Made and Being Made

"For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

Hebrews 10:14

 

What does it mean to be sanctified by Jesus Christ?  How does sanctification play out in our daily walk following the Lord?  What does this mean for me, right here, right now, to be sanctified?  I love how the the NIV puts the words of the writer of Hebrews.. "those who are being made holy".  This is what it means to be sanctified.  We are sanctified when we are set apart for the purpose of God, and are being made holy.  This is something that has always been a bit difficult for me to grasp, but I think the writer of Hebrews sums it up well in the scripture verse above.  Because of the work of Jesus Christ, we have been "made perfect forever".  This is passive sanctification, essentially, this is the work Christ does in us.  When we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, our stance with the Father is now justified through Jesus.  Therefore, passive sanctification is primarily justification.  Due to our faith in Christ and His work at the cross, we have a stance of being "perfect forever" in the sight of the Father.  Then, there is progressive sanctification.  This is the "being made holy" part of the verse.  In this sense, sanctification is a process, in which we participate fully to be more Christ-like.  This involves reading and studying God's word, fellowship and accountability with other Christians, and certainly, praying and meditating in order to become closer to God.  So we are already sanctified in one sense, because we are justified through Christ, but while we are still on this planet, we are continually in a process of becoming more like Jesus.  With all that being said, this is hard work.  It is a difficult concept to fully grasp, and perhaps we aren't supposed to.  We must remember that God's thoughts and ways are much higher than ours (Isa. 55:8-9).  What I want to encourage you in is having a heart that understands we are already made perfect in Christ.  This means that you no longer have to stay stuck in the pits and valleys of your old self.  You no longer have to be weighed down by shame and guilt of 'what ifs' and 'only if I's'.  You don't need to carry the burdens of your shortcomings, your past, your hurts, or your failures.  When you receive Christ as your personal Savior, you are made perfect.  Plain and simple.  And part two of that process is to continue the work to be made holy.  We need God, His word, and each other to continue in the process of following Jesus and becoming more like Him.  This is why the writer would later say, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together... but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:23-25).  Today, pray and ask the Lord to guide you into the freedom of being made perfect because of the work of Jesus.  Ask Him to guide you as you walk in faith being made holy, and more like Christ.  Trust that following Jesus leads to ultimate sanctification, freedom, and perfection.  And trust that He came to give you an abundant life following Him on Earth.  Love you all!  Praying for you and yours!  Have a blessed day, it's your choice!