Sanctified

by Katie Harding on July 24, 2023

How does the Spirit convict you of truth? For me, sometimes it’s what I hear, and other times it’s what I read. Today it was the latter.

Earlier this month I returned to reading My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers as part of my daily devotions. After surrendering “that last five percent” to Jesus — that part of me that loved the Lord, but still wanted to maintain control — on my own Damascus Road (aka the Dulles Greenway) almost 22 years ago, I began reading this devotional every year for about ten years. I think it’s one of the best discipling tools available.

For the past few days, the topic of each devotion has been about sanctification. Sanctification according to Chambers, “does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus being made mine manifestly.” After reading this morning that “sanctification is an impartation not an imitation,” it dawned on me that I need to correct my thinking about transformation.

I have often described transformation as letting Jesus change us internally — our hearts, minds, and/or thoughts — so we can live like Him externally in our actions.

Or learning from Jesus how to live like Jesus.

But after thinking more about this, I realize transformation is not about changing our behaviors so they morph from one to another and start to resemble Jesus. Instead, it’s allowing God to change us by actually dying to those behaviors. It’s dying to attitudes and actions like people pleasing and desiring the approval of others. To selfishness and self-righteousness. To pride, power, and prestige. It’s letting go of all of these things and more so that Jesus can be fully manifested in us (being fully seen or evident). It’s what Paul meant when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:19b-20a).

As we continue our walk with the Lord, I pray God will give us awareness of those things in our lives that are not pleasing to Him and the ability to let them go — to die to them. Remember, God has given us the Spirit of love, power, AND self-discipline. May His transforming presence be at work in our lives in mighty ways.