Sanctification 101
Sanctification is the
process God calls Christians to endure in order that they might be conformed
into the image of Christ (Romans 9:21, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 2 Timothy 2:20,
Romans 8:29-39, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Hebrews
12:5-8). Once we are saved, God desires
truth in the inward parts (Psalms 51:6).
This does not happen automatically, it comes about as a result of our
obedience through sanctification. If you
do not choose to walk in sanctification and obedience after you become saved
then you choose to abide off the vine (John 15:1-8). This has consequences, not only will you be a
novice all your life (Hebrews 5:11-14, 1 Corinthians 3:2-3) in your
understanding and relationship with God, but you will be in danger of hearing
the words, “I never knew you, depart from me, you who work lawlessness”
(Matthew 7:23). In short, God requires sanctification in the
life of the individual believer (Revelation 3:18-21). Below I am going to outline an example of the
process of sanctification. There is no set way for God to sanctify a
believer, and I’m not advocating that.
All relationships are different and God uses many instruments, methods
and devices to sanctify His people.
Below is an outline I believe is edifying because I highlight the steps
that are common within God’s sanctification process. It is kind of like football. There are many different ways to score points
and succeed, but the rules are always the same no matter your approach. There are many different ways God chooses to
sanctify us, but you can expect these rules (or steps) to be common within any
process.
There are six steps within
the outline below, but we need to understand that although these processes or
steps build one on another, none of the steps are ever completed in our
lives. Once we have overcome a certain
step, we will go forward continuing to building on that step, or we will go
forward as a direct result of having become so familiar with the step that it
is now processed within our understanding.
To overcome a step does not mean you have attained that step… it simply means you know that step well
enough to consistently work through it.
It is like a job… you might have a job and you might know how to perform
that job… but it doesn’t mean you’re perfect at it. You are qualified to work that job and get
paid. I repeat, overcoming a step is not
attaining a step, it is more
like qualifying yourself so you can work within that step more securely and
efficiently. At the end of each step, I
will place some edifying highlights to hammer everything in. I also urge you to print out this
interpretation for easier reference. I
refer back and forth many times throughout the steps. My back and forth method can become confusing
if you don’t remember the previous steps covered. The reason I go back and forth referencing
the steps is because again, the steps are never
attained or finished they are only learned and then built upon.
Step #1 Prayer, Fasting and Giving
These are the foundations
of our faith in Christ and this is where we all begin. Jesus says in the bible, “when you
fast… when you pray… when you give… (Matthew 6:1-18).” These are absolutes that God expects us to
walk in. Prayer, which is spiritual
communion with God; Fasting, which becomes a spiritual breaking and undoing
process within ourselves; And Giving, which becomes Christ like giving, mostly
of ourselves and then of our income and possessions, is the lifestyle norm that
will not only usher us into walking in the Holy Spirit, but will help us gain a
solid foundation (Mark 4:20) where we can eventually become more fruitful for
God. As God disciplines (Hebrews
12:5-11, Revelation 3:19) us throughout this step, we will grow spiritually in
order to hear His voice and learn to discern His direction for us.
1.
If habitually practiced, one can excel within this
step through consistent repetition… thus establishing the relationship.
2.
Although we can excel, the step will need to be
applied over the duration of our lives.
This step lies at the core of our spiritual walk and is a foundation of
faith.
3.
Prayer, Fasting and Giving are like spiritual food
for the Christian so he can be strengthened for the marathon race of
sanctification.
Step #2 Hearing
and Obeying God
To hear and obey God is something
that will become discerned as you apply step #1 over
and over to your life. Step #1 will help you learn who God is, and will actually prepare you for
step #2. Because
you have humbled yourself and obeyed God through step #1, you are now walking in greater spiritual authority so when you do
hear God, you will obey (integrity).
Step #2 is an act of submission, so as you abide in step #1, step #2 will become more automatic because step #1 has prepared you to obey what you learn.
1.
Quick obedience is key during this step. If quick obedience is applied consistently
once humility is learned, one should please God within this step.
2.
This step can become tricky and will continue to
challenge the Christian. God will then
test your hearing on different levels, and in many different ways. If Step #1 is continuously practiced, then submission and
learning should become more natural, helping you to please God within this
step.
Step #3 Christ like Suffering
In volume one of my prophetic
interpretations I wrote an interpretation titled, “What is a Christians
Training?” As the result of
obedience, a Christian’s training is suffering.
If you want a deeper understanding of this concept, please refer to that
interpretation. Simply put, once you
obey God, and I mean truly spiritually obey Him, the result will be much
suffering (Hebrews 5:8, 1 Peter 4:1-2).
Do not deceive yourselves to think that since you go to church and pay
tithes that you are obeying God, this is not spiritual obedience. Spiritual obedience is doing what Jesus did
and said (John 13:13-17). To
(symbolically) wash others feet, to prefer others before yourself, to become a
servant to all, to cloth yourself with humility rather than pride, to minister
(help and give of yourself and of your income) to the oppressed, poor, feeble
and weak among you, to make yourself lower… to deny yourself and to take up
your cross and follow Him (Galatians 6:7-8)… and to absolutely obey your
conscience on every level (James 4:17).
Spiritual obedience is not the same as a monotonous routine or some
fleshly checklist that gives you a false sense of satisfaction. It is a life walk and spiritual relationship
toward your Lord and Master who has bought you with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20).
1.
Knowledge is key in this area. A lot of Christians don’t understand why they
must suffer. Knowledge will help you
leap this hurdle.
2.
Once you accept your fate, you will continue to
struggle with this step. Securely
receiving the truth that Christ has called you to suffer will take much time
and tears in order for you to learn.
This step, combined with step #2, prepares you for God’s purging fires.
Steps #2 and #3 then merge
to become
one step – Hearing God and consequently Obeying and Suffering now become a
cycle - “God’s Purging Fires”
From here on out, it gets
a bit confusing… though I will try and keep it simple. It is really like the chicken and the egg at
this point. What came first? Well, they’re the same… just at different
phases or different developments of growth.
Once you have shown yourself worthy in these areas, consistently, the
two steps merge to become one. Once you
learn to hear God (discern), and then consequently obey, you won’t know where
your suffering begins and where your obedience ends. It will all become one big blur. All you will know is that you are in “a
state” of both obeying and suffering.
The more you obey the more you suffer… and the more you suffer the more
you will realize that you need to obey (Hebrews 5:8).” This is “the place” where God has ordained to
change you, this is “the place” where you’re tried and this is “the place”
where God shadows you in His Hand. I
could go on and on but I’ll spare you.
God has worked very hard, through steps #1-3, to
get you to “this place” so He can work in you.
As a Christian, this is where you now live. This is going to be your new home for
awhile. This is where God WILL change you (Revelation
3:18-21). Simply put… Steps 2+3 merged now become His purging fires of discipline (Hebrews 12:5-10, 1
Peter 4:1-2)!!!
Now, we’re not done in
this place. In order to become
successful in step 2+3, we will also need to learn two other steps while
still abiding in step 2+3. The second step is the actual process of step
2+3, which becomes Step #5. But before we can be successful here, we need
to receive salt and endurance through step #4. By default, our fleshly sinning ways will
want to skip step #4. I
will further outline this and then you will hopefully understand.
Step #4 is a spiritual endurance process that allows us to
strengthen (season) our character as well as our inner-man so we can endure step # 5. We will
have a great fleshly desire to go right to step # 5 though, because we want to please God… but we will be
unsuccessful at step #
5 until we become fruitful in step #4.
Step #4 The Endurance and the Salting
Now again, most are going
to go right by this step and go right to step # 5, but
God is going to, after your failures at step # 5, lead you
back here (again and again) so you can endure and be salted (Hebrews
10:36). It is kind of like, before
moving forward, you need to take two steps back. This saying applies here. You are truly going to need to learn to step
back so you can go forward. Step # 4 is endurance. Trust me, you
need to endure so you can survive step # 5. Step # 4 basically
becomes training for step
# 5.
During step #
4, you will have God break the
process, and you, down. It will become a
slow.. slow… slow….. slow…….. slow……………. slow…………………………………..wait process, and
here, you will learn a lot about yourself.
You will learn a lot about small obedience’s and you will learn a lot
about denying yourself and taking up your cross and following Him (Zechariah
4:10, Matthew 16:24). This will be a
time where God shows you to you. It has
often been said that God tests us, not because He doesn’t know the outcome, but
because He desires to teach us our outcome.
God is going to show you your failures, your strongholds… your sin. He is going to show you so much that you are
not going to want to see anymore. He
wants to break you in this place (Matthew 21:44), because He desires to bless
you. God desires that you overcome, but
He needs a humble vessel to honor so that, by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6), you
will overcome. God’s process in step # 4 is to create a workable vessel so step # 5 will
be a success. The reason that we want to
skip step # 4 for step # 5 is because
we want to quickly please God through the purging process. But the thing we cannot see is that step # 5 isn’t quick or easy, and we will never be successful in step # 5 by our own understanding or strength.
When we attempt to go straight there right after step # 2+3, we have transitioned to this step in our own
strength (zeal), and not by His Spirit.
For this reason, we must take a step back in order to learn step # 4… so when we do advance to step # 5, we do so not in our own strength (zeal), but by the power and honor
of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 9:49-50
For every one shall be salted with fire, and every
sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have
lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
If you look at the last
part of this verse, it says to have salt in yourselves is to have peace. God wants us secure. Secure people are those who have peace with
one another. As God seasons or “salts”
us with His fire, or when He compares our obedient submissions to His Spiritual
ways, we are rubbing against His righteousness.
This proves us, but also conforms us as it tries us. God is basically saying, “when I measure you,
including whatever you happen to be doing for Me, will it add up; and even if
it doesn’t, will you endure until it does (Revelation 11:1-2, Zechariah 4:10,
Amos 7:8)?” The great thing about this
process is it makes us very humble and secure (1
Corinthians 4:3-4). God seasoning us
with His fire and salting our obedient sacrifices with His salt will break us down
and show us ourselves. It is almost like
a marinating process where our spirit becomes marinated by God’s Spirit Himself
(Holy Spirit). In this place… we endure
and when we do, we learn a lot about ourselves and the process on a discerned
spiritual level. We fully accept who we
are (wretched sinners), and as we transition through step # 5, we will become overcomers. We will become secure enough not to judge
others so we actually do have peace.
Step # 4 will enable us to endure and will expose us (humble
us), so we see ourselves for who we really are, so that we will have the right
attitude toward the cleansing process of step # 5
(Psalms 12:6). This will create humility
that God will seek to bless during step # 5 (1 Peter
5:5). With this level headedness,
discernment into His ways and humility… we will be at peace and will not become
deceived or discouraged as we continue through step # 5. It is important as we
continue into step #
5, that we have the right focus and
seasoning (within us). Step # 5 is the method or vehicle of the actual purging process so we
need all the security and all the humility we can muster in order to be focused
to “stay in His fire.”
1.
Step # 4 is more of a process of testing through
both learning and waiting, whereas
2.
Step # 5 is more of a process of testing through
both implementation, and impartation.
Step #5 The Purging Process
Psalm 12
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth,
purified seven times.
Proverbs 25:4
Take away the
dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
The purifying process of
God is a cleansing process. The above
verse describes silver being tried in a furnace seven times. Silver or gold is purged of dross so it will
become more pure. These medals are put
in the fire and as a result, the dross comes to the surface (1 Peter 1:6-7,
4:12-13). You will have tasted of this
process a little during Step # 4, while God was revealing
you to you… but that process didn’t cleans you, it humbled you. Now, you will exercise yourself fully within
this cleansing process as a humble (and workable) vessel. Step # 5 is God’s
desire for the Christian and this step becomes both the implementation and the
honoring of God (through God’s impartation).
As God purges our faith and our flesh in His fire of trials and
tribulations, our sins and iniquities, like dross, come to the surface so that
we, as Christians, can identify them through both Godly sorrow and repentance
(2 Corinthians 7:10). It is a scooping
away of ourselves. I would like to
outline the fire process to make it easier to understand.
1.
God
will bring fire through trials and tribulations to bring your dross (fleshly
fruits) to the surface.
2.
This allows you, and sometimes others, to
consciously see the sin. This humbles
you to the truth, and reveals your need to face it.
3.
Through prayer and action (fasting is also good)
Godly sorrow is produced against this sin.
This will begin the confession process.
4.
This confession process will sometimes take time,
sometimes it won’t. Some sins are purged
almost immediately (God’s grace) whereas others are left in place to humble us
throughout the process (God’s grace working us through the process). Remember, God knows you are a sinner, and
your sin is not something new to Him.
The process is what is important.
It becomes your dedication to His process that He seeks to
honor. Stick with His process and
His Grace will see you through.
5.
Repentance is actually a spiritual impartation of
the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 2:25, Hebrews 6:6, 12:17). When the confession process has produced
Godly sorrow within our heart, repentance becomes the conformation of His Holy
Spirit working in you. The breaking of
sin in your life is only done by the power of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah
10:27). True repentance becomes the
honoring impartation of the Holy Spirit.
If you want to understand what your part is within repentance, it is
your faithfulness to endure His process which leads to repentance.
If you truly understand
what I have mentioned in this section, you will understated you cannot combat
the deep sin struggle/strongholds in your life until you first learn to become
salted during step #
4.
Simply put, unless you gain saltiness and endurance through step # 4, step # 5 will simply eat you up and spit you out. Step # 4 is probably
the longest… most consistent and important part of your Christian walk; it
humbles you (because you can’t suffer other steps until you learn to abide in
what step # 4 taught you).
Step # 5 requires a steadfastness of spirit; it also
requires an honestly within ourselves and a level of spiritual maturity which
only humility can bring. This is done so
you won’t jump back into the flesh during the process. The overwhelming actions that disqualify us
during step # 5 are jumping back into the flesh and not having a
willingness (because we’re proud) to endure spiritually (we give up because we
think we’re justified).
Step #6 The Fruits of the Spirit
You guessed it, the fruits
are last. Step # 6 is a step of maturity because only mature Christians produce mature
fruit!
Galatians 5:22-25
But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are
Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in
the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit
On a tree, fruit is the
last thing that develops. First the
roots, then the trunk, then the branches, then the leaves and then the
fruit. Fruit is the last thing you can
expect to see become produced. Although
we will have miniature spiritual fruits during our early walk, actual fruits or
“maturities within the Spirit” will not become produced and overflowing until
we overcome the fullness of the sanctification process (all the steps). Without learning and overcoming within the
sanctification process in its entirety, any miniature spiritual fruits we do
produce will simply become consumed within our fleshly habits and desires. Basically, our fleshly fruits will overcome
and within time, will simply choke out any miniature spiritual fruits we
produced (Mark 4:7).
Step # 6, is similar to Steps # 4 and # 5… it is applied in order to endure within God’s
purging fires. At this point, God’s
purging fires, or step 2+3, actually becomes a lifetime furnace of
afflictions to try us for the rest of our lives. Since God has already established His methods
in us (steps 1-5, including step 2+3), this new and improved furnace will be nothing new. Steps 1-5 were actually
our schooling to cleanse us and to show us our old man (Ephesians
4:17-24). Now as we endure throughout
the rest of our lives within this new furnace, which becomes step # 6, we will need to refer back to what we learned in school so that our
step # 6 will continually be fruitful.
There is actually a unique
method or process to this new lifetime furnace (step # 6).
Luke 17:5-6
And
the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase
our faith. And the Lord said, If ye
had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree,
Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should
obey you.
A mustard seed doesn’t
stop, and it is persistent (Luke 18:1-8).
A mustard seed planted in the earth will become a perennial plant,
meaning the root system stays in place but the actual plant blooms and dies
every summer and winter. This means in
the summer the plant is full of fruit, but by winter it has already died; yet
the roots remain mature and active underground.
Actually, the more seasons the mustard plant is able to endure, the
deeper and more mature the root system becomes.
Sound familiar? We as obedient
Christians are maturely rooted in God, but every year we have seasons of faith
that try us… but during these seasons we erupt with faith, which in turn yields
Spiritual fruits within us (Bob Sorge pg. 228-230).
The importance of the
mustard seed, with regard to Step # 6, is the
resilience and the fact it is seasonal.
Basically, a new battle begins every year. Step # 6 becomes a
transformation from learning the ways of God (steps 1-5, including step 2+3), to practicing it in holiness for the rest of our lives (step #6). Our lifetime furnace will fire-up
anew every year, but will also die down so we can spiritually regroup and
gather ourselves (re-fertilize – Luke 13:8).
The fruits of the Spirit erupt as a manifestation of the Spirit within
us. Please don’t misunderstand this
mystery. Fruit is simply the
manifestation coming about as a result of the fiery season, but any spiritual
fruit produced is the result of the Holy Spirit within us, and our abiding in
it. Someone who has not learned to abide
in Jesus during (steps 1-5,
including step 2+3) will not produce Spiritual fruit in their fiery
season, abiding in their flesh they will produce fleshly fruits. Basically, fruits become the produce, or
manifestation, of the vessel.
Matthew 7:17-20
Even so every good tree bringeth
forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast
into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
We must remember it takes
a long time to learn to faithfully abide in Jesus and an even longer time to
gain unto perfection (Philippians 3:12-21).
Just like a child, it takes a long time to mature, but an even longer
time to age. Steps 1-5 bring us into a steadfastness, wisdom and patience… but Step # 6 becomes the aging process which yields yearly spiritual fruit for the
rest of our lives. Once we settle into
step # 6, we are to allow the learning of our past, as well
as the aging of our present and future, to settle us down into the perfect will
of God (1 Peter 5:10).
Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
Last Admonishment
So just to recap. You will learn and abide in step 1,2 and 3. Once you
are familiar with all these steps, steps 2 and 3 merge into one step called
step 2 + 3. It is within step 2 + 3 (as
you abide in it) that you will learn steps 4 and 5. Once you have shown yourself diligent in all
the steps… step 2 + 3 will eventually dissolve and will become step 6 (it’s the
same process just a different level of maturity – it’s more advanced). While
abiding in step 6, you will age as a Christian for the duration of your
life. Just so you can understand a
timeline for all these things (to put things into perspective). It will take the better part of 15 years just
to become salted (in step 4) so you can faithfully abide in step 5. From here, getting purged in step 5 can take
another 15 years (maybe 20). This means
you will not realistically abide in step 6 until after 35 years of solid
Christianity. After 35 years you should
be mature enough to know the ways of God so that you can maturely produce
spiritual fruit in your fiery season.
Don’t be deceived. I have been worshiping
God in spirit and in truth for over 14 years, and currently I am in step 4 and
still learning how to stay in step 5 (and not jump back into the flesh). I am probably a good 15 years from securely
and maturely abiding in step 6. To
attain in God takes time. All that
matters is you are faithful to endure this process (overcome). If the Lord happens to take you home and you
only make it to step 2… then God will be pleased you advanced (overcame) from
step 1 to step 2. Attaining has never
been the focus for the Christian (Philippians 3:12). We are called to overcome. Overcoming is about the journey… not the
destination.
Revelation 3:21
To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his
throne.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-7
Furthermore
then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye
have received of us how ye ought to walk
and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what
commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye
should abstain from fornication: That
every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and
honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know
not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because
that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and
testified. For God hath not called us
unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
As we accept the Lord’s
will of sanctification for our lives, we will become as Him, and like Him… we
will also overcome. God granted us
salvation as a free gift so we could overcome as He overcame, but sanctification
requires an obedience and suffering that might very well cost us everything
(Matthew 16:24). Steps 1-5 become the learning, and step # 6 becomes the
life. If you truly want to please the
Lord, and be found worthy at His coming (1 John 2:28-29), then you will accept
sanctification as God’s unconditional will for your life. I have given you a model, but as you seek
God, He will guide you in all truth (John 16:13)… in what you should do and how
you should worship Him. There is no set
way of becoming sanctified, but I have given knowledge and wisdom so that
anyone who desires clear understanding should have it. God bless you as you seek His will and His
direction for your lives.
Bibliography
Sorge, Bob. The
Fire of Delayed Answers. http://www.oasishouse.net.