Sanctification

Philippians 3:13-14 ESV

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it (on) my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”. 

We don’t talk much about sanctification anymore, but it is a real process in which Jesus is moving the old nature out of our lives and replacing it with His characteristics. We call this process progressional sanctification because we are supposed to be ever moving toward the goal to be like Jesus. We still have our same charm, wit, humor, graces but we are refined to get out all the fear, animosity, and worldly actions and desires to become in tune with the Spirit of God that resides in us. In one translation Paul says that he doesn’t feel like he has made it yet. For us, that is encouraging, that for a lifetime Paul spent in this progression to reaching the prize or the goal of being like Jesus, then no matter what stage of life that we are in, we still need sanctification, and transformation. It is a process for a lifetime and then we are off to glory.

Prayer:

Lord, I’m not who I was, but I’m not who I need to be, yet. Keep working on me Jesus. Keep pulling out the old and putting in the new to be more like You every day of my life. In Your name Lord Jesus, I ask for mercy and grace, Amen!