Sanctification – Another in a Series on Essential Doctrines
Imagine buying a very old but classic car which is on the way to the junkyard. It’s a wreck. You are determined to bring it back to its original shape. The engine doesn’t work. The interior is dirty. The body is rusty and dented. This will not be the work of a day or a weekend but probably years. This is a picture of sanctification.
God finds us a spiritual wreck, destined for the hellish junkyard. Christ pays the price for our redemption. He buys us back; we are justified. We become his property, adopted into his family. We receive a new engine, a new heart. But that’s just the beginning. Now commences the work of sanctification, restoring in us what was destroyed by sin. This is the work of a lifetime.
Fundamentally, this process means becoming holy. “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:14-16). Thus, sanctification is the process of becoming less sinful in practice and more holy. It is the pursuit of holiness through obedience to God’s commands and repudiation of our evil desires.
Sanctification may be described in different ways, each of which is important to the process. It is obedience to God’s law, not as a work but as a definition of a good and wholesome life. As defined in the ten commandments holiness is acknowledging that God is our Lord, that we don’t idolize others, our home, our work, etc., that we don’t profane his name, that we set aside time each week for rest and worship, that we respect our parents, keep ourselves from violence, from immorality, lying, stealing and covetousness. (See Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5.)
Sanctification means we engage in a process of loving God and others more and more. “Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37-39).
In the sermon on the mount Jesus described sanctification in terms of adopting a series of attitudes that produce a happy life; honesty and humility about ourselves, grief for our sins, meekness, mercy, purity of heart, a bent towards helping promote peace among people, and endurance of persecution for doing what is right.
Paul writes that sanctification means developing character reflected in the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22,23). How is this fruit manifest? By increasing love for neighbours, Christian brothers, and sisters, and even enemies. And how do we know there is an increase in love? For example, we might see conduct that is more patient and gentle, that creates peace between people instead of stirring up conflict, that continues over a period of time and doesn’t disappear quickly, or love that is shown in control of our speech.
Fruitfulness will also be manifest in developing skills that contribute to the extension of Christ’s kingdom, the growth of one’s church, and the development of other Christians. In this sense, sanctification involves a growing effectiveness and usefulness for Christ. That means, we recognize and develop our unique spiritual gifts; “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ…no longer be infants, tossed back and forth…by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 6:12-14). Some of these gifts are preaching, shepherding, evangelizing, teaching, mercy, hospitality, encouraging, helps, administration and so on. For example, an encourager will grow in a ministry of affirmation and encouragement. One with the gift of mercy will grow in comforting the sick, lonely, and grieving. An administrator will show growing skill at organizing what might otherwise become chaos. (See Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 27-31; Eph. 4:10-13. For more information on this subject seek a good resource about spiritual gifts such as my book, Church No Spectator Sport, available from Amazon.)
Ultimately, sanctification means becoming more Christ-like. “And we who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). As we are transformed—sanctified—into the image of Christ, we glorify God. The Shorter Catechism wisely answers the first question, “What is the chief end of man” by answering, “To glorify him and enjoy him forever.” Isn’t it interesting that enjoyment and glory are connected. Christ taught us to adopt the beatitudes in order to be blessed. When we adopt them, we glorify God.
Sanctification is a process. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). We will never be perfect in this life. We often stumble. We disobey. We fail to adopt Jesus’ beatitudes. Our spiritual fruit is stunted and our spiritual gifts misapplied. Why? Because each step forward is contested by three enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world wants to conform us to its mold. The devil tempts us to sin. And within ourselves, we find remnants of the old nature warring against our new nature trying to get us to yield to sinful temptations and to conform ourselves to the world. The devil exploits this inner turmoil. We are exhorted to “resist him steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9).
A crucial aspect of sanctification is understanding this conflict. We are to “put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. To be made new in the attitude of your minds, and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 22-24). The apostle Paul describes his own inner turmoil. “I find this law [principle] at work. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. But I see another law at work in the member of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin” (Rom. 7:21-2).
We grow more Christ-like by winning this inner battle. How? Through depending on the daily power of Jesus Christ who through the victory of the cross has broken our former bondage to our own sinful nature. We are free, but our own nature perpetually pesters us. How can we overcome? By depending upon the work of the indwelling Spirit who mediates our new freedom providing the internal motivation and power to adopt the beatitudes, bear the fruit of the Spirit, exercise the gifts of the Spirit. Learn to listen to the whispers of the Spirit who convicts us when we stray from God’s path. Learn to immediately confess failure or sin and pray for help from the Spirit. As discussed below, a disciplined devotional life and a knowledge of the armor of God will help immeasurably in developing the day-long sensitivity to the Spirit and the Word.
We cannot win this conflict unless we are wholly committed to Christ. Being half-hearted doesn’t cut it. We need to realize this is spiritual warfare. “Be strong in the Lord [be sure He is our Lord]…put on the full armor of God so you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood…powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God” (Eph. 6:10-13). The text next outlines six pieces of armor; the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel shoes, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. The passage concludes with an exhortation to pray.
Exegeting this important passage is beyond the scope of this book. However, the pieces mentioned here indicate the importance of the various doctrinal truths considered in this book. We need deep faith in the presence and work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to ward off temptation—the shield of faith; an understanding of Scripture and ability to use it— the sword of the Spirit; confidence in our justification—the breastplate of righteousness; assurance of salvation—the helmet of salvation; a vision of reaching the unreached with the gospel—feet shod with the gospel of peace; and of course, prayer.
Every disciple of Jesus will develop a devotional life that includes Bible reading and study, prayer that balances worship, thanksgiving and intercession along with faithful attendance at a good church for fellowship, worship, and encouragement. Jesus prayed to the Father; “Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth…My prayer is not for them alone I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one” (John 17:17,20,21). (Many devotional helps can be found in book stores and online.)
The Westminster Shorter Catechism states: “The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification are: assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the holy Ghost, increase in grace, and perseverance therein to the end.” (Answer to Question 36)
Lest we conclude that the progress of our sanctification rests solely on our shoulders we need to consider the role of Christ as our ongoing prophet, priest and king.
(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at: Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)
