Tuesday Truth- Sanctification and Finishing Strong
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
— 1 Corinthians 10:31
Sanctification is a biblical doctrine that is emphasized a great deal in Christian teaching. Today we'll look at how Biblical sanctification ties into the mission of Finishing Strong.
After salvation, the Holy Spirit enters the Christian's life. Believers are to be "set apart" for God, and find that suddenly there is an internal struggle between right (God's way) and wrong (sin). The battle to live set apart for God is a lifelong process for the believer, one that even the apostle Paul himself admitted is a great struggle (see Galatians 5:17 and Romans 5:15-20). This lifelong process, in a nutshell, is sanctification.
God calls us to live out this process of sanctification from the day we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior until the day we meet Jesus face-to-face. Here are some practical steps you can do as you work through sanctification:
- Prayer: When suffering or facing temptation, we are weak. This is when we need to pray so that God can help us not to lose the battle of the sinful flesh.
- Study the Bible: The Bible is the written Word of God, and contains words that sanctify us. When Satan tempted Jesus in Matthew 4, Jesus used the Word of God to overcome temptation. Additionally, the Word of God can transform our mind, convict us, and bring to light the darkness that is within our hearts (Hebrews 4:12)
- Worship: When our worship is genuine, it transforms our hearts and brings us closer to God and further from sin.
- Holy Spirit: We must yield to the moving of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:16)
When we choose to pursue sanctification in our life, positive growth occurs. It takes time and is a working progress that cannot be hurried. However, if we give up on the pursuit of sanctification, we will not finish the race strong. If you feel you're in a "spiritual slump", it is likely due to the fact that sanctification has stalled because you've avoided doing the four things listed above. So, get back on track and start today! Read these Scripture references, pray, sing songs of worship, and be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life. This will help you to Finish Strong!