Working Out Our Sanctification

Every Christian must pursue spiritual maturity (sanctification) to become more Christ-like. St. Paul variously described working at unity (Philippians 1:27 & 2:2), being faithful in suffering, rejoicing despite the circumstances, living as citizens of heaven, having the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5), and practicing many other virtues as means to this quest. He counted whatever gains he had as losses because of the surpassing worth of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:7-11). In the epistle to the Philippians, St. Paul challenges us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (cf. Philippians 2:12). But we know that we are saved not by our works but by grace through faith in Christ, which is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Salvation is a work of God that continues till we are made into the full image of Christ. The salvation process began before God knew us in an intimate saving relationship. Those foreknown were predestined to be conformed to the likeness of God’s son; those predestined were called; those called were justified, and those justified were also glorified (Romans 8:29-30).  When we endeavour to be known by the Lord (Matthew 7:23), we are selected by grace on unmerited favour (cf. Jeremiah 1:5). This being known is entering into a saving relationship that conforms us to the image of the Son, and we become like Him. As we hear the gospel and respond in faith, God effectively calls us, declares us righteous (justifies), and glorifies us after salvation when we entirely resemble Christ. Therefore, St. Paul means that we must work out this process of being made and growing into the image of Christ.

Pursue Growth Into the Image of Christ

Although our salvation was secured once and for all on the cross by Jesus’s obedience to the Father, we cannot just sit back, let go and let God to the exclusion of any discipline of our own. We must train ourselves to be godly and exercise ourselves to godliness (1 Timothy 4:7). But we must also know that we cannot save ourselves by relying totally on the works of the flesh to the exclusion of reliance on God. According to Paul, this is foolishness (Galatians 3:3). In other words, there must be a proper way to progress in holiness. This, Paul teaches in a paradox that we must work alongside God in our sanctification process. We recognise that God works in us to both will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). We have a responsibility to obey God, but God ultimately works in us to enable us to obey and carry out good works. God gives us the desire to grow in Christ, and He works in us to do it. But it is God who does it all.  Paul experienced it in his life and shared that God will not save us apart from ourselves; we must work as God is working in us (1 Corinthians 15:9-10). The reality is that God’s grace works in each one of us to grow spiritually. However, it is without effect when we resist the work of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 7:51). We must work with God in the process of sanctification, responding to his conviction and allowing Him to empower us to accomplish His will for our lives.

What Do We Need to Work Out Our Sanctification?

1. Focus on our Model – the Lord Jesus Christ

Paul gives the Incarnation, Death, and Exaltation of Jesus Christ as a model for the church to follow in developing unity. He explains that Christ did not grasp His rights as God but became a man. In the Incarnation, Christ did not come as a wealthy king but as a poor servant. His descent continued as He obeyed unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-11). Paul, therefore, extols us to follow the model of Christ, whom we must seek to study and emulate (Hebrews 12:2-3). Our focus on Christ must be single-minded in seeking to know and please Christ in everything we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). Peter could only walk on the water when his focus was fixed on Christ (Matthew 14:22-33). We will not grow in Christ if we are focused on anything other than Him. We can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5). We cannot bear good fruit if He is not the focus in our homes. We need to know Him and His power and fellowship in sharing in His sufferings, thereby becoming like Him in His death so that we somehow attain the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10-12). The Lord takes hold of us, and we come into a relationship with Him to be made into Christ’s very image. This was Paul’s challenge to the Philippians (and us) to pursue the same path of an endless pursuit of Christ as the goal (Philippians 3:15-17).

2. Know the Love of God

Knowing that God loves us is a remarkable motivation for spiritual growth (Romans 2:4). Paul argued that the love of Christ compels us to live no longer for ourselves but for Him who died and rose on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:14). It is crucial that we understand this compelling love and be rooted and established in it so that we may be controlled and empowered to all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17b-19). Knowing the width, length, height, and depth of the love of God will compel us to grow in our spiritual lives. We will grow in knowing God’s love through the love of others (Philippians 1:8 & 2 Corinthians 5:20), through prayer for ourselves and others as well (Ephesians 3:17-19), through spending time with God and obeying him (John 14:23) and becoming more intimate with Him (Ephesians 3:16-17).

3. Grow in Obedience to God

After years of living the faith, Christians can feel they are obedient enough. But Paul urges that we do it much more as a proof of salvation. In the case where we profess Christ but do not practice obedience to God, we are deceived about our salvation (Matthew 7:21). Being born again demands that we have a new nature, which desires to practice righteousness (John 3:3 & 1 John 3:10). Even when we fail, we must repent, and much more continue to practice obedience (Philippians 2:12).

St. James teaches that obedience to God’s Word brings blessing to our lives and progression in our sanctification (James 1:25). When we faithfully obey and use what God teaches, we get more peace, joy, and patience and grow in Christ! The Lord Jesus taught that obedience to God’s Word will protect us from stagnation and going backwards in our sanctification (Mark 4:24-25). Being unfaithful to God’s Word makes us forgetful and unable to appropriate our knowledge of God and remain in spiritual infancy without progression (wilderness). To leave this wilderness of separation from God requires obedience to God’s Word.

4. Practice Continuous Discipline

Paul challenges us to keep on working out to the ultimate fulfilment. This calls for disciplined spiritual living. Whereas we are assured of God’s grace, we cannot grow without discipline. We must keep working it out (1 Timothy 4:7). It takes continuous discipline to be holy. The Lord Jesus practiced getting up early before everyone else and going to the mountain to pray (Mark 1:35). Our sanctification will happen through rigorously studying the Word of God, which sanctifies us by its truth (John 17:17). We must devote ourselves to study, memorize, and teach it (1 Peter 2:2). If we consistently get into the Word of God and obey it, it will equip us for all righteousness (2 Timothy 3:17) and we will grow (Hebrews 4:12).

Our sanctification will happen through rigorously praying. We must spend a disciplined time praying with others (Matthew 26:40). An hour spent in watchful prayer will strengthen us not to succumb to temptation (Mark 14:38). Our sanctification will happen through godly fellowship. When we are amongst brothers and sisters serious about knowing God more, we help each other grow spiritually (Proverbs 27:17) by developing accountability relationships (James 5:16). We need each other to become more like Christ. Our sanctification will happen through mentorship. Think about this saying, “Show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are”.  The more you get around people who are spiritually wiser than you and know God more than you, the wiser you will become (Proverbs 13:20). Scripture gives us mentorship models in Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and His disciples, Paul and Timothy, Peter and Mark. These people grew up in their salvation and fulfilled God’s calling. We, too, must find people to help us along our walk with the Lord (Luke 9:57-62). When we actively share our faith, we understand better all the good things believers have in Christ (Philemon 1:6). This helps us to grow into spiritual maturity.

5. Develop Perseverance

The keyword in Paul’s exhortation is ‘continue’ …. He says, “Not only in my presence but more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation” (Philippians 2:12). Sanctification does not happen in a moment. It is a lifetime process. It must be worked out to complete when we finally reach heaven. We must persevere in working it out. We will face temptations towards becoming spiritually comfortable and stagnant, yet we must strive. Complacency and apathy bring great displeasure to God (Revelation 3:14-17). They must be fought vigorously so that we never lack in zeal (Romans 12:11). We will face temptations to fall away from God altogether. Still, we will continue in our faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel (Colossians 1:22-23a), believing Christ’s promise that he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:9-13). Perseverance is proof of genuine salvation (1 John 2:19), proof of belonging. Character is developed through perseverance. Paul says that we also celebrate our tribulations, knowing that trial brings about perseverance, perseverance brings proven character, and proven character brings hope (Romans 5:3 – 4). We must persevere in working out our sanctification and not give up so that we reap a harvest (Galatians 6:9). Even when we do not feel like we are growing, we will not give up. We will develop perseverance in trials, doing good and serving others so that perseverance finishes its work and we become mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4 NIV).

6. Develop a Healthy Fear

Paul points out that we need reverential awe to continue working out our salvation. Most of all, we must revere God, truly realizing the awesomeness of God and not giving up intimacy with Him for other things. King David insists that we taste and see how good the Lord is and how blessed we are when we take refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8). He assures us that there is protection and deliverance in revering God (Psalm 34:7) and provisions for those who fear him (v. 9). He urges that we learn how to have a healthy fear of Him so that we lack nothing (Psalm 34:11).

Therefore, we will fear God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:6). God accepts us as His children and will not allow us to ignore Him or His word. He will gently rebuke us before resorting to a thorough whipping when we fail to respond (1 Corinthians 11:30-32). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of living a holy life (Proverbs 9:10). We will be humble, contrite in spirit, and tremble at His word so that God looks on us with favour (Isaiah 66:2). We must reverence God’s Word so that we read, study, memorize and obey it. Then we will pursue the understanding of it, for we will know it is God speaking to us in His word.

7. Allow God to Work in Us

We must acknowledge God’s role in working out our sanctification. It is easy to be discouraged over our sins, failures and lack of discipline, but Paul encourages us with these words,

For it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

Like Timothy, he reminds us to kindle afresh the gift of God, which is in us through the laying on of the priest’s hands, and that God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and discipline (cf. 2 Timothy 1:6-7). Everything we need has been given to us through His indwelling Spirit so that we can be holy and maximize our gifts. Since He is working in us, we, too, must work.

God Works In Us to Will

God gives us the desire to do His will (John 16:8). He works in us to will by convicting us of sin and enabling us to hate and despise our sin (holy discontent). Through His Word, fellowship with godly saints, and discipline, we can see how sinful we are (Isaiah 6:5 & Romans 7:24). He works in us to will by convicting us of righteousness and gives us desires to be more like him or to fulfil his will (holy aspirations). Paul highlights both holy discontent and holy aspiration, stating that despite not being perfect yet, he was pressing on toward winning the prize for which God called him (Philippians 3:12-14). He wanted to be more like Christ daily. God works in our will by convicting us of judgment, not that we are condemned for our sins, but that we will be rewarded or lose rewards based on what we do. We must make it our goal to please him, whether at home in the body or away from it. But we know what it is to fear the Lord, so we try to persuade others, trusting that God knows us well (2 Corinthians 5:9-11).

God often works in us to do His will in a situation by the presence or absence of peace. God will take away our peace to help us discern His will (Matthew 27:19). God works in us to will by peace, and the peace of Christ must rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). God works in us to will by the manifestation of His sovereign will. He directs our hearts by various means (Proverbs 21:1). Remember Balaam and the donkey (Numbers 22) and see how God works in our hearts by guiding circumstances, events, demons, waiting seasons, and everything else to guide us into His will.

God Works In Us by Giving Us the Power to Work

God empowers us to do His will. Paul laboured for the gospel to exhaustion because the power of God worked in him so strongly (Colossians 1:28-29). He prayed that this power also operates in others to strengthen their inner being through the Spirit (Ephesians 3:16). The secret is to remain in Christ and He in us (John 15:5), to abide in Christ so that His power can fully manifest in our lives to accomplish His work – our sanctification.

*NB: All Bible quotations are from the NASB Version