Sunday Leftovers (1/7/07 )

“Sanctification” has the basic meaning of being set apart or dedicated to God on the basis of the atoning work of Christ.

While God sees believers in Christ as being fully righteous (2 Cor. 5:21), sanctification most often refers to the process of the believer progressively working out his salvation so that he is increasingly freed from the power of sin and is increasingly more like the Savior.

The emphasis in that last sentence is on the two occurrences of the word “increasingly.” Sanctification is both constant and progressive. It is constant in that it is pursued continuously (not sporadically), and it is progressive in that the depth of fellowship with Christ is ever increasing. Those words are not gentle in the ears of Americans who love words like “instant,” “immediate,” “fast,” and “now.” Yet it is the constant testimony of the Word of God that sanctification is the process by which God demonstrates our dependence on and need for Him (note the emphasized words):

• …and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God (Col. 2:19)
• But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18)
• …but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (2 Pet. 3:18)
• but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ (Eph. 4:15)
• so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10)
• My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you (Gal. 4:19)
• But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. (1 Tim. 6:11)

This is why Jonathan Edward’s second resolution was “Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote [whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time…].”

Every day our chief concern is to structure our schedules and orient our affections to being more satisfied with God and to increase our maturity in Him. Which is why I said that two fundamental activities of the believer every day are to:

• do everything you can to feed your hunger for and satisfaction with God’s Word (see 1 Peter 1:22-25; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
• do everything you can to abstain from anything that will abate your hunger and satisfaction for the Word of God.

Or, to grow progressively, starve sin and feed hunger for the Word of God.