Sanctification

Listen to these words from Paul… “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Did you know that God has already started a good work in you?  For some of you, this statement may come as a pleasant surprise.  For most, we are painfully aware of the chiseling and hammering in our lives as He has a lot of work to do.  🙂

And as painful as it can be, we must know without a doubt that whatever that “good work” looks like… He will follow through until we meet Him face to face.

Guaranteed.

The moment we accepted Jesus’ work on the cross, God began the process of “sanctification” and it will continue until we see Him face to face.  Sanctification is just a fancy word for the work God does inside the heart of a believer in order to make him into a brand-new person.

• Painful?… At times.
• Necessary?… Without a doubt.
• Life-giving?…  A resounding YES!

When you surrendered your life to Jesus, all heaven rejoiced as the Holy Spirit made His home in your heart… in your life.  It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to be more Christ like everyday.

And THAT process can be painful… at least that is some of my experience.  God had a lot of work to do in me… and still does.  But to be honest, on the other side of each divine chiseling… I am so thankful.

You see, my life was heading in the wrong direction at 100 miles an hour.  I was the poster child for bad choices and if there was a wrong path to take… I took it!

Maybe you can relate?

So I am humbled that He has chosen me and have come to accept the sanctification process as a step closer to being like Him.

Here are five fast facts you need to know about sanctification:

1. It is the work of God… only.
2. It is a lifetime process.
3. It is never complete in this life.
4. God won’t stop until the job is done.
5. God uses everything that happens to us—the good and the bad—to make us like Jesus.

Unlike our fits and starts, when God starts a project… He finishes it.  We are a work in progress, daily becoming more like Him.

And when He is finished, we will be whole and complete. Perfected. No more hammering, no more chiseling.

Place yourself in God’s hands.

Cooperate with the carpenter.  “Lord, here am I. Make me what you want me to be.”