Salvation: The Present Transforming Work of God in Us!
If you are born again you are well aware that God did not save us with the intent to let us continue to live the same old life as before. He began a process of inward transformation that is called sanctification. This is a process that will continue until the day that He calls us home to Himself.
I have a quote from one of my study resources that defines what sanctification is. This is followed by a quote from the Webster's 1828 Dictionary definition.
"Sanctification" means “to be set apart” from common use, “to be made holy.” The nature of sanctification is twofold in that Christians have been made holy through Christ and are called to continue to grow into and strive for holiness by cooperating with the indwelling Holy Spirit until they enjoy complete conformity to Christ (glorification)." Grenz, S., Guretzki, D., & Nordling, C. F. (1999). In Pocket dictionary of theological terms (p. 105). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines sanctification as
"The act of making holy. In an evangelical sense, the act of God's grace
by which the affections (way of thinking) of men are purified or alienated from
sin and the world, and exalted toward a supreme love for God."
Philippians 1:3-6 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4) Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5) For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Paul, as he often does, begins his letter to the church at Philippi by expressing his gratitude for their love and service to God. Paul told those believers that he always remembered them in his prayers and that his ongoing fellowship with them filled his heart with joy.
The apostle then expressed his total confidence that the good work of salvation that God began in them the moment they were born again, would continue until they were taken home by their Lord. Salvation is the initial work that God begins in us, but as Paul noted, God has other work to keep doing in each believer until our life on earth is over.
The word "perform" means to execute a plan, to bring to a successful conclusion or to perfect. A good work began the moment we were born again but God's good work continues as He seeks to change us and make us more like Christ.
The beginning of spiritual life!
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
When someone is born again they experience a significant change in their lives. Old things are passed away. This refers to the old lifestyle, the way that we lived before God saved us. One of the "old things" that passed away for me was my vile speech. I used to swear, curse and say vile words but the Lord of Glory took that away from me as soon as I was born again. I praise Him for doing that and I am sure you have similar life changes that you could share.
God did not stop by removing old things from our lives. No, He continues to make all things new. We enjoy a fresh start with God. We see the world through new eyes and receive a new way of thinking. However, we are babies in Christ and must continue to grow spiritually into a mature faith.
We cannot remain a baby Christian
1 Peter 2:2-3 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Peter taught us about the beginning point of the good work that God began in each believer the moment they were born again. Every born again believer begins as a new born babe in Christ. Just as a baby cannot eat solid foods like steak and mashed potatoes, neither is a new Christian immediately ready for a diet of strong doctrine and theology. They must begin with the milk of the Word, and as they grow they can begin taking in the strong meat of the Word.
Bible milk is the starting point but Bible meat is where we need to be.
Hebrews 5:11-14 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
The author of Hebrews rebuked the believers who failed to spiritually grow into a mature faith. They should have been able to begin teaching other new believers but instead they needed someone to "re-teach" them the basic truths again. Basic truths from the milk of the word is a starting point but we are to progress to a point of being able to handle greater, deeper truth from the strong meat of the word.
Life for a new born again Christian very much follows the child development process where we have a child born to us, and we must care for the new born because the child is totally dependent upon Mom and Dad for everything. There is a continuum of physical and mental growth that a baby goes through, from learning how to eat solid food, crawling, toddling, walking, running, all the while continuing to grow up to adulthood.
Carnal Christians are babes in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3) For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Paul wrote to the troubled church at Corinth. They had many problems that needed to be sorted out and Paul pointed out that part of their issues were connected to being spiritually immature. Instead of growing up spiritually, they were still like babes in Christ. He had to keep feeding them milk or basic teachings because they were not able to handle deeper theology.
God did not make all things new and make us a new creation in Christ without having a process in place to help us spiritually grow and mature. This is the ongoing sanctification that I am speaking of today.
Sanctification and maturity comes from the Word of God.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Jesus prayed for His disciples right before He was betrayed and arrested. He prayed that the Father would sanctify them through the truth of His Word. Paul picked up on this truth when writing to the church at Ephesus. Husbands are to love their wives with the sacrificial love Christ demonstrated. Jesus is sanctifying and cleansing His church by the cleansing water of the scriptures.
The cleansing power of the Word makes believers able to reflect the glory of God by how they choose to live their lives. The cleansing power of the Word washes us and makes us like a brand new garment that is spotless and without wrinkles. The Word makes us holy and without blemish. Thus, as Jesus said, we are sanctified by the truth of His Word.
Thoughts to Ponder...
We will look more at the subject of ongoing sanctification again. The main point to remember is that God began working in us the moment that we were born again. He is going to continue doing a work in us until He calls us home.
We all begin as spiritual babes in Christ and we need a diet of the sincere or wholesome milk of God's Word. We are to be growing in our faith just as a baby grows into a toddler, adolescence and adulthood. Eventually we are to mature so that we can digest the strong meat of the scripture.
God intends to do ongoing sanctification in our lives to make us more like Christ and to prepare us for eternity in heaven. His tool to keep working in us is His Word. Our part is to open our Bible and read it, praying to the Lord that His Spirit will open our eyes that we may see wondrous things in His law.
Bob
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