Sanctification is the process by which believers cooperate with God’s means of producing holiness or godliness in the life of a repentant sinner who has chosen to respond in faith to the saving work of Christ and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
This week we take a closer look at how God accomplishes this goal.
When we think about the means God uses to transform forgiven and justified sinners into godly persons, our thoughts begin with the Bible. Holy Scripture is at the heart of God’s provisions for transforming Christians into people of godliness or Christlikeness.
Daily discipline
Being the treasury of God’s revealed truth, the inspired Scriptures lie at the heart of the means God uses to accomplish this transformation. Believers must value the Bible, choose to read and meditate on its words, and obey its mandates. Just as we take in food each day to maintain physical well-being, so we must partake of God’s Word as a daily discipline of Christian living.
Along with the Bible, prayer is an essential ingredient in one’s spiritual development. We must hear and heed God speaking to us through Scripture, and we must speak to Him through prayer. Times of private prayer are times when the Spirit of God impresses conviction on us about attitudes and behaviors that should be abandoned and on those that should be cultivated as replacements.
Fellowship with others
In addition to Scripture and prayer, involvement in the church is an important part of the sanctifying process. Our fellowship with other Christians can play an important role in our growing more like Christ. We need both the examples of others and their encouragement for our development into the people God wants us to be.
Not only does God use Scripture, prayer and church involvement to aid our growth in holiness, but He also works through our regular devotional life to nurture our advance in holiness of life and effectiveness in ministry.
Christian meditation on God’s truth is essential to its incorporation into our thinking and its manifestation in our manner of life. Loving God and loving our neighbor go hand in hand with rich, regular and meaningful private devotional times. In the pace of life for many of us, the quiet practice of disciplined meditation tends to be a neglected aspect of our Christian lives.
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