Sanctification is the second area of redemption. Sanctification is the Divine operation in which we learn to live in the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit rather than in the guidance and power of our flesh and blood nature.

Our "natural man" is the human, soulish, flesh and blood personality born of our human parents. Contained in our natural personality is a strong tendency toward sin, pride, and rebellion against the Lord God of Heaven.

God may regard us as holy if we are part of a holy family. A holy family is one in which one or more members of the family are serving God.

God regards our entire personality as holy when we are born again. When we are born again, a firstfruits of our personality, our new born-again spiritual nature, is holy to the Lord. Now, by the law of the firstfruits, our entire personality—spirit, soul, and body—is holy to the Lord.

Then the process of sanctification begins the work of judging and casting out of our personality the demonic entrenchments in our flesh that drive us into adultery, fornication, covetousness, fear, drunkenness, rage, murder, lying, gossiping, sorcery, and every other work of the flesh.

The Lake of Fire has authority over the sinful part of our personality whether or not we are a Christian or part of a holy family. But we are protected by the blood of the Lamb until God is ready to deal with the sins of our flesh.

When the time of judgment and deliverance arrives we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit by renouncing the sinful parts of our personality as demonic and unfit for the Kingdom of God. If we do not cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the removal of sin from our personality we will be punished. If we then do not repent, our end will be the Lake of Fire. God will not permit the demons to enter His Presence.

The process of conquest, the third area of redemption, deals with the sin that is in our will. If anything, the sin in our will is more destructive of our fellowship with God than the demonic areas of our flesh.

Conquest: the third area of redemption. Conquest is the area of redemption in which we gain victory over the spirit of the world, victory over our rebellious nature, victory over the accuser himself. Stern obedience to God, rest in God's will, is the goal of the third work of grace.

Sanctification, as we are defining the term, is the product of separating us from moral uncleannesses by the power of the Holy Spirit. Conquest includes sanctification but continues until every aspect of sin—the love of the world, the filth of the flesh, and the disobedience of the soul—is brought under subjection to God through Christ.

A clear conscience (the result of justification), the new birth, sanctification, and stern consecration to God's will should all begin as soon as we are saved, as soon as we receive Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

To be continued.