Chapter 41
THE GROWTH OF THE REDEEMED
Sanctification is the process of change that happens to the believer after they become a Christian. It is something that should always be happening. To be sanctified is to be set aside as very special and thus become different from the ordinary. This is something God does in the believer's life - with their co-operation.
1. What does Philippians 2:13 imply about change taking place in the believer?
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2. How does this compare with Romans 12:1-2?
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JUSTIFICATION VERSUS SANCTIFICATION
Some people believe that a Christian is someone who has committed their life to Christ and need do nothing more about it. This type of thinking leads to a once saved, always saved doctrine. It's like describing two people who marry each other, but never live or talk together. There is a difference between being married and living as a married person. Therefore, when the Bible speaks about being justified and being sanctified, we need to understand that it is referring to two different things. Being justified has to do with being made pure and guiltless before God.
3. According to Romans 5:9, when were/are we justified?
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At the point of conversion a person has the assurance that they stand clean before God. Paul also says in Galatians 2:26 that this justification has nothing to do with anything we've done. Reading your Bible, praying, going to church or even witnessing will never make you more justified!
If we are justified in the eyes of God at the point of conversion, then waht's the point in striving to live righteously before God? If all our past, present, and future sins were forgiven by God, then why can't we just go on and enjoy the pleasures of sin? This is exactly the question Paul asks in Romans 6:1.
4. How would you answer such a question? (Refer to Romans 6)
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SANCTIFICATION
The very thing God saved us from, is what He wants us to conquer (Gen. 4:7). This on-going battle is what we call sanctification.
5. What do we know about how God feels about sanctification? (1Thess. 4:3)
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Sanctification is the emphasis of Romans 6 in which Paul says we should do away with our old nature and live differently now we are saved. Sin must not be allowed to dictate our lives. The way Paul talks is that we now have the power to choose whether or not we will sin. For some this has led to the belief that we can attain absolute perfection here on earth. This is a gross under-estimation of the power of sin. If we can but understand the severe nature of sin we can begin to appreciate what Jesus has done for us by dying on the cross. Thus, in Romans 7, Paul describes the anguish of trying to live free from sin.
A REFLECTION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Sanctification is what brings us closer to God. It involves us decreasing and Jesus increasing in our lives (Jn. 3:30). The more we do this, the more we become like Jesus (Rom. 8:29).
6. With this in mind, how might you also define sanctification?
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The Bible also uses a very similar word to paint the picture of sanctification: holiness. When we are urged to live holy lives, we are simultaneously also being asked to live sanctified lives.
THE BENEFITS OF SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification involves sacrificing and forsaking (Rom. 12:1-2). Living a sanctified life gives our witness more power (1Cor. 9:27). It guarantees that we will not bring dishonour to Christ and thus our own lives (Rom. 2:1-2). Therefore, one of the benefits to "living sanctified" is receiving honour and respect from the community (Prov. 11:10; 28:12; 29:2). In a world where there are so many fakes and hypocrites, the world finds it quite refreshing to observe a genuine, sincere follower of Jesus Christ.
7. What benefit does Paul say there is in 2Corinthians 5:9-10?
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8. What benefit is mentioned in 2Timothy 2:21?
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9. What attributes of true religion does James 1:27 mention, and how does this relate to sanctification?
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10. What are some things that hinder sanctification in the believer?
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11. If the opposite to sanctification is backsliding, what would the early warning signs of backsliding be?
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INVOLVES EFFORT
Living the Christian life involves effort. Jesus said that the believer should strive to enter the narrow gate (Lk. 13:24). While being saved is an act of God's grace from beginning to end, there is a need for the believer's full co-operation (Heb. 5:9). While this involves taking up your cross to follow Christ daily (Mtt. 16:24), by putting to death the things that tend to make us God (Col 3:5), instead of letting God be God, we are empowered to do so by His Spirit who is working in us mightily (Col. 2:29). Our motivation for sanctification is love. It should be our intense love for God that causes us to strive to please Him in all things. Fellowship with God is not based on mere cold compliance to a set of rules or regulations. Our relationship with God is based on our mutual love for each other (us and God). In a marriage, each partner's main concern is the other person. They don't communicate on the basis of commands and directives, they communicate on the basis of their love for each other. So it is with a sanctified life. Even in marriage,as each partner enjoys the years of relationship they enjoy with their partner, they tend to become one in body, mind, purpose and thought. Their actions are affected by their love for the other person. At times in a relationship one might say to the other I don't like you doing that... and the other person eventually responds by changing their actions. Although this might cause adjustment pains, the process of change beautifully continues. This is ideally how sanctification should take place in the believer's life - by making the effort, and allowing God's Spirit to work in our hearts.
In 1Peter 3:15 the Bible says that by sanctifying Christ in our hearts we will enjoy peace. With so much confusion and turmoil in the world, living a sanctified life will bring peace into it.
Amen.