“I feel like a money pit.” Those words popped into my mind this week after the Lord showed me yet another thing about myself that needed fixing. I pictured a house with new plumbing issues just as the electrical troubles were finally being worked out. Did the Lord ever get tired of identifying problems and pinpointing solutions for the work in progress that is my Christian life? Then I remembered that sanctification has three significant stages, and stage 2 takes a lifetime.
Three Stages of Sanctification:
The Greek word for sanctification is “hagiasmos.” It’s Strong’s Concordance number G38, and it means holiness. To be sanctified, therefore, means to be made holy, to be set apart for use by God.
The three stages are positional sanctification (which happened at conversion), progressive or experiential sanctification (which is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit to make us more like Christ), and ultimate sanctification (which will happen when Christ comes again).
Positional Sanctification
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:10
When we believed to salvation, the Lord sanctified us. He set us apart as holy to Himself. It’s past tense because it happened once and is done. Other verses that speak to this are 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 6:11, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 10:14, and Hebrews 13:12. By the blood of Jesus, we were justified (just as if I’d never sinned) and made holy and righteous to the Lord. But baby Christians are far from perfect. Conversion is just the beginning of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.
Progressive (or Experiential) Sanctification
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
John 17:17
Progressive sanctification is about growing in maturity. That involves the work of the Holy Spirit in cooperation with our own submission to God. We learn to be more like Christ by reading the Word of God and patterning our own conduct after it. We also listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who convicts us when our conduct looks more like our old man that of a new creation in Christ. When we are doers of the Word and not hearers only, that shows our faith and allows us to grow in godliness. The other verses that speak to this ongoing work are 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Peter 1:15, 2 Peter 3:18, 2 Timothy 2:21, and Philippians 1:6.
The Lord Owns Our House
Here is where the house analogy comes in. When we first come to Christ, it’s like we have been living in a house that was owned by the slumlord of the world, the devil. His standards are low, so we have a lot of problems. When Jesus pays our purchase price (His blood), He immediately starts to get us “up to code.” He wants to make us more like Himself, so He begins with our foundation. He teaches us to build our lives on the rock of the Bible instead of the sand of the world. But as soon as He starts shoring up the floors, making one part straight will reveal the crookedness of other parts. Then we must fix those too.
As He continues His work, cosmetic issues are next. Our houses start looking pretty snazzy from the outside, and we might even get some notice from the rest of the neighborhood. People will be able to tell the difference between our house and those still owned by the devil. But that will be about the time that the Lord will start to show us our problems on the inside. Whether it’s behind our walls or under the floorboards, the Lord starts to really dig deep. He might even reveal locked rooms filled with debris we hadn’t even realized we had been holding onto (baggage) or show us infestations because of bad habits that invite bugs or rodents (open doors to the enemy).
We Must Allow Him to Do the Work
Each time the Lord shows us something new, we must acknowledge the problem and submit to having work done. As the Owner of our house, the Lord will foot the bill for the repairs, and He will never get tired of looking after His investment. In fact, as long as we still have flesh, there will always be things Jesus can improve in us. We can’t get discouraged because the Lord isn’t finished with us yet. No matter how much work is done on this side of Heaven, we will never be perfect. We must keep submitting to the process until the Lord returns.
Ultimate Sanctification
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23
When Jesus comes again, all work will be finished. We will see Him as He is and be glorified with Him. The other verses that speak to this are 1 John 3:2 and Colossians 3:4.
Three Stages of Sanctification:
From the website GotQuestions, “These three phases of sanctification separate the believer from the penalty of sin (justification), the power of sin (maturity), and the presence of sin (glorification).”
Sanctification from start to finish is a work of the Lord. He bought us, guides us, and will one day allow us to be like Him. Looking at the Christian life as a fixer upper house is helpful to me. It reminds me that, just like a house, people are complicated. Some of us started in a greater state of disrepair than others, and some of us must fix one thing before we can even get access to another. As long as we are always moving forward in submission to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, the Lord promises that one day He will complete the work He started in us. And that will be a glorious day.
Like articles about 3’s? Try 3 Reasons Jesus First Turned Water into Wine. Or, try The 3 Things to Remember When Iniquity Abounds. Please subscribe in the upper right corner (or at the bottom on a phone). Also, check out my YouTube Channel where I read my blogs out loud. Far from boring, they are fast, sassy, and anointed hymns and gospel songs.
