Enjoy the process of Sanctification

Sanctification, simply stated , is sweet surrender.

When one becomes saved, he takes Christ’s blood upon his soul.

In that, he receives divine mercy.
Sins are cleansed.

This is a divine act beyond our fondest imaginations.

When the saved one then becomes sanctified, he yields his all to Christ.

In salvation, one takes grace.
In sanctification, one gives all to God.

Picture yourself now standing before God.
In your hands are all that you have and are: wardrobe, vehicles, property, family, friends, wallet, health, or sickness, desires, reputation, abilities, dreams, future ambitions, finally death, and eternal destiny.

Lift all of this to God. Give it all to Him without reservation.

That is the surrender of sanctification.

You received at salvation; you now yield at sanctification. In that moment of submitting completely, the Holy Spirit accepted your all.
He then cleansed it in order to return it as holy to you. Now what you submitted is ready for the kingdom’s “good.”

At the time of sanctification, you are made pure by the Holy Spirit. He takes away your selfishness, stubbornness and stupidity which clung to things for you own welfare. In place of all that, He gives you grace to abandon to God.
Now you no longer live for self but for the Savior alone.When you were saved, your sins were blotted out. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold , all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

How does the Christian remain sanctified?
Simply put: remain surrendered to the Holy Spirit in everything. Do not take back anything that you yielded to God. Leave all with Him; everything old, everything new, past present, future. As long as your soul submits completely to the Lord, you are continually cleansed.
This is all accomplished by His grace, not of works, lest anyone should boast of own human achievements.

Grace saves us from our sins.
Grace sanctifies us from our sin nature.
Therefore, God receives all the glory.
Can one remain sanctified completely until death?
Certainly.
By an act of free will, one becomes saved and sanctified.
One chooses these opportunities of divine grace.
Likewise, the believer may exercise free will for holiness till death.
The decision is always left with us.
Less than total surrender is misery.
It is a double-minded life---living for God, yet living secretly ( and sometimes obviously) for one’s self.
This is evidently difficult and trying for the soul.
Total surrender is sweet in that it returns one’s soul completely to God. Instead of straining to plot one’s own benefits, one yields all such maneuvering to God. Therefore there is a freedom from striving in everything.

The ongoing life of sanctification then is perfecting perfect surrender. It is learning from the Holy Spirit how to consecrate the most practical items to God, all of life’s minors and majors.
It is being taught how to think with God (“the mind of Christ”).
It is discovering that material less is spiritual more.
Sanctification in this life has no conclusion but “more.”
There is always more to come upon in God, more to precision, more to uncover of one’s own self and of God’s self. That is why it is such and exhilarating adventure.
How then does “the law” enter into this sanctifying grace?
Is one at liberty to do as one pleases once one comes into this release?
No.
Instead, one finds that God’s commandments are the key to freedom within. Therefore, the sanctified yearn for more of God’s statutes. (Psalm 119).
The Bible speaks of the “law of liberty.” This is one more aspect of the sweet surrender. It is experiencing being a slave to God in order to be free from sin and self-centeredness. These paradoxes are lived out dynamically in the sanctified walk.

When the sanctified read of God’s expectations(laws) in the Word, they become as delicacies to be enjoyed. Before sanctification, the double-minded believer shunned Gods laws for they appeared restrictive. After sanctification, the believer binds Gods laws to his heart for they are indeed liberating.

Abiding by Gods law releases one from being legalistic.
Legalism is adhering to man-made laws, even if the adherence is the dismissal of responsibility towards the stated laws of God.

Living by Gods law is not cold, sharp and unkind legalism,; instead, it is gentle, understanding and patient.

Satan thrives on a legalistic religion.

The Holy Spirit tutors the sanctified in the eternally true laws of God.
First century Judaism was founded upon legalism.
Jesus offered the truth which would set one free from such humanly manufactured bondage.
Live out the law of holy love and you yourself will be set free.

Strap the commandments of God to your soul joyfully; and in that you will be released from your chief enemy, your stubborn self.

Sweet surrender not only includes yielding tangibles and inner drives. It also includes pain, confusion, tormented thinking, betrayals of the past, disappointment, ponderings of suicide, doubts and dreads.

The true sweetness of this surrender is realizing that the Father is willing to accept these hurts for healing. Many have been made whole when they submitted those wounds of the heart which they thought they had to contend with till death.
No.
“Cast all your cares…” (1 Peter 5:7 )
Sanctification is one of the most fulfilling dimensions of the gospel.

It is sad that it is not set forth more often. Our souls are made for this opportunity of grace. To lack this experience is to remain partially bound in spirit.

When Jesus said that He came to set us free, he meant it. Sanctification is that wide, open door.

Have you come to God with your all?

Have you stood before Him with everything?

Then have you yielded all of this, pain and pleasure to the One who formed you?
Let Him take this package for its cleansing.

Satan will lie to you that God will rob you blind, leaving you bankrupt.
Do not believe the father of deceit.

The Holy Spirit will instead make your offering holy, returning it to you for heavens sake.

From that moment onward, keep that package in Gods plan. In that , you will experience in the depth of your soul the sweetness of your on-going surrender. Such will continue, if you will it, till you see Him face to face when walking through the door of death, or at the time of the calling away of His church.