So earlier in the school year God gave me this verse when I was going to Him about something He had revealed to me. And He recently brought it up again earlier this week. I decided to spend more time on the verse and really seek out what it means to be sanctified. Let me tell you, God was just revealing SOOOO much to me and He just really showed me how He was sanctifying me. If you have the fire bible (and if you don't, I highly recommend it) there is a specific section on Sanctification. Here is some of what it says:
Sanctification (Gk. Hagiasmos) means to make holy, to consecrate and to separate from the ungodly patterns and practices of the world. It involves being set apart from sin so as to have intimate companionship with God and serve Him effectively. In practical terms, sanctification involves an ongoing process of spiritual growth, development and maturity by which God refines us spiritually, prepares us for His purposes and involves us in His plans. Sanctification enables us to live in a way that influences others to follow Christ.
In the New Testament, sanctification is not pictured as a slow process of forsaking or giving up sin little by little. Rather, it is presented as a definite and decisive act by which the believer - by God's grace - is set free from the control of Satan and makes a clear break with sin in order to live for God. At the same time, however, sanctification is described as a lifelong process by which a follower of Christ continues to put to death the sinful tendencies of the body, is progressively transformed to be more like Jesus, grows in grace, exercises a greater love for God and others and fulfills God's purposes for her life.
True sanctification requires that believers maintain close personal companionship with Christ, participate in fellowship with other believers, devote themselves to prayer, obey God's word, be sensitive to God's presence and care, love what is right and hate what is wicked and wrong, put sin to death, submit to God's discipline, and continue to obey and be filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Such an awareness should characterize all believer's lives, as they present themselves to God as living sacrifices, reserved for His purpose and honor. As a result, they receive from the Holy Spirit the needed grace, purity, power and victory to live holy lives pleasing to God. God, the Father, delights in transforming sinners into saints - "holy ones" - so as to have a pure and blameless bride for His son, Jesus.
I'm beginning to see the process of sanctification that God has been doing in my life. My relationship with Him has grown so much and I am loving every second of it. He's been revealing to me different things about the woman He has called me to be and what He has planned for me. I have no idea what all that entails, but I am enjoying every second of it. Though I must add that this process has been painless. God has been revealing areas of weakness and showing me things that I need to get rid of. It hasn't been easy, but it IS worth it! God has something HUGE in store for me. :D This is going to be a beautiful journey.
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