How God Renovates Our Lives
John 17 provides us a glimpse into Jesus’ prayer life—the Son praying to the Father for the disciples who’re instantly current and for all those that would later imagine.
In verse 15, Jesus prays for His disciples’ preservation. Then, in verse 17, He prays for his or her sanctification: “Sanctify them within the reality; your phrase is reality” (John 17:17). Within the house of simply 9 phrases, Jesus teaches an important deal in regards to the doctrine of sanctification. The phrase “sanctify” on this verse is said to the phrase holy. So whereas the textual content reads, “Sanctify them within the reality,” we would additionally say, “Make them holy within the reality.”
When a Christian asks, “What’s God doing in my life?” the reply, primarily based on Jesus’ prayer in verse 17, is straightforward: By the facility of the Spirit and the Phrase, God is making us extra like His Son, Jesus. That’s the work of sanctification.
Utilizing John 17:17 as a place to begin, we will outline the doctrine of sanctification biblically after which set up how this work is displayed in a believer’s life.
Sanctification Outlined Biblically
Within the Previous Testomony, locations, folks, monks, utensils, buildings, and many others., have been usually described as “holy.” That’s, they have been set aside from one use to be set aside for one more. For instance, a bowl used for rituals within the temple was set aside for a particular objective within the framework of God. (See, e.g., Exodus 25:29).
After we see the phrase “sanctify,” we must always consider it when it comes to being set aside to be used within the service of God. It’s the technique of being made much less like ourselves and extra like Jesus. It’s the work of renovation.
Certainly, sanctification is the fruit of being set aside in Jesus. It’s distinct from justification—the act of God declaring sinners righteous on account of His Son’s completed work—however the two are intently associated. Whereas we will distinguish between justification and sanctification, we can not divide them. The one folks whom God justifies are these whom He sanctifies. Declaring us righteous, God then makes us righteous.
We’d say it this fashion: The grace that units us aside to God is identical grace that makes us more and more like God.
Sanctification Displayed Progressively
Wanting on the doctrine from a distinct angle: Sanctification is a matter of levels. Believers can’t be kind of justified. The declaration of righteousness God makes is authorized and exterior. However we can be kind of sanctified. Sanctification is a lifelong mission.
C. S. Lewis presents a useful metaphor in Mere Christianity:
Think about your self as a residing home. God is available in to rebuild that home. At first, maybe, you’ll be able to perceive what He’s doing. He’s getting the drains proper and stopping the leaks within the roof and so forth: you knew that these jobs wanted doing and so you aren’t stunned. However presently he begins knocking the home about in a means that hurts abominably and doesn’t appear to make sense. What on earth is He as much as? The reason is that He’s constructing fairly a distinct home from the one you considered—throwing out a brand new wing right here, placing on an additional flooring there, working up towers, making courtyards. You thought you have been going to be made into an honest little cottage: however He’s constructing a palace. He intends to come back and dwell in it Himself.
In sanctification, God chisels us into the picture He has meant. He cuts off ineffective items, realigns disproportionate components, smooths out the tough edges—all with the loving objective of better holiness.
However as quickly as we enter into that new dimension, we understand we introduced with us our outdated fallen nature—that a part of us that also loves sin. Sanctification is a type of battle: our outdated nature nonetheless clinging on, our new nature striving towards Christlikeness. The Christian is concurrently sinner and saint, a rebellious youngster but adopted into God’s household.
Sanctification is a lifelong mission.
And sanctification takes time. The method is stuffed with triumphs and trials this aspect of eternity. Particularly, we will search for God’s renovating work in at the very least 3 ways.
First, God sanctifies us mentally. “Don’t be conformed to this world,” Paul urges the Christians in Rome, “however be remodeled by the renewal of your thoughts” (Rom. 12:2). Our minds are consistently bombarded by enter from outdoors of us—from podcasts, emails, movies, music, and many others. Mismanaged, these influences can change into hindrances to God’s work in our minds.
Second, God sanctifies us bodily. From our heads to our toes—our phrases to our actions—it’s the Father’s objective to redeem our our bodies and their works for His glory, as temples match for the Spirit to take up residence (1 Cor. 6:19).
Lastly, God intends to sanctify us completely. Paul prays for the Thessalonians alongside these traces: “Now could the God of peace himself sanctify you utterly” (1 Thess. 5:23). We may be assured of God’s work in us when we’ve got much less and fewer to cover from Him—fewer doorways in our hearts shut off to His rule.
Sanctification Found Submissively
Importantly, Jesus prays for His disciples to be sanctified “within the reality” of God’s Phrase. The Father makes use of His Phrase, utilized within the Spirit’s energy, to make us extra like His Son. After we open our Bibles, we learn the very phrases of God—the Son despatched into the world from the Father to talk the Father’s phrases, the Son then giving His phrases to the apostles to evangelise, and the apostles, below the Spirit’s steering, inscripturating these phrases for later generations.
There are two fundamental methods we expertise sanctification within the phrase of reality. First, we expertise it personally, by way of actions reminiscent of day by day devotions, common Bible-reading, and Scripture memorization. J. C. Ryle feedback, “Believers who neglect the Phrase is not going to develop in holiness and victory over sin.” Why? As a result of sanctification happens “in the reality,” not aside from it.
The grace that units us aside to God is identical grace that makes us more and more like God.
But sanctification by way of God’s Phrase just isn’t solely personal however company. The rationale preaching at all times must be central to worship is as a result of God has chosen the proclamation of His Phrase as one of many fundamental means by way of which He works. We expertise the sanctifying work of God in preaching in a means not like every other. It’s maybe because of this the writer of Hebrews exhorts the persecuted church to not forsake assembly collectively (Heb. 10:25)—for it’s within the assembly and listening that God sanctifies us.
Initially, we requested the frequent query “What’s God doing in my life?” The reply we discover in John 17:17 is as clear as it’s thrilling: He’s sanctifying you! The Father wills it. Jesus prays for it. The Spirit applies it. And we get to expertise it.
For these of us in Christ, we are being remodeled into His picture, whether or not we will sense it or not. God is renovating the lives of these He has justified. And someday, after we see Christ, the constructing mission can be full. We can be similar to Him (1 John 3:2).
This text was tailored from the sermon “‘Sanctify Them’” by Alistair Begg.
