Sanctified?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live a life free of inner turmoil.  Free of wrong doing, free of negative consequences and free of shame.  In essence to live a life free of evil.

I am encouraged that my Christian faith provides me with a hope that this utopian dream is not only a possibility but is the promise of God to all who believe. 

As a Christian I have been adopted into God’s family and as a Christian I have been justified in God’s eyes.  These two actions were done by God and God alone, for I was spiritually dead but he made me alive. 

But there is another work that God wants to do in my life and now that I am alive spiritually I can work along side of God to accomplish this task.  It is the work of sanctification.

God has control of my spirit, but he now also wants control of my flesh.  He wants me to become more and more like Jesus with each passing day, and for this he needs my co-operation.

I am under no delusion.  Until that day with I am called home to heaven, I will continue to experience the evil of this world.  That is outside of my control.

As a Christian, what has changed is that the evil of my own nature is now within my control.  Since the spirit of God lives within me I no longer need to be a slave to the passions and the impulses of my evil nature.  I can work with God each day to crucify my old nature and put on my new nature.

God will not forcefully take control of my flesh.  it is up to me to work with the spirit of God to accomplish this work of sanctification.  It is a process that takes a lifetime.