Chapter 7

Sanctification

           

            What do we mean when we talk about sanctification? It means behaving like God would in the situation. What would God say? How would He act? Whatever the answer, that’s sanctification. That is what God is after in our lives. Those of us who are parents wanted our children to grow up to the point where we didn’t have to “keep after them to behave” … that is, they would “naturally” do the right thing.  Well, that’s what God wants. He wants us to grow up to the point where we will “supernaturally” behave the way we should without Him having to remind us. That is what sanctification is all about. We were legally in the spirit sanctified when we came to Christ. It is the outworking in our soul of that inward legal act in our spirit that brings us into the sanctification He is after. Some people believe that sanctification is a separate act of grace. We are not here to agree or disagree. What we are saying is that there has to come a point in your life where you say, “I am going to follow God and do what He wants me to do in my life.”

Calling/Chosen:

            Holy calling in sanctification:  

1 Thessalonians 4:7
7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

2 Timothy 1:9
9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

            If God had wanted us to act like the people of the world, He wouldn’t have bothered to save us. He wouldn’t have needed to deliver us, because we would simply keep acting the way we always had. But God has a better plan for us. He called us to a holy life; one patterned after the one His Son lived on earth. This is not only a desire on His part … it is our destiny. This is what we were meant to do when He decided before the beginning of time to choose us to be His.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, I would hold you in My arms and speak peace unto you; for you have chosen the better way. You have chosen to walk in My Son’s footsteps. He walked in the way of holiness and chose to not sin. You have that privilege too. You can decide to walk in holiness and not sin. It is your choice. You have the ability to choose and you have the ability to lose. You can choose to walk in righteousness or in the path of sin. You can choose to not sin. It is not an easy path, but it is one that will bring pleasure unto Me and peace unto you. You have the choice. I cannot choose for you. You must decide to walk in the paths of righteousness. I cannot do that for you. I can only help you to walk in that path. I cannot walk it for you. I will however tell My Spirit to help you to walk in that path.”

            67. God has called me with a holy calling in sanctification. Therefore, I will walk in a manner worthy of my calling.