In my experience there are two fundamental truths that must be understood before someone can accept the truth of the gospel. Firstly, we must understand that God is perfectly holy, and secondly, we must accept that we are lost sinners. If you don’t see the disparity between God’s pure standard of holiness and your pitiful depraved state before his mighty throne, you won’t see the need to be saved.
Once God has justified us through faith in Christ, we have right standing before God. But that is only the beginning of the process of becoming holy. This process is called santification.
Progressive sanctification is an ongoing partnership between the believer and the Holy Spirit to become more like Christ. Someone who claims to be a Christian but does not work to put off their sinful nature to grow in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23), is probably not saved to begin with. We grow in holiness by spending time in God’s Word so we get a clearer picture of the image of Christ we are growing towards. Christ prayed “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). In any relationship you need to spend time with the person to get to know them better, so we also study Scripture to learn how to transform from one degree of glory to the next.
We cannot do the work of growing in holiness in our own efforts. That would just be a legalistic striving to impress others. We need the Holy Spirit to show us our sin and to help us overcome what does not belong in the Kingdom of God. That is why Paul could pray “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23).
The process of sanctification is not an easy walk in a field of daisies. It looks more like an ongoing battle with many glorious victories and a few disapointing losses. The biggest changes in our hearts are usually acheived through hard years of suffering and pain. It’s only when God allows us to be tempted outside of our comfort zone that we can grow into the likeness of Christ. Apostle Peter wrote one of the hardest passages on suffering that can also provide great comfort when all hope seems lost:
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:6-7
Suffering is often the refiner’s fire that allows us to be purified so we can reflect the image of our Lord Jesus. This is only possible by “beholding the glory of the Lord“. Otherwise we risk becoming bitter and broken, instead of golden image bearers.
So if your Advent season is less than joyful because of hard trials, be encouraged – Christ was born for a time such as this. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and you will be changed in ways you cannot yet imagine.
“Over time, we who look to Jesus more and more will begin to look like Jesus more and more.” – Jared Wilson
I have seen this in my own life in a miraculous way in the last year. The Lord has taken my disappointment and jealousy of others and turned it into rejoicing and contentment in his plan for my life. Although I had to study his word and spent many hours crying at his feet, he is changing my heart and restoring the joy of my soul without changing my circumstances. That is a miracle!
How have you seen the Lord work in your heart to grow you in holiness?
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