Sanctification
The Christian life isn't just about being saved — it's about being changed. Paul writes in Galatians 5:16, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." That phrase “walk in the Spirit” means to live every day under the direction and influence of the Holy Spirit. It's not just about what happens on Sunday — it's about how you live on Monday. Sanctification is that daily process of becoming more like Jesus and less like the old you.
Let’s be honest — we all have a flesh that still pulls us in the wrong direction. The apostle Paul admitted this struggle when he said in Romans 7:18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." That’s a humbling truth. Without the Spirit of God leading us, we drift back into old habits, old attitudes, and old sins. But thank God, we’re not left to fight this battle alone. Romans 8:1 assures us, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Sanctification happens when we stop following self and start following the Savior — one step at a time. Galatians 5:25 says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." It’s like walking hand in hand with God, letting Him lead. He won’t force us, but He will guide us — through His Word, through conviction, through godly counsel. As we walk with Him, He produces fruit in our lives that we couldn’t grow on our own: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance..." (Galatians 5:22–23).
The more we walk in the Spirit, the more we separate from sin. Not out of pride, but out of love. 2 Corinthians 7:1 reminds us, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Sanctification isn't about acting better than others — it's about becoming who God saved you to be. When we stumble (and we will), we don’t stay down. We confess it, forsake it, and keep walking. Proverbs 24:16 says, "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again."
So keep walking. Not in your own strength, but in the Spirit’s. The more you walk with Him, the more you'll want to — and the less the things of the flesh will control you. Sanctification isn't about being perfect — it's about being set apart for a purpose. And God isn’t finished with you yet.