Sanctification: What a Dirty Little Word
Well, I'm back and still not certain what is going here at the ol' blog, but I'm not ready to throw the towel yet and may even expand it. We'll see. Either way, if I continue there will be different emphases. As a pastor, I would like to develop something here that could be a benefit to those with whom I serve at MBC. Beyond that, I'd love to be an encouragement to those who have, for some reason, continued stopping by on a regular basis for the last few years. All that to say you may see some changes here...hopefully for the better.
I picked up my old copy of Oswald Chambers' My Utmost For His Highest this morning and looked up the entry for today. It concluded with an eye-catching statement:
Am I prepared to let God grip me by His power and do a work in me that is worthy of Himself? Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God's idea of what He wants to do for me, and He has to get me into the attitude of mind and spirit where at any cost I will let Him sanctify me wholly.Let me repeat one phrase there for emphasis: "Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God's idea of what He wants to do for me."
In other words, sanctification is the process of God doing in me whatever it takes to make me look more like Jesus. Sounds good, doesn't it? I mean, I want to look, act, and think more like Jesus. But let's think about that a minute and break that down into what it really looks like; what it really means. In reality, sanctification can be a really painful process where my sinful ways are put to death in order that the life of Christ can become manifest in me. Even that may not sound too bad. But then I must ask the question, how does it happen?
When my son misbehaves, it is my job to help him work out that bad behavior and, more importantly, the attitude which led to the behavior, and into a mindset that is repentant and desiring to do and be better. How does that happen? Discipline. That could be read punishment. What a dirty little word that is. So I punish my son in order to teach him that what he did was wrong. My son cries...often very loudly and prolonged...because he doesn't like it (his punishment usually involves nice, long runs on a treadmill. I figure I might as well build his body while I'm breaking his attitude!). Quickly, though, it becomes fatiguing and painful and he doesn't like it. You know what, though? It works. He eventually gets to the point of brokenness and with that comes a change in attitude and a desire to make things right. It can be a very beautiful thing to see happen.
The bottom line is that sanctification is often very painful and most certainly no fun. Yet, the writer of Hebrews reveals to us this truth in chapter 12 (as Chambers points out):
Man, be encouraged today. If you are a Christ-follower and, therefore, a child of God and are going through some tough stuff, be encouraged that God will not leave you alone to your own devices for very long. Perhaps He'll let you dine with the swine for awhile until you realize your own condition of rebellion. In the end, though, He'll give you a good spanking (which will hurt!) and bring you back in line with His will.“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Sanctification might be a dirty little word when we think of the pain it inflicts on our lives, but it is a beautiful doctrine when we think of the grace being shown us and the joy that will come as we look more and more like Jesus.
Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/14/2007 10:15:00 AM
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3 Comments:
Well put, David. I think there are some in this world that could use a fair amount of sanctification (self included). Thanks for your thoughts.
David,
A good word and badly needed. So many so called "evangelists" are telling people that all we have to do is accept Christ and we will be happy, wealthy and wise and we will live happily ever after. That is truly a fairy tale! The Christian life is about submission to Christ as Lord and to the Father, as sovereign and with all done in the power of the Holy Spirit. He must chastize those who belong to Him or else He would not be true to who He is, the holy, just and loving God. We, as believers, need to hear the whole counsel of God not just the parts that we like or the parts that give us warm fuzzy feelings about the "big guy upstairs". Your congregation is blessed to have a pastor that tells them what they need to hear not just what they want to hear,
Lou
Thanks to both of you for the comments.
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