We live in a world of virtual reality. We escape the realities of life by creating our own reality through a virtual world behind the screens of our devices. One can be whoever he or she wants to be with the stroke of the keyboard or the swipe of a phone. However, no matter how far we remove ourselves from reality, there are three things that are undeniable. Jesus alludes to these three realities in John 8:21-32.

                The Seriousness of Sin. One of the biggest pitfalls in our lives is the failure to take sin seriously. We never want to face the gruesome reality of sin in our lives and the affects it has on ourselves and on those around us. We often refuse to admit our sin. We sweep it under the rug. We hide it. We cover it up. We deny it. Jesus tells His Jewish audience that they cannot come with Him to Heaven because of their failure to receive Him. Those who fail to accept Jesus as their Savior must face the wrath of God and the ultimate price of sin in hell. This is a reality that we cannot ignore. Without Jesus, you will die in your sins and will be separated from God throughout all eternity with absolutely no hope. This is the seriousness of sin. It is certainly no laughing matter. Those who choose sin over Jesus are servants of the devil. As the New American Commentary says, “Their thoughts and actions were those of humans who were enmeshed in the matters of status, worldly concern, and rebellion against God. They were in fact serving the prince of the world (12:31).”^[1]

                The sinful state we find ourselves in is inherited. It is in our DNA. Sin is in the seed of man. We inherited a sin nature from our father and he inherited a sin nature from his father. Sin is traced all the way back to the first man who disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. Since sin is inherited; it is understood that we are not sinners because we sin, rather, we sin because we are sinners. The first step toward hope and salvation is to take sin seriously. One must understand he is lost before he can be saved. Therefore, understanding our sin nature and the consequence it brings is key to finding salvation.

                The Salvation for the sinner that believes. A second and beautiful reality is the salvation of a lost sinner. To the Jewish people in Jesus’ day, salvation was right in front of them and they missed it. As Warren Wiersbe says, “They were wasting their God-given opportunities by arguing with Him instead of trusting Him; and one day soon, their opportunities would end.”^[2] After all Jesus had proven to them, it seems ridiculous that they would not believe.

                We do not have to stay lost in our sin. We do not have to be separated from God forever. In His great love for us, God has provided a way of salvation. The purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to save mankind from the penalty of sin. He came to reconcile us to God the Father. This was accomplished on the cross of Calvary. There Jesus suffered and died in our place. He took our sin upon Himself and suffered the penalty of our sin. Therefore, we do not have to be separated from God. We do not have to go to hell. We can be saved from the penalty of sin by putting our faith and trust in Christ alone. Have you done that? Have you trusted in Jesus for your salvation? Has there been a time in your life when you gave your life to Jesus?

                The Sanctification of the Believer. John records that “as Jesus spoke these words, many believed in Him.” To those who believed in Jesus that day, He said, “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.” Here Jesus is referring to the final undeniable reality: the sanctification of the believer. When you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, He sanctifies you. There are several things to consider when it comes to this doctrine of sanctification. First of all, we are sanctified initially. Our initial sanctification took place the moment we accepted Jesus as our Savior. To be sanctified is to be ‘set-apart.’ We are ‘set-apart’ as children of God. We are adopted into His family. Our identity has now changed. We no longer belong to ourselves; we belong to Jesus. Our names are written in the lamb’s book of life. Now that we belong to Him, nothing or no one can take us away from Him.

                Secondly, we are sanctified progressively. When we come to faith in Jesus, He does not leave us to fend for ourselves. He begins a work in us. He works in us to form us into His image. Progressive Sanctification is the process through which we become like Jesus. God works through the ups and downs of life to chip away at us and shape us to be more like Jesus. Another word we can use here is: discipleship. The source of our progressive sanctification is the Word of God. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of His Word, we progressively become more like Jesus.

                Finally, we are sanctified completely. The scripture teaches us that God finishes what He starts. He has started a work in you and He will complete it. There is coming a day when we will be set free from the distractions of this flesh. We will be set free, not only from the penalty of sin, but also from the presence of sin. We will be given a new body. No more must we contend with our sin nature. We will be completely sanctified! We will be made perfect. We will be holy as He is holy. What a day that will be when our redemption is complete and we are completely sanctified!

                These three stages of sanctification correspond with the three aspects of salvation. Our salvation past is our initial sanctification when we came to faith in Jesus. Our salvation present is our progressive sanctification where we are growing to become more like Jesus. Our salvation future is our final redemption when we are sanctified completely. To God be the Glory!

                You may be able to escape certain present realities through denial or entering into a world of virtual reality. However, you cannot remove the three undeniable realities. Whether you believe it or not: sin is serious and separates us from God, salvation is given to sinners who believe, and those who believe are sanctified. Where do you stand with these realities? Have you trusted in Jesus?

^[1] Borchert, G. L. (1996). John 1–11 (Vol. 25A, p. 300). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 321). Victor Books.