Christian Sanctification

What Should You Expect of A Faithful Christian?

I. J. Lanham

CHRISTIAN SANCTIFICATION is essentially a fancy word for the cleansing of the human soul and bearing of good fruit subsequent to the submission to Jesus’ headship and leadership. Lots of words to also unpack from that definition. Where fruit is the analogue of ‘good deeds’ which are produced but a Christian who is made righteous – Good in God’s sight – “from whom there is now no condemnation” (Romans 8:1) and their ‘soul’ which is symbolic as the spiritual and moral centrepiece is now clean from the death-bound sin (‘for the wages of sin is death’ – Romans 6:23). 

Christians believe that they have been ‘saved’, and this salvation comes simply from ‘If you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead’ – (Romans 10:9). And it seems really simple, and fundamentally it is, but there’s a lot more to unpack… Believing that this figure Jesus was raised from the dead means he has ultimate power and Him being ‘Lord’ gives him ultimate authority. These characteristics therefore completely validate his ministry where his moral law and philosophy should be followed, and his words must then be embraced as ultimate truth. Now this simple reception of salvation has radical implications for the outworking of a Christian life. To truly embrace truth will mean you live as though it is true, as convicted by Jesus’ authority and proved by His power, which will result in the glad embrace of so many encouraged and commanded ways to live to ‘live life to the full’. To be sure, this is subsequent to your salvation, but inevitable as a result of.

But hang on: What if you find a loophole – and you can gain salvation and not have to live by these countercultural commandments and teachings of Jesus? The classic deathbed conversion. Unfortunately, you’re missing the point entirely. It’s a change of mindset that is involved here in what we call the Christian ‘conversion’. It’s not a cultural conversion, a tick in the survey box or something merely symbolic. A deathbed conversion would only guilt a Christian who feels the loss of opportunity to proclaim faith and live as someone cleansed into ‘righteousness’. 

When the Bible talks about the aforementioned ‘fruit’ of the spirit – it considers these fruit as the proof of integrity of faith. The fruit, “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22) cannot be taken in isolation from one another, but they are indicative of spiritual growth as evidence of true faith. Likewise, James makes the comparison “Like the body without the spirit, faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26). So while the capacity for faith is unconditional, the outworking of the fruit of faith will determine whether it is a living dynamic faith, or a shallow reflection of cultural Christianity. The latter would be true of those simply nominal in their faith as a hereditary product, to feel comforted and fulfilled by such half-conceived notions, or to bag the offer of eternity without truly committing or understanding. 

Sanctification is not salvation by works, but faith by spiritual fruit, the only way to respond to Jesus’ offer of forgiveness. There are no exceptions. And this does not disqualify salvation by grace (free mercy, no meritocratic). God knows his creation – and the only way to possibly respond to this kind of love and forgiveness from the condemnation of God’s wrath cannot be living the same way. You will be changed. 

Shaping a clay pot

What about Christians you see who seem to live unchanged by the grace of God? As I have suggested, a proper acknowledgement of God’s grace is heart, mind and soul (the trinity of perception: intellectually, emotionally and spiritually) is a change in character. What can we say about a lack of change from those who proclaim such a faith? Well spiritual growth can appear very gradual, so although you may not see it, at distinct points in time you can measure and discern it. Someone who has truly accepted Christ will have a change of mindset, but this doesn’t negate the human propensity to do evil, and perfection has been exemplified only by one man. Be discerning with real Christians from those who simply profess it, you must critically “separate the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32) – but also realise many are still caught up in attachment to the deceptive pleasures of the world as they begin to dissociate, for “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23) and will continue to do so. Yet even Jesus says, “if your brother sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you” (Matthew 18:15) as Christians are called to keep one another accountable. 
Finally, from our school New Testament reading, we are called to “live such good lives among the pagans so, although they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven on the day he comes” (1 Peter 2:12). You should be able to tell who is grounded in their faith by their ‘sanctification’ – the fruits of their labours.