, but now.

  Fifth, sanctification is not self-perfection, Colossians 1:27-29 states, “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” It’s Jesus’ work in us, not our own. We are to mature in this, but we do so through his powerful work. Am I just repeating myself at this point? We can’t do this on our own, this cleansing from sin is based on the connectedness we have with Jesus.

  Finally, sanctification is not based on emotion, First Corinthians 14:15 states, “What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” Sanctification is based on our will being purposefully and intelligently given over to God. Does that mean our emotions won’t be apart of it? No, but it’s based on a cognitive and purposeful choice to say, “Not my will by Thine.”

  With the “nots” of sanctification understood, we can move on to the“is” side.

The first “is” of sanctification is that Sanctification is being separated from sin, Romans 6:11-14 reads, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” Sin loses it’s foothold in our lives through Jesus’ saving work on the cross and through the resurrection. Sin doesn’t control us who have been justified by Christ. Though we will always struggle with sin in this life, we are being moved further away from it’s control, and closer towards the control of God.

Second, sanctification is becoming more dedicated to God, First Corinthians 15:56-58 states, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” In the sanctification process, God’s work becomes more focused in our minds. “The things of this earth grow strangely dim,” because the focus moves away from earthly endeavors and onto heavenly ones. When God’s work becomes alive in us, it becomes more important to share the Gospel, than it is to stay silent about it.

Third, sanctification is being conformed to the Image of the Son. From Romans 8:29 we read, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” In the Basic Beliefs of Christianity course I teach in our apologetics class we cover the idea of the Image of the Son. In Greek, the idea of image is not a sketch, where the image kind of looks like original but is clearing seen as different. It’s also not a carbon copy of the original, as if it were a photo copy. No, the idea of image in the Greek, is a mirror image, very similar, but slightly different. It’s our uniqueness that God created us to be, melded with the characteristics of God himself. We are an individual, but fully connected to God.

  The final “is” of sanctification is, sanctification is love becoming more abound in our life, First Thessalonians 3:12-13 states, “and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” Jesus said the two greatest commands is love God and love people (Mk. 12:29-31). Paul echoes this idea with his statement that love is never ending (1 Cor. 13:13). God’s love explodes in our life. Not that sappy love kind of love, but a love that endures pain, anguish, and strife. Love that brought a perfect God to earth to die for his creation. But not just love, all of God’s characteristics that Paul talks about being the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), begin to show through us, because of our deeper connectedness to him.

This is sanctification, God’s cleansing us from all unrighteousness right in front of our eyes. It’s to be a daily process, where we rely more and more on the Holy Spirit, connecting ourselves more and more to the God who loves and saves us. In the Alliance, we call this the filling of the Holy Spirit, because over time, the Spirit’s already indwelling status takes more and more control. Each believer has the indwelling, but not all have an active filling. The sanctification process is the filling of the Spirit in our lives.

Since it’s a daily process, I want us to leave here today with some practical steps to engage this process purposefully. I had a mentor named, Bill Griffen, one time say it like this, “We are cookie dough ready to be transformed, but we need the heat of God to bake us.”

So how can we purposefully put ourselves in the fire? Well first, we need to accept God’s word over ours. We need to trust it even if we do not yet understand it. This is huge, because I no longer come to God’s word trying to get it to say certain things, but rather I allow it to say what God intended it to. That means that I need to dive deeper into it, and wrestle with what he says, and what I believe, and then I have to submit my way of thinking to his. It’s hard, because sometimes I don’t wasn’t to agree with God, but I’ve learned that he is right, and it ends up being more fruitful for my life when I submit to his word.

  Next, we need to spend intentional time in prayer. We need times of purposeful prayer, where we set time aside. Time like in the morning, or before we go to bed. But we also need to develop praying throughout the day, in a moment-by-moment long lasting conversation that doesn’t really end until we fall asleep. These types of moments can be in a car, in the shower, in the line at the post office. But we need to develop a strong prayer life, where we’re talking with our Father in heaven consistently throughout our day.

Finally, we’re all going to experience temptation, I want to encourage you to stand firm. Having a submission attitude to God’s word, and a strong prayer life will help us overcome the temptations of this world and grow from the experiences. However, if you fail to rely on God, do not turn away from him. Rather the key to dealing with temptation, whether we overcome or not, is to turn back to God. Remember, sanctification is the process of greater connection to God. Repentance and a continuous trust in the saving work of Christ, is a firm foundation on which to grow in that connection. So whether in the triumph or failure, we must remember that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” That means he’s already seen us at our worse, and loved us in it, so we have nothing to fear if we mess up, because our Father still loves us.

My challenge for you this week is to take these three purposeful steps in sanctification. Remember, we can’t do it on our own, it is the fire of Spirit of God that does it, so wake up with a prayer asking God to move in you to accomplish his work for that day, and that you will live by the Spirit’s strength instead of you’re own. By doing that, you can place yourself purposefully in the process, so that you may see the work of God in your life today.

Let us be the people of God who strive to have his cleansing work in us, not just in the future when we move into eternity, but today as we walk this mortal plain. Amen.