Sanctification

“Finally then, brothers, we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us as how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity, but in sanctification. Consequently, he who sets this aside is not setting aside man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8) Sanctification is the pursuit and growth in holiness and Christlikeness. I say pursuit, as sanctification is what we would call synergistic. Meaning, it requires our efforts; see it is both God and we who are doing something in the work of sanctification. This not to say that we are equal partners in the efforts. “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13) However, as God works within us, we work as well, through means of prayer as we pursue Him, relying on the means of grace He has given us: the preaching of the word of God, the sacraments, seeking reconciliation with those we’ve offended. There are no shortcuts to the sanctifying work of God, it is a process, one that seems slow going, and taking years to truly discern. Even though we’ve been redeemed, reconciled, justified, and adopted as sons of the one true and living God, we’ve still got our sin to deal with. Yes, even though we’ve been freed from the penalty of sin, and the power of sin, the presence of sin is still a reality in our lives on this side of eternity. The work of sanctification is not only the growth in holiness and Christlikeness but an eradication or mortification of sin, it is one that is progressive. You can’t grow in holiness if you’re still clinging to and committing sin as you were before God called you to Himself. So, even though your legal standing has changed with God, as He has declared you righteous, you must be putting sin to death.

Though I’ve been declared a child of God, I can very much appear to be anything but. I find myself struggling with sin, however, that should be the difference between the Christian and the unbeliever, is that the Christian struggles with sin as he or she attempts to wage war against it, whereas the unbeliever continues on in the sin with no struggle other than perhaps a conscience that might get to them every once in a while, if it’s not been dulled out or quieted. Thankfully by the indwelling power of the Spirit of God within me, He convicts me of sin, so sin does bother me, it grieves me as I recognize I am grieving God, and this all the sanctifying grace of God. I must be clear though, conviction is not judgment, as I’ve heard some liken it to. Rather, the Spirit of God exposes the evil within, reproves us for our evil doings, and convinces us of our need for a Savior. It is to feel the loathsomeness of our sin, and this through a careful yet diligent looking to the character and nature of God as He has revealed Himself through His word; His beauty, His purity, His holiness, and the fact that sin cannot dwell with Him. “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil does not sojourn with You.” (Psalm 5:4) It is an utter dreadfulness of our sin. “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9) True conviction from the Spirit of God also includes us being mindful of how much our sin grieves and dishonors God. “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and pure when You judge.” (Psalm 51:4) That same conviction should make us incredibly aware of the wrath that it exposes our souls to. “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God,” (Romans 2:5) Thankfully it is by the Spirit of God that He not only brings about conviction, but He leads us in and grants us repentance. Overall, it is the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to our sin, and furthermore to open our hearts to receive His grace. We must understand that conviction in not simply a guilty conscience, or even shame over sin. It also is not a fearful expectation of divine punishment. Nor is this a mere acknowledgment of right and wrong, this does not speak of an assent to Holy Scripture’s teaching on sin. You can know all the facts about sin there is in the word of God and yet continue to live in sin, understanding the consequences, but far from conviction.

So though this is what we call a synergistic work, God’s work is never tough for Him, as He doesn’t grow tired or weary. We, however, do tend to get tired and frustrated; we seek a simpler path, a shortcut so to speak, the quick resolve or answer, the effortless way. But there is no such way, not when it comes to sanctification. Sanctification requires diligently attending to the means of grace that God has given us. That growth can at times be slow, almost imperceivable; we can sometimes stagnate or regress, but it is sure over the course of our lives, there will always be an advancement in sanctification and the fruitfulness of that result will be evident. For those whom God justifies, He certainly sanctifies. No act of the devil can stop God’s gracious process of us being made into the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you’ve been called by God, you will be sanctified. And so, I can’t stress the diligently attending to the means God has graciously given us, if we take this casual attitude toward attending those very things He has given us as the means of being sanctified, it will not result in our nurture or our growth. As we read already, we must work out our salvation with much fear and trembling, knowing that Christ, by His Spirit, is working in us. So, let me stress the fact that a big part of our sanctification is the putting off of the old man, the dying to self daily, the mortification of sin. “Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its practices.” (Colossians 3:9) “to lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,” (Ephesians 4:22) “Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Ephesians 4:31) Let us take heed to these strong exhortations, examine ourselves in the mirror that is God’s word, and be honest with ourselves. 

We are called to come to the place where we are seeking to put off the old, to be killing sin, to be being filled with the Spirit, and He is grieved every time we sin. We see David in the penitential psalm say the following. “Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:11) So what is Paul exhorting us to do in those passages we quoted from Ephesians 4? Is it to pray about it? To fast over it? To simply seek counsel? No! He says time and time again, put it off. “Therefore this I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their mind, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way – if indeed you heard Him and were taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, to lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Instead, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:17-32)

God has told us to put it off, to lay it aside, to put it to death, and here we are turning to Him in prayer, saying “Help me, O God, to do as you have commanded.” This is not obedience; yes, we recognize our need for God to help us, but we have been called to duty, we are to do this. Do not think you will sit there idle while hoping that God will magically put it off for you. Don’t procrastinate, and do not take on some form of false piety in which you declare yourself a man of prayer, and that God will answer the prayer to which He has expected you to obey in your duties. Just stop it, cut it off, put it to death, wage war against it. Yes, it is a violent thing, but it is meant to be. Do not dare take on this mindset of I’m too weak, too frail, too inexperienced, too young in the faith, in too dark of a season. Yes, I know what you’ve got to say in response to such a strong call from the word of God; that your righteousness is as filthy rags, your heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, that none are good. Stop it! Just stop it, stop seeking to justify your idleness when you’ve been called to duty by God Himself. What is the biblical response to such nonsense? “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) “for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the practices of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13) So if you’re claiming to be a Christian, then understand God’s word states that you are indwelt by the Spirit of God. Case closed right there; you have the Spirit of God residing within you, so by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body. 

Now please do not misunderstand me, this is not the only means we are sanctified. After all, Christ Himself said, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) And so we have been called to not only be reading the word of God normally (daily) but we are to be diligent in our study of it and as greatly in our meditation on it. Furthermore, it is not enough to be filled with head knowledge as we discussed earlier, a mere mental assent profits nothing, only leaves you further damned by knowing the truth and never acting upon it, never obeying it. Obedience to the word is a great means of sanctification, hence why I made such a big deal about the putting off of the old man, mortifying sin, picking up our cross and following after Christ. See, there are far too many ways we are sanctified, even in the seemingly small scenarios or situations we find ourselves in throughout our daily lives. Take courage beloved, that there is hope if you’ve been called, for your sanctification is God’s will for you, and that work which He has begun, He will bring it to completion. Let us close with the word of God. “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every trespass and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? That salvation, first spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. But one has testified somewhere, saying, ‘What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him? You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and have appointed him over the works of Your hands; You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels—Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of One; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, ‘I will recount Your name to My brothers, in the midst of the assembly I will sing Your praise.’ And again, ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.’ Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brothers in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to help those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2)