Sanctification
Be holy as I am holy!
The goal of the Christian life is to become as much like Jesus Christ as we possibly can during our brief time on this earth. This is the goal of biblical counseling—to help our counselees become like Jesus! Imagine how we would all change if we surrendered every part of our life to Him, if we loved and served the people in our life the way He did, if we shared the Gospel without hesitation, fear, or embarrassment every chance we get.
Verses for study:
Sanctification
Romans 6:19: "For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification."
1 Thessalonians 5:23: "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."
2 Timothy 2:21: "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work."
1 Corinthians 1:30: "And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption."
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion. For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification. Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”
Be holy
1 Peter 1:13-21: As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Leviticus 19:2: to the sons of Israel
Numbers 25:4: execute the leaders of Israel in broad daylight
Proverbs 11:20: The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their walk are His delight.
Galatians 6:1: "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well."
1 Timothy 4:7-8: "But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.":
Titus 2:14: "[Christ Jesus] who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."
2 Peter 3:10-13: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.
Do not love the world
1 John 2:15-17: Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.
Repentance for sanctification
1 John 1:5-2:2: if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 51: “Against You, You only, I have sinned.”
2 Samuel 12:13: Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8: For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion. For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification. Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
1 Peter 2:1-3: Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
Revelation 2:1-7: But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
Revelation 3:19-22: Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore, be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me
2 Samuel 12:13: Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Psalm 32: “I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt; I said, ‘I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord’; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Psalm 38:1-8: “do not rebuke me in your wrath, and do not punish me in your burning anger”
Do not conform but be transformed
Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Persevere; stand firm; endure
Hebrews 12:1-3: Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 2:1-4: For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
Hebrews 6:10-12: And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises.
Abiding; bearing fruit
John 15:1-17: the vine and the branches
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Luke 8:11-15: parable of the sower
Luke 6:43-45: For there is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit.
Isaiah 37:31: The survivors that are left of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. (Love this imagery!)
Ezekiel 47:12: “They will bear fruit every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”
Matthew 12:33-35: “’Either assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things.’”
Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 12:49-53: “’Who is My mother, and who are My brothers? For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.’”
Luke 14:25-33: “’If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.’”
Deny yourself; take up your cross
Luke 9:23-27: “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.”
Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Matthew 10:32-33: “’Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.’”
Matthew 10:34-39: “’The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.
Matthew 19:21-22; Mark 10:17-27 Luke 18:18-27: “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.”
The Great Commandment
Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:28-31: “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Obedience (commanded by God); keeping His commandments; righteous character
John 14:15: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
2 Corinthians 10:6: we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ
James 1:22-25: But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does.
1 John 2:3-6: By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him
1 John 5:1-5: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and follow His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
Commands | Blessings
Acts 5:29: But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
Proverbs 21:2: “Every person’s way is right in his own eyes, gut the Lord examines the hearts.”
Exodus 19:5-8: if you obey, I will bless you
Leviticus 18:3-4: follow God not the false gods from the nation around them
Deuteronomy 28:15-20: Curses for not obeying the Lord
John 4:31-34: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.”
Psalm 84:11: “He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.”
Proverbs 11:1: A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.
Examples of obedience and its consequences
Genesis 6:22: Noah obeyed and built the ark
Genesis 12:4-5: Abram obeyed and left Haran for Canaan
Genesis 39:6-10: Joseph with Potiphar’s wife
Genesis 41: Joseph made second in command and saved the world from famine
Numbers 14:29-44; 32:9-13: Caleb and Joshua not killed
1 Samuel 24:1-7: David refrained from killing Saul when he had the chance
Job 1:21-22; 2:9-10: “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job 31:1-6,9-12: Job’s integrity described
Job 42:10-17: God restored Job’s fortunes, doubling everything he owned.
Daniel 1: Daniel and his friend would not defile themselves in the land
Daniel 2: Daniel interprets the kings dreams and is greatly rewarded
Examples of disobedience and its consequences
1 Samuel 4:11: Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died
Jonah 1:1-3; 2:3-10: But Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship that was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and boarded it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.
Genesis 3:7-11: God confronted Adam and Eve after they sinned
Genesis 4:9-12: God confronted Cain after he killed his brother
Genesis 19:27-29: Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed
Genesis 45:1-3,9: Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and had to admit to their father what they had done
Exodus 2:14-15: Moses confronted and driven out of Egypt for murder
Numbers 20:12: God confronted Moses and Aaron, not letting them enter the Promised Land
Numbers 32:23: Moses said to the Israelites: “be sure your sin will find you out.
Liberty; freedom in Christ
Romans 14: Christian liberty
1 Peter 2:16: Act as free people, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond-servants of God.
1 Corinthians 6:12: All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
Colossians 2:16-23: Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day.
Trust in the Lord; faith; belief
Proverbs 3:5-7: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
2 Corinthians 5:6-10: for we walk by faith, not by sight
Hebrews 11:1-6: Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11: hall of faith
James 1:5-8: But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.
Psalm 118:8-9: trust in the Lord rather than people
Psalm 146:3-5: trust in the Lord rather than people
Isaiah 26:3-4: “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. ‘Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.’”
Isaiah 31:1-3: “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!”
Isaiah 50:10: “Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”
Jeremiah 17:5-8: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose trust is the Lord. “For he will be like a tree planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream, and does not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit”
Matthew 17:19-21: “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?” And He said to them, “Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’”
Matthew 21:20-22: “’Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and cast into the sea,” it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive it all.’”
Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:11-15: the bleeding woman healed because of her faith
Mark 9:20-29: “I do believe; help my unbelief!” (from the man who asked Jesus to heal his son from demon possession)
Mark 11:22-24: “And Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted to him. Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you.”
Romans 1:8-10: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the world.
Lack of faith
Matthew 14:30-33: But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out with His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 16:8: But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?
Genesis 16:2: Abram with Hagar
Exodus 4:14: Moses doubting God
Judges 6:36-40: Gideon’s fleece
1 Samuel 8:4-9,19-20: the people asked for a human king to be like the nations around them
Matthew 8:23-27: “And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!’ He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’”
Article: Past, Present, and Future Sanctification by Bryan Carlson
The Bible describes the concept of sanctification in terms of past, present, and future aspects. Sanctification is defined as: “set apart for a divine purpose, consecrated” (Faith notes 121). “Its primary meaning is the idea of separation in consecration and devotion to the service of God. With this is connected the idea that what is set aside from the world for God should also separate itself from the world’s defilement and share in God’s purity” (Berkhof 528). Grudem defines past sanctification as "a decisive break with the power and love of sin, and a setting apart unto God for a life of increasingly holy living" (Grudem, 744). Present sanctification refers to "a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives" (Grudem, 746). Future sanctification is "the completion of the work of sanctification in the lives of Believers, when we are finally and fully freed from the presence and influence of sin and made perfectly holy in the presence of Christ" (Grudem, 747).
Past sanctification refers to the moment of conversion when a person is justified and becomes a new creation in Christ and is set apart for God's purposes. "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). This is a once-for-all event and is the starting point for the Christian life. It is often referred to as positional sanctification and is also described in passages such as 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Hebrews 10:10.
Present sanctification is an ongoing process that involves the Believer cooperating with the Holy Spirit to grow in holiness and become more like Christ. "And we all are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Present sanctification refers to the ongoing process of being made holy by God. This is a lifelong process of growth and transformation as the Holy Spirit works in the Believer's life. It is a gradual process of becoming more and more like Christ in thought, word, and deed. “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).
Future sanctification refers to the Believer's ultimate glorification when we are fully conformed to the image of Christ and are freed from the presence of sin. "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 Thessalonians 5:23). This will occur when Christ returns and the Believer is resurrected and receives a new, perfect body. This aspect of sanctification is described in passages such as Romans 8:29 and 1 John 3:2.
In biblical counseling, understanding the concepts of past, present, and future sanctification is crucial for helping individuals to understand their identity in Christ and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. These biblical concepts provide a framework for understanding the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ and the ultimate goal of being fully conformed to his image. By recognizing that sanctification is a process that begins with salvation and continues throughout a Believer's life, counselors can help their counselees to understand their identity in Christ and the role of the Holy Spirit in their ongoing transformation. Ultimately, this understanding of sanctification can help individuals to live a life of increasing holiness and honor to God, as outlined in Titus 2:11-14: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus…to purify for Himself a people for His own possession.”
Faith Biblical Counseling, ACBC Exam Track 5, 121.
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, New Com. Ed., 527-544.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 744-758.
Article: Faith in Relation to Justification and Sanctification by Bryan Carlson
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the confident trust and belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It involves acknowledging the truth of who Jesus is and what he has done and relying on him alone for salvation. “Saving faith is trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God” (Grudem, p. 710, IBCD).
A right standing with God has always come as a result of faith. “Abraham was justified not by his own righteousness but by faith in the promised Messiah. “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’” (Galatians 3:8). “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:14).
Faith and justification are closely related in that justification is God's declaration that a sinner is righteous based on their faith in Jesus. In other words, faith is the instrument through which we receive justification. Romans 3:28 says, "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." This verse makes it clear that justification is not based on our good works or obedience to the law, but on our faith in Jesus. Justification is based on the work of Jesus Christ and is the response of God to repentant faith where God makes a legal declaration that His children are forgiven of sin and possess His own righteousness. “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:3-7). Faith in Christ is portrayed as acceptance of His full atonement for sin (1 John 2:2; 3:5; Rev. 5:9). Paul makes a clear case in the book of Romans that we are justified through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All mankind were unrighteous sinners, deserving of death and eternal separation from God in Hell—our sin made us unholy and caused us to fall short of His glory. Hopeless and helpless, God in His grace sent His Son to pay the penalty for sin (Romans 3:10, 23; 5;12; 6:23; 5:8; Ephesians 1:3-8). Justified means “to be made right.” We are “right” before God when we have trusted Christ for the forgiveness of our sin and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raise Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). All we have to do is accept this free gift He offered. What amazing grace.
Faith also has a relationship to sanctification, which is the ongoing process of becoming more like Jesus and growing in holiness. While justification is instantaneous and legal, sanctification is progressive, continuous, and gradual (Roy 29). Justification is 100% God (as is glorification); sanctification is symbiotic with both God and man. “Sanctification is a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ is our actual lives” (Grudem 746). Sanctification is enabled after placing faith in Christ because now our heart motivation for growing in holiness is properly ordered (IBCD). Faith in Jesus leads to a transformation of the heart and a change in behavior, as people are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live lives pleasing to God. As Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Titus 3:5 and Eph. 2:8-9 make it clear that I cannot be justified by my own good deeds and that my good deeds are as filthy rags before a holy God. However, my good deeds prove my faith through the process of sanctification. According to James faith without works is dead. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Genuine faith produces good works.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 722-735, 746-758.
Don Roy, IBCD, ACBC Theology Exam Study Guide, 29.
Article: The Synergistic Nature of Sanctification and the Relationship Between God’s Grace and Moral Effort in the Christian Life by Bryan Carlson
Sanctification is defined as: “set apart for a divine purpose, consecrated” (Faith notes 121). God’s grace is defined as "the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God shown to sinners" (Grudem 200). Moral effort in the Christian life is defined as "the conscious and sustained effort to obey God's will, to conform one's thoughts, words, and actions to the moral law, and to seek to please him in all things" (Grudem 764). Synergistic is defined as both God and man at work.
The doctrine of sanctification in Christianity teaches that Believers are being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This transformation involves both a progressive growth in holiness and a definite change in the moral and ethical character of the Believer. Sanctification is the work of God's grace in the lives of Believers, who are set apart for God's use. The Holy Spirit indwells Believers and empowers us to live a life pleasing to God. Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9 make it clear that we cannot be justified by our own good deeds and that our good deeds are as filthy rags before a holy God. We are justified through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who being God in flesh, lived a perfect life in our place, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the grave conquering death and Hell forever, and ascended into Heaven where He intercedes daily on behalf of His saints (1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts1:9; Romans 8:34). We are all unrighteous sinners, deserving of death and eternal separation from God in Hell—our sin made us unholy and caused us to fall short of His glory. Hopeless and helpless, God in His grace sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sin. Grace is a gift that cannot be earned or deserved but is freely given by God out of his love for humanity, despite our sinful nature (Romans 3:10-18, 23; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Though salvation is a gift from God, received through faith in Jesus Christ, and that it is God who works in us to will and to do his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13), the Bible also calls on Believers to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) and to pursue holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). James 2:17 says, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." This passage teaches that faith in Jesus Christ is not just a mental assent to certain truths, but it must be accompanied by action and good works. Good works are a necessary evidence of true faith in Jesus Christ, and they demonstrate that a person's faith is genuine and not just an intellectual belief. In addition, James 2:24 says, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." This verse reinforces the idea that faith must be accompanied by works in order to be considered genuine faith. It is through our obedience to God and our good works that we demonstrate our faith in Him and our commitment to following Him. Scripture provides examples cooperating with God's grace in our own sanctification. For instance, in Romans 12:1-2, Paul urges Believers to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so we can prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. In 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul writes, "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." This verse shows the active role that Believers must play in the process of sanctification, cooperating with the grace of God to pursue holiness.
This synergistic relationship between God's grace and the Believer's moral effort is the key to understanding the doctrine of sanctification in the Bible. We are saved by grace alone, but our faith in Jesus Christ must be demonstrated by our obedience and good works. Just as faith is necessary for justification, good works are necessary for sanctification and the ongoing growth in our Christian life. Through faith in Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, Believers are empowered to pursue holiness and to grow in their likeness to Christ.
In a counseling situation, we must remind our counselees that moral effort involves a conscious and sustained effort to obey God's will, which requires conforming one's thoughts, words, and actions to the will of God. The goal of moral effort is to glorify God in all things. The moral effort of mankind emphasizes the importance of intentional and ongoing obedience to God's will as a key aspect of the Christian life. Believers are called to respond to God's grace by putting forth effort to live a holy life. This involves making a deliberate choice to turn away from sin and to follow God's commands. In practical terms, this means that sanctification is not simply a matter of passive surrender to God but of active cooperation with the Holy Spirit in the work of transformation. It requires both faith in the promises of God and the application of biblical principles to the daily choices and actions of life. “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
Faith Biblical Counseling, ACBC Exam Track 5, 121.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 200, 764.
Resources
“Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change” by Paul David Tripp
“Changed Into His Image” by Jim Berg
“Our Sufficiency in Christ” by John MacArthur
