Joseph Prince (April-24-2023) Daily Devotional: The Fuel for Right Living
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God….For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. - Hebrews 10:12, 14
Many believers are worried that when people receive the revelation of their total forgiveness in Christ, they will grow lax, take sin lightly, and go on to lead godless lives. They are worried that such teaching places no emphasis on sanctification or the desire to live holy, God-glorifying lives.
So allow me to explain here that while you have been justified and made righteous by the blood of Jesus or perfected forever, sanctification is an ongoing process in your growth as a Christian. This is why the author of the book of Hebrews says that we are being sanctified even though we are perfected forever by Christ’s one act of obedience at the cross (see today’s scripture).
As a believer you cannot become more righteous but you can become more sanctified or holy in terms of how you live your life. Justification by faith happened instantaneously—the moment you received Jesus, you were forgiven, cleansed, perfected in righteousness, and saved. You were also sanctified in Christ (Heb. 10:10).
However, it is important to understand that the revelation and outworking of your sanctification in Christ is progressive. This means that the more you grow in your relationship with the Lord Jesus, the more holy you will become in every area of your life.
I remember a precious brother writing to my ministry describing how the revelation of our forgiveness in Christ brought him into an intimacy with God that he had previously only dreamed about. “Previously, when I was trying to be a good Christian,” he said, “I was only crawling along, inch by inch. But now that I’ve got hold of grace, I’m running in my relationship with God! The more I learn about God’s amazing grace, the more I desperately want to glorify Him with my life!”
What a beautiful, true-life picture of what really happens when a person sits under teaching that uncovers the undiluted gospel of glorious grace! The revelation of forgiveness does not detract from nor is it at the expense of right living. Instead, it is the fuel that makes right living happen.
Merriam-Webster Online describes sanctification as “the state of growing in divine grace as a result of Christian commitment after conversion.” You see, it is all about growing in grace.
Establish yourself in the gospel of grace. Paul told Timothy to be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1). Peter encouraged believers to build a strong foundation with these closing words in his last epistle: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).
My friend, grace produces true holiness. The more you grow in grace—the more you are washed, again and again, by the water of the word of God’s grace—the more you grow in sanctification and holiness, and the more you allow the Holy Spirit to correct habits and thinking that keep you in bondage.
Beloved, when you experience the grace of our Lord Jesus, the allure and passing pleasures of sin fade in the light of His glory and grace. It will set you free to have the kind of relationship you’ve always longed for with God, one that is intimate, powerful, and full of peace, joy, and good fruit!
