Sanctification 2 Cooperating with God for paper Nov 24   

In my last article I defined sanctification and describe some things about it. In this article I talk about how do we cooperate with God in our sanctification.

God has given us tools that if we make use of will work sanctification in our lives. The first tool we have is the bible. When we read and study God’s word, the bible, that word works faith and sanctification in our lives. Paul tells us “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10: 17   Then Paul also says “so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Romans 10: 17

So as we read our bible it works faith in us and that faith in turn works sanctification. But we have to be reading our bibles faithfully for this to happen. I use a bible called a daily reader. It has an OT reading, a psalm, a proverb and a new testament reading for each day of the year, and in this way I am able to read the whole bible each year. That is just an example. You can also just read daily in your bible and attend the bible studies offered by your congregation.

Another tool God offers us for sanctification is the confession of sin with absolution. We do that each Sunday in our services, but you can also go to your pastor for private confession and be absolved. When we participate in the writ of confession in our services, we confess before God all our known sin, then the pastor, with the authority of God, announces our absolution with these words “As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” It is as if God himself is standing beside the pastor and absolving you of your sin. Jesus gave this authority to forgive sin to the apostles.  “And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20: 22, 23  That authority is passed down to pastors from the apostles in their ordination.

Another tool we have to cooperate with God in our sanctification is the sacrament of Holy Communion. John says “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7  So communion purifies us from all sin!

The sacrament also assures us of eternal life. Jesus said “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day”.  John 6: 53 & 54   That assurance of eternal life should motivate us to purify ourselves by participating with God in our sanctification.

We can also participate with God in our sanctification by dedicated church attendance, by having and associating with Christian friends, listening and singing along with Christian music and the like.

So then as I said, sanctification is a spiritual battle for control of our minds. God wants us to be transformed in our minds, or our thinking, so we demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. As the Holy Spirit gains more and more influence in our lives; our nature will begin to change. We will gradually begin to die to the control of our sinful nature, and begin to do all that the 10 commandments and the bible expects of us naturally. We will not be motivated to do good things or obey the commandments because it is a requirement, because we have to, because the bible says so; but because the fruit of the Spirit has blossomed in our lives and good things just happen naturally. We are not motivated externally. Our mind is transformed. Our will power plays a role but not a transforming role. It is helpful to understand that because we have this sinful nature in us half the time our own will power is in the enemy’s camp.

Is sanctification of our lives important for Christians? Paul tells us why. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Romans 12: 2

Blessings,