08/07/2024
SANCTIFICATION AND STEWARDSHIP
Sanctification, from the root "Sanctus," means “to make holy” or “to separate.”
Those who are sanctified are called saints not because they don’t sin, but because they allow the process of spiritual maturation to take place. Thus being a Saint is tied to a condition of spiritual growth and not status, it’s a continuous process of growth in Christ.
Our identity is defined not by what we do, but by what He has said.
Sanctification is both an act and a process.
The Lord sanctified the Sabbath as an "act," but the sabbath relationship is not an act but a life time, it has life, it must grow and be dynamic each day that comes. Thus sanctification is a lifelong process.
When God sanctifies you, you become holy instantly, and your struggle with sin does not end instantly, so just because you struggle with sin doesn’t mean you are not holy. Remember, holiness is not attained by any of our good deeds.
We are declared righteous, and we are sanctified to grow and mature in Christ, even for good deeds. We are not saying good deeds are not part of the equation, we are saying they have their right place, it’s a matter of priority and not preference. Good deeds are a product of a sanctified life. You never struggle to do what you are. when we tell people who are not mature spiritually to give we are punishing me with an act that is contrary to their nature hence they complain. People must become givers before they can give! They must be sanctified before they become stewards
If a sinner surrenders all areas of his life and make God the Lord of all aspects of his life, irrespective of the struggle with sin, he becomes holy and a saint.
When you ask people whether they are holy or not, they often think of holiness in terms of what they do or did. But to be holy is essentially to be set apart or separated. Anything can be holy, including cups, places, and people.
Note that holy things or people are first and foremost common and ordinary until they are declared holy, set apart, or sanctified. So, when someone or something has been sanctified, it’s not the same as other things. A place that is sanctified is different from other places, and people who are sanctified are different from other people.
There are two types of holiness: independent holiness and dependent holiness. God is utterly distinct, and His holiness is from Himself, while you and I have derived holiness—we depend on someone to make us holy. The mistake we make is to think we can sanctify ourselves by doing right deeds: Singing in the choir, going for camps, preaching, giving a tithe or working for God. While there is nothing wrong with that in and of itself, the priority is misplaced. We need God to sanctify us and fill Himself in us through a daily relationship and walk with Him until we start looking and behaving like Him through sanctification.
When you are called a saint, it’s because you were set aside, separated, and called out for holy use. You are sanctified to allow God to have the lordship over all areas of your life, including time, body talent and finances. Being called a saint calls for responsibility of this act, which must translate into your becoming holy. You are not the same as a common person. You subjugate yourself to the Lordship of Christ.
“Stewardship is the integration of the Lordship of Christ into all areas of life in partnership with God”
Blessed Monday.
