Sanctification: Salvation Realized

Salvation begins with the repentance of self and turning to God in faith, believing in the work of Christ, who died on the cross to make the propitiation for our sins but rose again conquering the power of sin.  Now, through faith, believers are reborn to an inheritance into the family of God.  Unfortunately, many people's understanding of salvation ends there with conversion, which is a travesty because salvation is so much more. 

Not only is salvation about God applying the propitiation of Christ's atoning sacrifice to the debts of our sin by faith, called justification, but God also imputes His righteousness into our beings.  In truth, we are saved at the point of conversion, but we are continually being saved as we grow in the denial of self and God pours His Holy Spirit into our lives.

This is what sanctification is all about.  It is the continual process of salvation by which we, our very nature, is changed from our previously flesh self to our new Spirit self, and we are transferred, adopted into the heavenly family of God from the orphanage of this world.  To be sanctified, what was once unholy is made holy and what was once defiled is made clean for sacred use.

The essence of sanctification is renewal, taking something diseased and broken and renewing it to something holy and useful.  God, His Holy Spirit, is the motivator, the mover, and the facilitator of this change.  In its essence, it is a matter of worship.  As we are renewed, we grow in the likeness of Christ and we also grow in our ability to reflect God's glory (2 Cor. 3:18).

Sanctification, the process and pursuit of ever-growing holiness, is a major theme of the New Testament.  Paul in particular is consistent and focused in his exhortations to put off the old self, to pursue the new self, and to chase after righteousness with perseverance (Rom. 8:1-12; Phil. 3:12-16; Col. 3:1-17).  This should be enough to compel us to seek after God and to pursue Him in order to be sanctified.  

We need only to remember the immense value of knowing God and growing in relationship to Him.  If we do this, if we truly recognize who God is and what He is worth, it should only prompt us to desire Him more.  Additionally we should take comfort in that we are not alone in this process but we can and need to rely on God alone for our sanctification.  Let us then pursue Him so to become more like Him!