In the first book by the Apostle Peter, God said, “You shall be holy for I am holy” (1Peter 1:13-16). How can God expect us to be holy? After all, He saved us from our un-holiness! He is righteous and holy and His WORD declares: “Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:10-12).
God is committed to the task of conforming you to the image and character of Jesus. We are God’s handy work. He is the great potter who molds and shapes us into His image. As we take on the character attributes of Jesus who is grace and truth, we go from being declared righteous to possessing righteousness. This transformation process in the Bible is called sanctification. It is the process of being set apart unto God by the Spirit to grow out of sin and more fully into Christ. “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through, and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:22-24).
This is a three-stage process by which He sets us apart for His purposes. Stage one occurs at the moment of our salvation. We are justified. ”We have gained access by faith”. Because of the perfect life Jesus lived and His perfect sacrifice on the cross, we are declared righteous. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Stage two is a lifelong process. The Father has predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, and He is continually working to shape our conduct, character, and conversation. Although God is the one who accomplishes the transformation, we have some responsibility in the process. We start with humility. We admit we cannot do life without Him. We allow God to soften our hearts so we can be teachable. God transforms us through our minds. As we focus on God’s goodness, His favor, and His promises with unwavering faith and devout gratitude, we grow and change. He gave His best to us and He wants the same in return. He wants your very best. All that you want out of life will be yours when you get in alignment with God’s purpose for you and believe it with all of your heart, mind and strength.
In the third and final stage we find ourselves in ultimate perfection. We will possess absolute holiness. Upon our physical death, the soul and spirit are freed from sin, and in the resurrection, our bodies will be made perfect. We will stand faultless and spotless before Christ. We will be in full possession of holiness and fully transformed.
God is working towards your ultimate perfection in every area of your life right now. God is sanctifying you through and through. All growth in your relationships issues and even growth in emotional turmoil are working out your salvation – it is spiritual growth because growth is all connected. Every area of your life in body, soul, and spirit are connected therefore all growth is spiritual growth when done and viewed in a biblical way.
Examine your view of how spiritual growth and real life are connected. Is there a disconnect between your real life and the life you have with God?
God is committed to the task of conforming you to the image and character of Jesus. We are God’s handy work. He is the great potter who molds and shapes us into His image.
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