What we don't talk enough about is a Christian's journey in sanctification, being set apart, holy, like Christ.
Coming back from my ordination retreat this past week, I've been putting more thought into this whole journey of sanctification for a Christian's life. It's clear that, for the person, the core of what we hear in the Gospel is reconciliation, redemption, restoration unto God - use whatever fancy word you like, but what's important is beneath what is truly going on.
In our sessions at the retreat, we talked about the Holy Spirit in one, and then sanctification in the other. The two topics are closely related because we know that the Holy Spirit is the helper Jesus sent to help us, protect us, preserve us, teach us, etc. However, in talking about sanctification, we fell into a bit of a trap, I felt, about how we can cooperate and partner with the Spirit to help us in our journey of sanctification. Though our speaker emphasized it's not about a checklist or something of the sort, in our group discussions, we couldn't escape that concept of having markers to help us gauge where we're at. Eventually, it felt like we just needed to work harder and harder - gotta do more, and gotta try more. Needless to say, I felt a little chapped.
Staying quiet for most of the discussion, my cohort leader finally turned to me and asked me to speak up about how I deal with and teach sanctification for myself and for the community I'm in. I knew what I wanted to say, I just wasn't able to articulate it well enough for my group to get the best sense of everything I wanted to relay. Good thing I was speaking amongst a group of pastors, so I think they eventually understood because I looked at them at one point and they were all intently listening.
When we look at our Gospel, how often do we stress that it's the power of grace that sets us free? The Bible teaches, and so do we, that our salvation is not earned, it's gifted. However, when we come to sanctification, why do we find ourselves back to that "earning" mentality? Have to pray more, have to read more, have to go to church more, have to serve more. So many of these things we're supposed to invest more time and energy into just so we can become more like Christ. Don't get me wrong, it's important; but don't we ever feel overwhelmed?
Jesus said that no one can come to him unless the Father draws them to him. Our salvation takes place when God reveals himself to us, drawing us close to him so we can feel his boundless love and then respond in faith. For me, sanctification works in a similar way. I can't count how many times in my life where I've been told, whether by myself or others, to try harder and do this or do that, just to come away feeling so distant from Christ. Yet, on the other hand, sometimes when I feel compelled to be drawn in by the Spirit because of something, good or bad, that I feel so much more "sanctified" than I ever have through doing stuff.
The experiences where Christ calls me to just let go, to lay myself down at his feet, release any joy or pain I have, I've always come away from those so much stronger and so much more faithful. There's just something about being near to Christ that contributes to my journey of sanctification so much more than trying to do more. By being near Christ, because of his grace that draws me in, he fills me up in order that I may empty myself for his service again.
Sanctification means to be holy, to be set apart for God. We are called to be holy because God, himself, is holy. If salvation is a gift of grace, I don't see why sanctiication would differ so much from it. My sanctification will never be dependent on what I do or how much I try, it'll always be primarily coming back to the well that doesn't run dry. The reason I can get up with renewed faith and strengthened hope is because of Jesus pulling me closer and closer to him, letting myself go and allowing him to do so, in order that I may experience the great love that he has for me.
