“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

There are several words that explain how salvation works, and while this devotional is not intended to serve as a theological dictionary, a few explanations might be helpful. When Jesus died on the cross, he accomplished our salvation once and for all by paying our debt of sin with his life. This is referred to as “justification. “ We are also sanctified, or set apart, by our union with Christ. “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

Even though we have been set apart — or sanctified — positionally as God’s holy people, there is no question that we continue to sin. That is why God calls us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in our ongoing sanctification with a goal of becoming more like Jesus Christ. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).

My personal objective is to become more intentional in my efforts to conform to the image of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, knowing that only when Christ returns will we as believers be made perfect in holiness. My desire is to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21).

In our efforts to grow in sanctification, we must first learn what it looks like. We must approach it prayerfully and seek genuine heart change. This is what it means to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Paul includes instructions to the followers of Jesus in his letters to the churches. During the next few devotionals, we will look at several of these passages in Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).

In Christ,

Judy