The long frustrating road of sanctification

This past weekend my family came to Greenville so that we could spend some time together. While it was only a brief visit, it was a lot of fun--and this came as a surprise to me. I'm still wrestling through a lot of things when it comes to encouraging and engaging my family. My natural tendency (to be perfectly honest) is to be quiet and bitter, avoiding real interaction by playing on my phone. But on this last visit, God gave me a good attitude and helped me to be engaging and kind. And I found this really encouraging.

God spoke to me that evening in another way though. My youngest sister was born with cerebral palsy: Blood had leaked into her brain while she was still in the womb and, as a result, motor and speech functions have been impaired. She did not learn to walk by herself until she was 8, and it has taken her much longer to learn to speak than it usually does for other children. Still, I love my little sister she is truly a delight to be around. While at dinner with my mom and sisters, my mom pointed out how much she has grown. I agreed: My sister speaks so much more boldly and clearly than she used to and she is more independent than I have ever seen her. She has grown so much.

As I watched her that evening at dinner, I thought to myself how the long process of my sisters growth is similar to the (often) slow process of sanctification. Like my sister's maturing, sanctification is a process. Most of the time, I forget that--and I become frustrated and discouraged because it doesn't seem like I am making any headway in godliness. But feeling is often far from reality. Although it may be a while until I see complete victory over certain struggles in my life, nevertheless, because I am justified in Christ, and adopted, I know that I will have that victory nonetheless. One of the sweetest promises of Scripture is that God WILL complete his work of sanctification: If you are a Christian, you may be discouraged by the ugliness still in you, but be assured God and his promise are sure. It is long, it is tough, but the day will come when you will stand before him completely like Christ.


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Accepted by God

I read this devotional by Spurgeon, very encouraging


"Accepted in the Beloved" Ephesians 1:6


What a state of privilege! It includes our justification before God, but the term "acceptance" in the Greek means more than that. It signifies that we are the objects of divine complacence, nay, even of divine delight. How marvellous that we, worms, mortals, sinners, should be the objects of divine love! But it is only "in the beloved." Some Christians seem to be accepted in their own experience, at least, that is their apprehension. When their spirit is lively, and their hopes bright, they think God accepts them, for they feel so high, so heavenly-minded, so drawn above the earth! But when their souls cleave to the dust, they are the victims of the fear that they are no longer accepted. If they could but see that all their high joys do not exalt them, and all their low despondencies do not really depress them in their Father's sight, but that they stand accepted in One who never alters, in One who is always the beloved of God, always perfect, always without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, how much happier they would be, and how much more they would honour the Saviour! Rejoice then, believer, in this: thou art accepted "in the beloved." Thou lookest within, and thou sayest, "There is nothing acceptable here!" But look at Christ, and see if there is not everything acceptable there. Thy sins trouble thee; but God has cast thy sins behind his back, and thou art accepted in the Righteous One. Thou hast to fight with corruption, and to wrestle with temptation, but thou art already accepted in him who has overcome the powers of evil. The devil tempts thee; be of good cheer, he cannot destroy thee, for thou art accepted in him who has broken Satan's head. Know by full assurance thy glorious standing. Even glorified souls are not more accepted than thou art. They are only accepted in heaven "in the beloved," and thou art even now accepted in Christ after the same manner.

The Discipline of the Lord

Ever have those "gulp moments" during bible study? You know those times when you'd rather skip over a passage because you'd rather read something "good" or "uplifting". I had that moment in my reading of Hebrews 12:5-11 this morning. I have a hard time stomaching verses about trials and discipline and I fear their coming. It reminds of times I had growing up, i would do some idiot thing and get spanked for it. I fear that the Lord's discipline will feel a lot like that: a cringing . . . before the blow. It's funny, I seem to get into my mind that I can be exempt from discipline and trial because I think of God as the kind of father who loves us so much that he is out to give us an easy life. But this view of God runs contradictory to the view of God in scripture.

Scripture says that if we are not disciplined we are illegitimate children. While we must never doubt that God's out for our good that he delights to shower us with blessings he has something grander in mind. Our sanctification. He does love us, but he loves us too much to leave us as we are. So, when your car breaks down, or you suffer some illness or things get taken from you unexpectedly, what should our response be? Surprise? Outrage? This passage teaches us that submission to the will of God is the correct attitude to have because God has a purpose for the pain: He does not arbitrarily bring these things into our life but they are proof that he is at work to grow us. For those of us who are adopted into his family, God is the true and better father who is all wise and perfect and desires us to share in his holiness and "yield the perfect fruit of righteousness."



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