More Thoughts on Sanctification

Well here are yet more of my thoughts on sanctification before I actually do a detailed study on it. Perhaps that's not wise, but the following thoughts are crossing my mind nevertheless. I will write them down.

I've been scanning articles and postings on the net about sanctification trying to get a 'feel' for what is publicly being said on the subject. The overall focus I found did not surprise me, but it made me both sad and angry at the same time. It seems that the Church is thoroughly self absorbed, even when contemplating something as 'selfless' as sanctification. I would guess it is especially when we are contemplating sanctification.

The biggest theme I found about sanctification, on line, was "assurance of salvation". No talk of service. No talk of battle. No talk of giving Jesus Christ His due as Commander in Chief as His saints conquer kingdoms of men and demons to the glory of the King.

Online preachers and books are trying to "sell" sanctification by inspiring readers with fear. Don't get me wrong, there definitely is a place for assurance of salvation, but that seems to be ALL the saints are thinking about when it comes to sanctification. Are we so untrusting of the blood of Christ that all we can think of about sanctification is that we really, really, need an assurance of our own salvation? It seems to me that the more we self-obsess on this the more we lose sight of what it is we are to be sanctified for.

Assurance is simply a natural byproduct of our sanctification, and not its main purpose at all..

I'll have to say that our motivation and desire for sanctification should be based on a desire to serve God with more power and conviction then we currently have. Our desire for sanctification should be based on an outward motivation. One that centers on God and others, rather than on ourselves.

What pleases God is our engaging His enemies in battle. Whether that battle is in our home, or whether it is in our community, or even if it is in our own Churches. When I say "battle", I mean confrontations of all kinds, not just against human enemies of the Gospel, but any situation at all that has been caused by the fall. Any sort of corruption, be it hunger, disease, homelessness, and the like. We can only do that righteously and in a way that is pleasing to God if we are sanctified. The more we desire to influence other spheres of life for Christ and His Kingdom, other than our own self-centered sphere, the more we should desire our own sanctification. This is the opposite of being self-centered. To me, this is a much more powerful motivation and attraction to sanctification. To "get out of me", and, "into the work of Christ", for His glory, and for the sake of others. We need to trust more the blood of Christ for our salvation and leave that to Him, as we are then free to look all around us at all the destruction and at all the Goliaths that God calls sanctified saints to rush out to conquer.

Until my thoughts continue on this, I'll stop right there.