Chapter 12:: The Spirit Sanctifies Us

To better understand this honkin' word -sanctification- I think it's helpful to jump back to chapter 9. In ch. 9, we learned that in Christ we are justified... where we get the theological term "justification". If you know Jesus... if you've trusted in HIM to pay the penalty you could never pay for the punishment of your sin & rebellion towards Him, then you've been justified. 

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" Ephesians 2:5. In Christ, we're pronounced righteous... On the cross, Jesus took our unrighteousness upon Himself as the wrath of God fell upon him, in exchange for HIS righteousness. On Page 90, Wendy says, "Though our best works were like dirty menstrual rags in God's eyes (Isaiah 64:6), he declared us righteous by switching our sins to Christ's shoulders & Christ's righteousness to our account."  Now that's what you call Good News!

Glorification

So if you think of your spiritual lifetime as timeline... justification would be the beginning & glorification the end. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." Romans 8:29-30. So as we know, follow, seek & obey the Lord, He's transforming us to become more like His Son. Look at Philippians 3:20-21.

So if justification occurs when we're re-born, glorification when we die on this earth, what's in-between? Here we find ourselves today, in chapter 12... Sanctification: becoming in reality what you are already declared to be by God.  "We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 1 Corinth. 3:18

Pretty cool timing to be thinking about this, fresh into the new year. Look back at 2011... maybe when you came to ISU in August or when you graduated from HS, maybe even last January heading into your last semester of high school. Zoom out & look at yourself subjectively... are you more like Jesus today? Do you notice things changing in your character or your habits? Maybe what comes off your tongue sounds a little different! Maybe your desire to read the Bible & pray is much stronger. What about your relationships with new friends at ISU... maybe you're learning to become a better friend, sister in Christ, encourager. Do you see change? The fancy word for that change is sanctification. Love how Wendy words it on page 113... "Sanctification, which follows justification, is the day-to-day process whereby we slowly become in reality what God has already declared us to be in heaven (i.e. completely righteous)." What a privilege to know God, have access to Him, & know that He cares about me enough to walk with me through life... helping me along the way to become more like Him!

I'll end this with a shameless plug for TOG ;). Theology of the Gospel is a class available for you this Spring! It's taught by guys on staff with Salt & meets just once a week on campus. It's a really fun & unique environment to learn & interact with your peers. You'll discuss theological things like we've been exposed to briefly in this book... you'll be challenged to think rightly about the gospel & share it with others! I took it my freshmen year and would highly recommend it :). Let me know if you have any other questions! There's also more info here. (Sign ups will also be available the first couple weeks of Freshmen Group)