Sanctification is about change. This daily devotional looks at an overview of what we need to change.
We’ve established that navigating the Sanctification Road is all about change. But what are we to change?
There are three major areas that we need to change. We need to turn our focus off the world and onto God, put our faith and trust in Him, and accept His Will.
Focus on God
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12: 1-2 ESV)
Our focus needs to be on doing what God calls us to do, not the world.
Regardless of whether we are on the regeneration side of the continuum or the perfection side, we need to be focusing on God.
God has a plan for each of our lives. We need to be striving to complete what He has called us to do.
When we are focusing on Him, Jesus said the weight would be set aside. “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt. 11: 30 ESV).
I know. It doesn’t always feel that way, does it? Right now, the yolk is feeling hard in my life because the burden isn’t light at the moment.
But I know a lot of that is Satan trying to shift my focus, derail my train, and steal my joy. When I put my focus on Satan, that is exactly how it feels.
When I patiently wait for God to work things out – for only He can – my burden is lightened. It is lightened even in the trial.
We are also to lay aside the burden of sin. “My transgressions were bound into a yolk; by his hand they were fastened together; they were set up on my neck; he caused my strength to fail; the Lord gave me into the hands of those whom I cannot withstand” (Lam. 1: 14 ESV). They are very heavy.
How do we lay aside our sins? We look to Jesus, Who is our High Priest. His blood continues to pay the penalty for our sins.
There is also the weight of our old habits. At first, we may see nothing wrong with our old habits. They may, however, take our focus off God.
We are under the weight of our old habits. Let’s take procrastination.
What if we procrastinate in reading Scriptures? What if we say we’re going to pray at a certain time every evening, but keep putting it off?
It isn’t a sin if we don’t pray, but we don’t reap the benefits of having done so. We are out of right relationship with God when we don’t communicate with Him.
So, we feel the weight of not talking with God and growing our relationship.
Put Our Faith and Trust in Him
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him” (Ps. 28: 7 ESV)
Trust is the assurance that God’s promises are true.
What has God promised? He assures us that we can depend upon the atonement of Christ.
What is atonement? Atonement is about repayment for a wrong by the shedding of Jesus’ blood.
We have to trust that God has saved us when we admit our sins, believe Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer, confess God as Sovereign Lord, and demonstrate our willingness to submit to Hm.
This is a big change for us. We are so used to trusting in ourselves or someone else.
How many times do we rely on our own strength? I know I tell myself frequently that I shouldn’t be afraid of something because I am stronger than whatever I am facing.
But my strength pales when compared to God’s strength. In circumstances where I can’t protect myself, He can.
We can’t put our trust in mankind. If we aren’t careful, others can lead us further into sin.
It can be hard, though, for some to trust in an unseen God.
But that is where faith comes in. Faith is a gift from God that enhances the conviction that the doctrines revealed in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them, a belief which impacts our lives and distinguishes us from others.
Accept His Will
“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (Heb. 10: 36 ESV)
We need to have patience when we are seeking to do God’s Will.
Patience is built on a foundation of confidence, hope, and belief. We need to know that we can depend on God.
God’s word tells us over and over that we can depend on Him.
- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Prov. 3: 5: ESV).
- “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (I Pet. 5: 7 ESV).
- “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4: 19 ESV).
- “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Ex. 14: 14 ESV).
That gives us confidence to know that we can rely on Him.
Hope is the expectation, also called a living hope, based on the confidence that, because of our relationship with God, our names will be found in the book of life.
Yes, that is all wrapped up in our having a genuine relationship with God.
Why wouldn’t it be? God’s priority is the condition of our souls.
It is not the condition of our physical lives that garners the bulk of God’s attention.
God’s Will is that we become His children. When we do, we know that our names are written in the book of life.
Major consequences occur when our names are not in that book. “And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20: 15 ESV).
It just takes belief. The foundation of salvation is belief. That has components of faith, access, and reward.
There are two aspects to faith. The first aspect is our comprehension of the subject. It starts with knowledge. We have to know the evidence presented and believe it to be true.
But our faith is restricted by our understanding.
And let’s be realistic here. There is much that is beyond our understanding.
God knows that. “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.’ This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isa. 55: 8-9 CSB)
That is why the second aspect is we have to trust God in what we don’t understand. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3: 5-6 CSB).
Because we have faith, we seek God.
If we don’t believe that God exists, we won’t be talking to Him. If we don’t believe what He says in His Word, we won’t be reading it and talking to Him.
God is right there with us — and we know it. Yes, we have to approach God through Jesus. He gave us free will. He doesn’t force us to believe in Him.
The good thing about belief is we choose what we are going to believe. Then we take that a step farther.
We choose to be like God.
Father God. We give everything to You. We give You our lives by placing our faith and trust in You. We accept Your Will for our lives. Amen.
What do you think?
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