Sanctification by Grace

Q. 35. What is sanctification?

A. Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

As time goes on I am more and more amazed at God's process of growing us into the people of God. My definition of sanctification comes from the Westminster Shorter Catechism and has not changed in a very long time, but God has changed my understanding over the years. Notice the bold print, a work of God's free grace. God's free grace saved us, and God's free grace sanctifies us as well.

I have been reading the life of Jacob over the last couple of weeks, and in all the Patriarchs grace definitely shines through this man's life. Brought up in a dysfunctional family where his mother was the epitome of the manipulative mother, and where his father also wanted God's way but wanted to do it his way. They both knew the promise that God had said that the older would serve the younger, the brothers inheritance would be inverted by the cultural standards, and that from the younger brother would come many nations. Both Mom and Dad tried to by pass doing it God's way by scheming all on their own. Jacob came from a family not too terribly different from our families.

He does get the blessing, but high tails it out of sight so his brother won't kill him. He searches for a wife, in the right clan, but finds himself shocked when he wakes up next to Leah after the wedding, and has the audacity to complain to Laban that, he, Jacob has been deceived! After working for the real love of his life, Rachel, she does become his wife, but cannot conceive. She thinks if she only has a child then she will be truly happy, and she begs for a son or die. Little does she know that the next Son she does bear, Benjamin, she will die. Jacob finally wrestles with God, and God wins. He really does win. He goes back to his brother, repents before Esau, and all seems like it will go smooth. No, Jacob is supposed to go back to Bethel, but he goes and buys a plot of land about 20 miles away. Before that Esau has invited him to his place, and Jacob says, well maybe he will take him up on it. Sounds to me like Jacob got scared of his brother. He really had no intention of doing what Esau suggested, because immediately he takes off and goes in the opposite direction, it's ok to deceive if you're scared! He gets 20 miles away from Bethel and settles down near Shechem. Bad move. His sons go wild, his daughter is raped, and some other really bad things happen to him and his clan before he decides that he should go on to Bethel and the Promised Land. Whew! Life with Jacob has it all; murder, rape, deceit, manipulation. Yet, he is God's man. God does bring him back, one of his sons saves a nation, and one son goes on to be in the line of Christ. Amazing.

What does this have to do with sanctification? Let's make some applications from the life of Jacob, the man whom God loved. Sanctification is a process, a journey where we fall, where we fail miserably, whereby we learn that we are but dust, clay in the potters hands to be molded and made into His likeness for His purposes not our own. Jacob shows us that we really do live in a fallen world, and as believers we do not have a get out of jail free card in order to avoid it. We live in a broken world with broken hearts all around, and we too are broken needing the grace of a savior daily. God meets us in our brokenness, and never lets us go. We are saved by grace and we are sanctified by grace. Jacob knew after he had wrestled with "the man" that he could not over power this God that he served. Yet he tries once again to live as close to Bethel as he could without really living there. Jacob disobeyed, wrestled, deceived, manipulated, caused strife between his family members, repented, and limped for the rest of his life. And God calls him holy, set apart for His glory. Doesn't sound too much different from the life I lead either. Maybe I haven't murdered anyone, but Christ gave us a definition of murder that fits my heart at times. Let's not talk about the manipulation tendencies that I have and the actualities, or the lust for anything that has pleasure written on it. Let's not even talk about anger, or anxiety. Am I kidding myself when I think these petty "little" sins don't have consequences for me or the ones I love?

God's grace is all encompassing. He uses it all, changes us, transforms us, loves us, and gently shows us that it isn't all about me anyway. It makes me want to fall down on my knees and cry; "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is to come." His love compels me onward, His grace keeps me, and His sovereign purposes shelter me. Oh, love that will not let me go.