sanctifcation

Imagine running a race without a finish line in mind. You’d be running with no objective and no hope of ever finishing the race, let alone, of winning it. A race without a finish line is not a race at all, but merely an exercise in futility and, ultimately, frustration. And the Christian life would be the same thing if it did not have a final objective or outcome. As we discuss the doctrine of sanctification, we must never forget that it is directly tied to two other major doctrines and cannot exist without them. One is our salvation. The other, our future glorification. And all three are dependent upon our resurrection. Paul told the believers in Corinth that “if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.” And then he added, “if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” In other words, without our resurrection and glorification as our final goal, our sanctification will be like running in a race with no hope of victory.

If you’re like any other red-blooded western Christian, you’ve probably asked yourself the question: What’s the key to living the Christian life? And, no doubt, you’ve come up with a varied list of answers, most of which you have tried – to one degree of success or another. But have you really discovered the secret to successful Christian living? Is it more effort, increased faith, greater sacrifice, or a larger expenditure of selfless love? It seems that Jesus gave us the key to living the Christian life and it was the presence and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He referred to is as “living water” – “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” And His disciples experienced the life-changing nature of this spiritual water when the Holy Spirit of God came upon them at Pentecost. They learned that the Spirit within them was meant to empower them so He could flow out from them. They would be like PVC pipes through which the life-transforming power of God’s Spirit flowed to the world around them.