Sanctification 101

FRESH Official Podcast

Cleaning up your act, whatever act you’re needing to clean up in your life, is tough. Those old habits die hard. They just seem to want to cling to you and drag you down. Or is it just me?

That process of cleaning up your act is what theologians refer to as “sanctification”. And out of His great love, that’s exactly what God’s calling us to do:

1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honour, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. (ESV)

A solemn warning indeed; one that speaks directly into our tendency to give our own sin a nod and a wink before we sweep it under the rug.

Make no mistake – God takes our sin so seriously that He sent Jesus to die on a Cross to pay the price that His justice demands. Believe in Him and your sins are completely forgiven.

And now God’s calling you to a new life. He wants to set you free from the consequences of your sin by cleaning up your act. And that’s not something you have to do on your own because He sends His Spirit – the Holy Spirit – to dwell in you, to empower you to make you holy.

So when next you’re tempted to treat your sin lightly, remember … this is the will of God – your sanctification.

And that’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.