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“And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5).
The command was to sanctify yourselves — make holy or purify. Sanctification is distinguished from justification and regeneration. Being sanctified denotes the carrying forward of that work of grace in the soul to completeness. Justification signifies the judicial relationship of the sinner to God. Regeneration changed our old nature into a new nature by the ...
Funeral services are not what we want to think about with Christmas knocking at our doors. The liturgical themes of Hope, Joy, Peace and Love do not mesh well with reflections on death. Nevertheless, at this time of year, many families have no choice as they gather around a table with an empty chair.
I am confident that I am not unique in providing instruction at the funerals I...