Run the Race

Yesterday I ended my post asking a question. I asked, "do we live life in pursuit of holiness"? I would like to explore this question a little further today.

To begin, as my post yesterday made clear, the moment God saves us and imputes Christ righteousness and holiness onto us, we are considered holy before God (declared sanctified). In one clear way, as Christians, as saints, we are holy from the moment of our conversion on. God has reckoned Christ holiness to us and we can enter the presence of God becasue we are now holy enough to do so. At the moment of God saving us, we have all the sanctification (holiness) we need to be reconciled to God.

But sanctification (holiness) is a dual process. Yes, we are declared holy before God, but moving forward, we must grow in holiness before God. The Christian life is a life of continual sanctification and growth in our holiness. From the moment of conversion on, we must run the race of holiness and continually grow in it. This means the christian life is a life of continual sanctification. But what does that look like.

First, we need to be very clear, the Christian's growth in holiness is a synergistic action. This means, the growth in holiness is done by 2 beings partnering together to accomplish one purpose. Salvation is monergistic. It is accomplished by God alone. But Christian growth in holiness and sanctification is a synergistic action. God plays a significant part in sanctification. The Christian also plays a significant part in their sanctification (growth in holiness). God acts for, on, and in the Christian to grow them in holiness. But the Christian has a duty and responsibility, commanded them by God, to also act for, on, and in themselves for their growth in sanctification.

God acts for, on, and in the Christian to grow them in holiness in a number of ways. First, God acts for the Christian, in their sanctification, by exchanging their kingdoms. When conversion takes place in a Christian, they are moved from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. God places in the new believer, a new master, a new kingdom, a new delight, and a new set of rules to desire. God's first act for a Christian in their holiness growth is to move them to a new kingdom of life.

Second, God acts on a Christian for their sanctification by instilling them with the power of Christ's holiness. When God unifies a believer with His Son, He removes their sin master and places in them the new master, Jesus. God instills the believer with the power, in Christ, to now fight and wrestle with the flesh (and all its sinful nature). God gives the Christian power to grow in holiness, in Christ.

Finally, God acts in the Christian, at the moment of their regeneration by placing in them, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within every believer. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts. It is the Holy Spirit that illuminates His Word. It is the Holy Spirit that guides and directs the Christian. God's final act, in aiding the Christian in their sanctification, is to give them Himself, in the being of the Holy Spirit.

But sanctification (growth in holiness) is a dual act between God and the Christian. This means it is the responsibility and duty of a Christian to grow in their holiness. There are certain actions, attitudes, and disciplines that a Christian must also do, as they grow in holiness and God works in them.

First, a Christian must obey God's Word and will. God in His Word gives numerous commands. What God commands and requires from His Word, the Christian must obey. As a Christian obeys the commands of God, they will be formed and shaped into the character and will of God. As a Christian is shaped in the will and character of God, they will grow in their holiness. Obedience to God is not an option for a Christian, it is a delightful duty to do.

Second, the Christian must put sin to death. God has moved the Christian from the kingdom of sin to the kingdom of His Son. This is an exchange of masters. This means Christians can now desire to put sin to death. No, we will not always put sin to death becasue we wrestle with sin daily. But part of the sanctification process is putting sin to death more and more each day. It is the delightful duty of a Christian to mortify sin in their lives. As a wise man once said, "be killing sin or sin be killing you".

Finally, the Christian must practice spiritual and personal disciplines to grow in holiness. God has given His people His Word to know how to live holy lives. God has opened communication with His people through the avenue of prayer. God has blessed His people with a faith community to humbly live with and submit to. These are 3 areas and means of Gods grace that a Christian must discipline themselves in, to grow in holiness. God gives a whole list of disciplines in His Word. But it is up to the Christian to disciplines themselves and grow in their holiness through these disciplines.

So as these 6 points make clear, the race of holiness is run by the Christian empowered and equipped by God. As a Christian grows in their holiness, they are formed and shaped to be a better image of Christ. Then, as they grow to be more like Christ, He empowers and equips them more to run the race of holiness. The pursuit of holiness in the Christian is a hand in hand race with God and the believer. This means God equips and empowers and we are responsible to grow, in the holiness He commands His children to have. Let us rejoice and celebrate today the race God runs with us in our growth of His holiness in our lives.