Our Refinement and Growth as Christians

The Doctrine of Sanctification

Through faith in Christ, believers are justified, or declared righteous before God, which sets them on a journey to walk with God. However, God’s people do not have to figure out how to live for God on their own. God’s Holy Spirit securely seals believers as God’s children, lives within them, and illuminates Scripture so they can understand God’s truth. Fellow believers are unified because the same Spirit also lives within them. The Holy Spirit embeds a divine desire and power within believers to resist sin, obey God, and increasingly grow to be like Jesus. 

Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit sets the believer apart to live for God rather than sin and self. This progressive and ongoing growth in holiness offers evidence of the transformative new life God plants within His children.1 The Holy Spirit’s sanctifying power draws a believer to pray, feed on God’s Word, and thrive through fellowship with other believers. Serving God and others becomes not a duty but a delight. Seeking God and His glory permeates every aspect of life.2 

The inevitable ups and downs in a believer’s life seem random without understanding God’s gracious process of sanctification. Without recognizing God’s purposeful commitment to our spiritual growth, suffering appears only painful. The joys of life seem like brief, unplanned moments rather than God’s gracious gifts to express His faithfulness. The Holy Spirit helps believers realize God’s purposefulness to orchestrate their lives and prepare them for heaven. 

The process of sanctification can be painful but is always profitable for the believer. When we recognize God’s tender cultivation for our greater good, we cannot take credit for any blessings or spiritual growth we experience. A growing believer welcomes the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin and empowerment to obey. God not only made a way for His children to enter heaven but sent His own Spirit to transform their hearts as they walk on earth. Sanctification ushers God’s presence and power into believers’ lives to bring hope, help, and holiness.

1. Growing in Christ: Romans 6; 8:1-17; 12:1-2
2. Seeking God’s glory: 1 Corinthians 10:31; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 5:8; Colossians 3:1-17

Resource: Bible Study Fellowship, People of Promise: Kingdom Divided, Lesson 17, The Gospel of John