Confidence in God’s Work of Sanctification

The book of Philippians is a letter written by Paul and Timothy to the
Christians in Philippi. There are many uplifting verses and passages in
this letter, and many Christians choose one of the verses in Philippians as
a favorite. The reason Philippians 1:6 is my favorite verse (not only in
this book but in the whole Bible) is because it assures me that God is able
to sanctify me and He is faithful to continue sanctifying me.

.

Being sanctified means becoming more and more like Jesus.
Sanctification isn’t something that we can do on our own if we just try
hard enough or long enough. Like we can’t save ourselves, we also can’t
sanctify ourselves. I love how Paul expressed confidence in God—not in
himself or anyone else—to sanctify the Philippian believers. Yes, Paul knew
that his preaching and teaching were important for their growth, but he
recognized that he couldn’t force them to grow. God is the only One who can
accomplish the work in our lives we call growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-8)! His
Holy Spirit lives inside everyone who has put their trust in Jesus,
transforming us to become more and more like our loving Savior (2
Corinthians 3:18).

.

It’s sometimes frustrating when we don’t see growth in our lives. We might
feel like God isn’t working hard enough or fast enough to make us more like
Jesus. But the reality is that the work God is doing in our hearts won’t be
finished until Jesus returns to raise us from the dead and restore His
creation, finally freeing us from sin and its effects. Until that day,
sanctification is a moment-by-moment process that lasts an entire lifetime.
Yet, just as we have trusted God to save us from our sins, we can also
trust Him to sanctify us. • Grace McCready

.

• Are you ever frustrated with yourself for failing to live like you know a
Christian should? How can remembering God’s promises of forgiveness through
Jesus, and sanctification through the Holy Spirit, give you hope?

.

• Read 2 Corinthians 3:18, Philippians 1:9-11, Galatians 5:22-25, and
Ephesians 3:20-21. How can we follow Jesus while relying on the Holy
Spirit’s power at work within us?

.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will
continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus
returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Philippians 1:1-Philippians 1:11; 1Thess:5:23-1Thess:5:24