Sanctification Equals Resignation of Life

Sanctification is one of those nebulous concepts that every Christian has probably heard at some point in their believing life, that most have heard referenced from the pulpit on regular occasions, but that few really understand. If so many people speak on this subject, though, why is it so seldom understood? Is there some secret to grasping what it means to be sanctified? How does God sanctify me?

The concept of sanctification is harder to accept than it is to understand or explain. When it comes to the things of life, no one wants to hear that things are hard and that, at some point, they are going to have to suck it up and wade through the filth. When it comes to sanctification, however, this is unfortunately the case. There is no quick and easy path to becoming sanctified. A person can't just fall to his knees and ask for God to rain down some kind of supernatural sanctification water and expect that his life will be forever one of perfect oneness with Jesus. It just doesn't work that way.

Becoming sanctified is a process, and one that takes the whole of a person's life to accomplish. It takes years and decades of learning, failing, building, and tripping over our feet to figure out what it means to walk in the ways of the Lord Jesus, and anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell their Jesus juice to the unsuspecting who will drink it and realize only too late that they shouldn't have tasted that particular spiked Kool-Aid.

The sanctification process is frustrating, sometimes dismal, hard work. It means being teachable, moldable, and willing to fall on your face when the time is right for you to learn the deep mysteries of life. This life-time endeavor will drive you to the brink, only to realize that beyond the cliff that you thought was your doom lies the beautiful expanse of promised territory that is yours because of your faithfulness to live by faith.

Sweeping generalizations aside, there are some things that the wise learn early on about this process of sanctification.

1. Sanctification is unpredictable - While God's desire for justice and holiness is unwavering, the path which He takes His people on to see it realized differs from person to person. He is an artist, and each of His creations is uniquely woven together from conception, then tempered and formed over the course of a lifetime. Each life looks wildly different from the next, and the path that they take for sanctification is likewise unique to the individual.

2. Sanctification is difficult - Let's face it, you know yourself. You know what it takes to get something through that thick head when someone wants to change you. No one wants for someone else to change them; they all want to be "accepted for the way they are." However, God wants to change His children for their good. Like a loving father He provides opportunities for His children to learn the hard lessons, to realize that they are not as strong as they think they are, and that they can't do this life without Him.

Which brings it to the final point:

3. Sanctification requires resignation - The sanctifying work of God truly becomes evident when a person finally realizes that it is not their desires that matter, or their plans that will accomplish something good with their life, but rather that it is God's will and plans that are truly effective. Sanctification requires a giving up of oneself to the will of God, and admitting that it is His prerogative to do with the world, the church, and the lives of His children what He wishes.

Don't be the lump of clay that says to the Potter, "why did you make me this way?" Instead, follow the words of Jesus and deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him. You'll be glad you did when you see what this process of sanctification yields in your life.