15/05/2026
"May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."1 Thess 5:23(NIV).
Sanctification unfolds in three stages: repentance, justification, and transformation. Repentance awakens us to our sinful nature, leading us to turn away from sin, seek forgiveness, and desire inward change.
This repentance is not just feeling sorry; it is a change of mind that leads to a change in ones lifestyle and behavior. This is what John demanded from the Pharisees and religious leaders who came for baptism, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance' (Matt 3:8).
This ushers us into justification, where we are declared righteous,we begin to live assured of our salvation and totally freed from the penalty of sin through inner working of the Spirit.
From there, the Holy Spirit begins the lifelong active work of transforming us to become more like Jesus. This sanctification phase confronts the power of sin,begins mind renewal and requires one to daily partner with the Holy Spirit in order to experience authentic transformation.
Sanctification then prepares us for glorification phase, the eternal reality when Christ returns where we are saved from the very presence of sin, forever freed from temptation’s struggle.
The goal of sanctification from the verse is that we be found blameless, with spirit, soul, and body fully aligned with divine life: the spirit daily attuned to God’s voice, the soul fully obedient to His will and leading, and the body enjoying the blessings of a regenerated spirit and transformed soul.
This call to comprehensive sanctification shows that God’s work in believers extends beyond spiritual renewal to every facet of existence, preparing us wholly for Christ’s coming.
May you experience the fullness of His sanctifying work, in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.
Fredriq Michael