Your Inheritance through Christ-Sanctification

A part of our inheritance that was given to us through the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is sanctification. What exactly is sanctification? When we break down what sanctification means we can determine that it is the process of a person or thing being set apart and purified to be used by God for His intended purpose.

The fact that our Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect life without sin and shed His blood on the cross at Calvary is what gives us the ability to live a sanctified life. We are washed and cleansed by the tremendous power of the blood of Christ, Hebrews 13:12. Sanctification is an ongoing process that begins the moment that you accept Jesus into your heart and life.

The Greek Word for sanctify is “agiázo” which means to make holy. God’s Word is clear about how He wants us to live our Christian life. 1 Peter 1:16 reveals, “Because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Jesus’ blood has the power that we need to make us holy. This is one of the many benefits that we have been given as a part of our inheritance as children of God.

The thing is, in order for this transformation to take place we have to be willing to let go of everything that we used to be that doesn’t line up with God’s purpose for our lives. We have to remember that He created us in His image (Genesis 1:27) so the more we strive to renew and transform our minds (Romans 12:2), the more we will have a mind like Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

This is definitely not something that is going to take place overnight but will continue on as you live your life dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth, John 16:13. Think about it this way; the Lord has to remove all of the dirt and grime called sin that has been built up in your heart and mind over the years. That kind of conversion is not an easy process for anyone.

I know for me when I first got saved and delivered by the power of Jesus, I had a mouth that could make a sailor blush, I drank alcohol like a fish, and I had a heart that needed healing. He found me in the gutter, cleansed me, purified me with pure water (Hebrews 10:22), and I am still going through the sanctification process daily as we all will.

We will all fall short of the glory of God and we can see this fact in the Word of God. Romans 3:23 details, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The good news is that once you become a Christian you now have the power of God (the Holy Spirit) living on the inside of you giving you the strength that you need to overcome the temptation of sin when it comes your way, Acts 1:8.

We can see passages of Scripture in the Old Testament and the New Testament that helps us determine whether or not we are heading in the right direction for our sanctification process:

Leaving behind you old ways-2 Corinthians 5:17

Refraining from going back to the sin that you came out of-Proverbs 26:11

Hate sin and what is evil-Romans 12:9

Walk by the Spirit of God-Galatians 5:16

These are just a few verses of Scripture that we can lean on as an outline to ensure that we are heading in the right direction. We have to keep in mind that you are going to face spiritual warfare because the devil is not going to just let you go easily. You are going to be faced with the temptation to sin considering the fact that your sanctification process doesn’t make you sinless; it makes you blameless in the eyes of God.

That is why it is imperative that you remain in the Lord’s Word, studying it, and applying it to your life. That allows you to have the Scriptures embedded in your heart paired with the power of the blood of Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit to triumph over the tactics of the enemy!

One thing that I realized when I first got saved was that the devil was coming at me ten times stronger. The fact that I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart and life was the first step to my salvation and sanctification but it also alerted the enemy and his kingdom that I was no longer his.

The battle became real and I had to renew my entire mindset by the Word of God day and night. The Apostle Paul makes it plain and clear when he details in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” God’s Word is your literal Sword that will slice though the schemes and the wiles of the devil.

The thing is you have to learn how to use it. Your Holy Bible will do you no good if it stays closed. You have to read and study it every single day because the fact of matter is that the more Scriptures you have in your memory bank, the more artillery you will have against the devil and his kingdom.

Jesus Christ Himself used the Lord’s Word against the enemy when he came at Him (Matthew 4:4) how much more do we need to use the Scriptures when the devil attacks. The reason that this is so important for your sanctification process is because the enemy wants to hinder your progress by being a stumbling block in any way that he can.

Once you realize that you cannot clean yourself up within your own human strength but you need the washing of God’s Word, your consecration will be made much easier. The grace of God is what is allowing you the opportunity to sanctify yourself and change from your old ways and walk in the newness of life as a believer of Jesus Christ.

God’s grace does not give you the green light to stay living in your sin as we can see this fact revealed in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Romans 6:1-2 details, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” God is not mocked and knows your heart meaning that He knows if you are truly trying to live for Him or not. So, what should our goal be in regards to this sanctification process?

I am going to go over the passage of Scripture that will disclose this very thing.