Fighting for Personal Sanctification
Living for the Lord is tremendously difficult at times. Owen Strachan gives three exhortations to keep in mind as you strive for personal holiness:
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Be aware of some of the major sins of this age and fight them specifically. Some major problems that are present for many of us include a love of self, a love of sports, possessions, and trivial things, and a love of sex.
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Recognize that the church is the outpost of sanctification. We all need the local church. It is where we find all the resources we need to love God in a sin-stricken world—exhortation, encouragement, rebuke, opportunities for service, enjoyment, edification, and so much more.
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Keep in mind the hard work of sanctification involves deliberate action while resisting easy categorization. We need to saturate our minds and hearts with the riches of biblical theology, such that we think and act from a profoundly scriptural base, while avoiding the cultural pitfall of staying selfishly "true to ourselves."
Sanctification is the dynamic manifestation of the gospel in our lives. Conformity to God's will is not achieved by tweaking attitudes and behaviors here and there, but rather by becoming completely enamored with the Lord, his holiness, and his unfathomable love.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
This article is adapted from chapter eight of Don't Call it a Comeback.
