He states in the sermon that it's a complete lie to think that God sanctifies us when the New Testament is loaded with all kinds of commands.
Well, if he says it is a lie to say God sanctifies us, he is not stating just an opinion, I would say. But others in this thread find that you might not understand what he really means.
So, in any case, why would a lot of commands mean we have to sanctify our own selves? I understand that if God commands us to be holy, this could be taken to mean we make ourselves holy. So, I can see how someone might think it depends on us. And yes God's word says to work out our salvation > Philippians 2:12. But right after this, Paul says God in us has us doing what He wants . . . therefore, possibly, He is the One in us causing us to work out our salvation . . . the way He means this.
In any case, God's word clearly does say that God is the One who works in us to make us how He desires for us to become > Philippians 2:13, with 2 Corinthians 3:18, with how Hebrews 12:4-14 says we need our Father to truly and deeply correct our character so we share with Him in His holiness.
So, then, why are there so many commands, including in the New Testament? Do they have to mean there are things which it is up to us to get our own selves to do?
Well, I consider how Jesus spoke commands . . . to the sea and to demons and unhealed people. But who caused those commands to be done? I offer > Jesus spoke it, and God made the miracle happen. That stormy sea did not make itself become so calm. If Jesus told a person to be healed, the person did not make one's own self be healed.
And we have Isaiah 55:11 >
"'So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
. It shall not return to Me void,
. But it shall accomplish what I please,
. And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Isaiah 55:11)
This does not say we will get ourselves to do what God's word says, but His words shall do what God wants. And, by the way, God is so more and better than we are; so He is able to understand what His words mean, so better than we can understand what He says. How, ever, could we on our own, then, know what He means so we could do it by ourselves?
Not to mention, even in doing practical things, with God . . . don't we discover ourselves doing things better than we at first thought we would do? After all, God in us can have us doing even simple practical items better . . . more creatively . . . with our Creator
Plus, our Apostle Paul says God's word
"effectively works in you who believe" > see 1 Thessalonians 2:13. So, Isaiah 55:11 says God's word will do all that God desires, and our Apostle Paul says God's word is doing what is effective, in us who are believers.
This is good, how every command and guarantee of God's word is sure to be brought to pass in us . . . the way God means it, so better than we can now understand Him and "try" to make it happen!
But possibly Mr. Armstrong means it is up to us to get ourselves to do practical items. Even so, if God's word says to do something, Isaiah 55:11 says His word
"shall accomplish" what He desires, and
"it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (in Philippians 2:13)
So, I might need to get to know Mr. Armstrong personally so I could be sure I understand what he really means . . . by seeing how he lives, himself
But if I submit to God, I can find out what His word means
to Him!