#176 Transformation

Let's talk about sanctification. Sanctification is a big word that refers to the process of becoming holy. When Christians talk about sanctification, we talk about becoming like Jesus. Christians are called to love like Jesus loved us. Now clearly we are all a looooong way from that standard. Everybody fails to love again and again. I do. You do. We all do. A large portion of the letters in the New Testament deal with sanctification, teaching us how we should live. God calls us to leave behind our sinful ways and imitate Jesus. By following Jesus' example we live the way God has created us to live and we show Jesus our gratitude for saving us. But becoming like Jesus is a long and difficult process for us. We need to work to be less selfish, less hateful, less greedy, less lustful. We need to strive to be more loving, more honest, more content, more merciful. Sometimes we do well, and sometimes we don't. Sanctification can be extremely frustrating. We can seem hopeless.

But there's good news. Once Jesus saves us, He doesn't say, "Okay, figure out how to become a better person," and leave us on our own. Jesus sends us His Holy Spirit. We have to work on our sanctification. But the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, is also working on our sanctification. It's a team effort. The Holy Spirit works with us, in us, even at times in spite of us, transforming us to be more like Jesus. We still have to try, but it's not all up to us. The Holy Spirit won't give up and won't fail. That's a huge comfort. It's like God rubs off on us over time. Sometimes consciously and sometimes without realizing it we learn to care about others' pain, to be forgiving, to honor God, to put God first. Sometimes our growth may be so slow that we can't see it, but the Holy Spirit never stops. For the rest of our lives our sanctification will continue. When Jesus returns, He will finish His work. We will be like Him; we will be complete. That's a goal worth working toward. That's a hope worth holding on to.

Grace and peace,
BMH