Update on Purpose: Sanctification
While I haven't written about it in a few weeks, I have been keeping up with the Purpose Driven Life study I've been doing. I've just been busy going here and there and haven't been able to update this page in the meantime. I'm on day 29 today and have gone through the first three purposes... worship, fellowship, and sanctification. This week I'll be on the 4th purpose: servanthood.

There were some things I read this week about sanctification that stood out to me. So as usual, I will discuss those here. This is going to be a long one, so be prepared for a read!

Sanctification is kinda a 'churchy' word... I don't know that I'd just be like, "Hey, I really need to work on my sanctification." I mean what exactly does that mean? According to the book, sanctification is the process of changing us to be more like Jesus. This cannot be done without the power of God... most of the time the Holy Spirit's power is released into your life in quiet, unassuming ways that you aren't even aware of or can't feel... as a gentle whisper. God waits for us to act first... we should move ahead in our weakness, doing the right thing despite our fears and feelings. Because Christ inhabits us once we become Christians, we have the inherent ability to be Christlike and do the right thing... we just have to choose to 'tap into' that part of ourselves.

We have three main responsibilities in becoming like Christ. First we have to let go of our old ways of behaving. Secondly, we have to change the way we think. And third, we must develop new, godly habits to take the place of the old habits we give up... All of these responsibilities are rather interconnected and kinda fall into place once you really work at it.

God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us. The Bible, God's word, provides the truth we need to grow; God's people provide the support we need to grow; and circumstances provide the environment we need to practice Christlikeness. You can't grow very much if all you rely on is Bible study and prayer. Many issues in life will NEVER be changed by solely Bible study or prayer. God uses his people immensely to mold the lives of others and you can't grow in Christlikeness if you live in isolation from other believers. True spiritual maturity is all about learning to love like Jesus, and you can't practice being like Jesus without being in relationships with other people and learning to LOVE them.

Becoming like Christ isn't something that is just going to happen overnight. Its a long, slow process and this spiritual transformation will take the rest of your life. It won't even be completed here on earth... only when you get to heaven or when Jesus returns.

God is far more interested in building your character than he is anything else... sometimes we worry when God is silent on specific issues, careers for example. The book says that in all actuality, there could be many different careers that could be in God's will for your life. What God cares about most is that whatever you do, you do in a Christlike manner. I totally agree with the second part of Rick Warren's view here... However, I'm not sure that I completely agree with the first part. While I agree that during the course of our entire lives there could be multiple career paths God intends for us to take, I think that God has a specific plan for our life at all points in our lives. This matter is complicated because God has also given us free will, so we can choose not to take this path.. but then that is disobeying God. However, when it comes to chosing careers, its not something that is easily changed, so God still has the ability to work through us. But this is still all fuzzy.

Spritual growth isn't automatic. It takes an intentional commitment... we have to WANT to grow, make the DECISION to grow, make an EFFORT to grow, and PERSIST in this decision to grow. God calls us and we have to respond to his call in order to grow. Your commitments can develop you or they can destroy you, but either way they define you. This is where many people stumble... people have a hard time making commitments and sticking to them. So many of us over-commit ourselves and then we can't really give our all in any of them.. so rather getting much of anything out of any of these things we've committed to, we waste so much time.

Christlikeness is a two-part process... it involves us making Christlike choices and relying on his Spirit to help us filfill those choices.

In order to change your life, you have to change the way you think... because behind everything you do is a thought and every behavior is motivated by a belief, every action prompted by an attitude. Willpower may produce a short-term change, but it creates constant internal stress because you never dealt with the root cause. Paul said, "There must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes." (Ephesians 4:23). To be like Christ, you have to think like Christ. This is repentance... which literally means "to change your mind." The first half of this mental shift is to stop thinking immature thoughts, which are self-centered and self-seeking. The second half of thinking like Jesus is to start thinking maturely, which focuses on others, not yourself.

Christian life is far more than creeds and convictions; it includes conduct and character. Our deeds must be consistent with our creeds, and our beliefs must be backed up with Christlike behavior. Christianity is not a religion or philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle. The core of that lifestyle is thinking of others, as Jesus did, instead of ourselves. Thinking of others is the heart of Christlikeness and the best evidence of spiritual growth.

Let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God - what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect - Romans 12:2b (TEV)

God's...gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everthing you could possibly need. - Acts 20:31 (Msg)

Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth. Sanctification requires revelation... the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to make us like Jesus... we have to fill our lives with His Word to become like Jesus. To be a healthy disciple of Jesus, 'feeding' on God's Word must be your first priority... this includes three main activities...

1. Accepting its Authority - the Bible must become the authoritative standard for your life.
Much trouble we have in our lives comes from basing our choices on unreliable authorities such as culture, tradition, logic, or emotion. We need a perfect standard that won't ever lead us in the wrong direction.

2. Assimilating its truth - You must fill your mind with the Bible so that the Holy Spirit can transform you with the truth. This can be done in 5 ways:
A. Receive God's word when you listen and accept it with an open, receptive attitude.
* three unreceptive attitudes enumerated in the parable of the sower include
- a closed mind,
- a superficial mind
- a distracted mind
* unless you want to hear what God has to say, you're not going to.... its like listening to what your parents have to say when they're lecturing you... sometimes you just zone out, smile and nod...

B. Read the Bible.
* we can't watch TV for three hours, read the Bible for 3 minutes a day and then expect to grow... the amount of time spent on TV just outweighs the the time you've spent on God too much.
* daily Bible reading will help you keep in range of God's voice... always keep a copy nearby.
* something helpful is a DAILY BIBLE READING PLAN. it helps to keep you from skipping parts and overlooking sections.

C. Researching/Studying the Bible - differs from just reading by:
* asking questions of the text and writing down your insights.

D. Remembering God's word
* you remember what is important to you. If God's Word is important, you will take the time to remember it.

E. Reflecting on God's Word - MEDITATION
* meditation = focused thinking
* serious reflection on God's truth is a key to answered prayer and the secret to succesful living.

3. Apply its principles. - without implementation, all our Bible studies are worthless.

Its human nature to resist change, so applying God's word is hard work. This is why its important to discuss your personal applications with other people. Other people will help you see insights you'd miss and help you apply God's truth in a practical way. The best way to become a 'doer' of the Word is to always write out an action step as a result of your reading or studying or reflecting on God's Word. This action step should be personal, practical, and provable. Every application will involve either your relationship to God, to others, or your personal character.

Circumstances are used by God to develop character. Your circumstances are temporary, but your character will last forever. When you've been refined by trails, people can see Jesus' reflection in you. There are certain ways we can respond problems as Jesus would... Remember that God's plan is good. Rejoice and give thanks, despite our troubles.. God is going through the pain with us and he only allows us to withstand what he knows we can handle, nothing more. Refuse to give up; be patient and persistent.

Happy is the man who doesn't give in and do wrong when he is tempted, for afterwards he will get as his reward the crown of life that God has promised those who love him. - James 1:12 (LB)

My temptations have been my masters in divinity. - Martin Luther

Temptation is a stepping-stone (not a stumbling block) when you realize that it is just as much an occasion to do the right thing as it is to do the wrong thing. Temptation simply provides the choice. Every time you choose to do good instead of sin, you are growing in the character of Christ.

While happiness depends on external circumstances, joy is based on your relationship to God. We learn real peace by choosing to trust God in circumstances in which we are tempted to worry or be afraid. Patience is developed in circumstances in which we're forced to wait and are tempted to be angry or have a short fuse.

Temptation follows a four-step process:
1. Satan identifies a desire inside of you. Temptation starts when Satan suggests that you give in to an evil desire, or that you fulfill a legitimate desire in a wrong way or at the wrong time. If you didn't have the internal desire, the temptation could not attract you.

2. Satan tries to get you to doubt what God has said about the sin

3. Satan deceives you. He offers you his lie to replace what God has already said in his Word.

4. Disobedience. you believe Satan's lies and fall into the trap.

How we can overcome temptation:
-- Refuse to be intimidated. you'll never outgrow temptation... its a sign that Satan hates you, not a sign of weakness or worldliness. Temptation only becomes a sin when you give in to it. Lust is a choice to commit in your mind what you'd like to do with your body... that is an example of a temptation becoming a sin.

-- Recognize your pattern of temptation and be prepared for it. these are your weaknesses and surely Satan will target them. You should try to avoid these so you're not caught in a trap and sucked into sin.

-- Request God's help. Jesus is sympathetic to our struggle. We want to give into temptation even though we know its wrong... we're embarassed to ask God for help because we keep giving in to the same temptation over and over. God's love is everlasting and his patience endures forever.

How to Defeat temptation:
** Refocus your attention on something else. This can mean physically leaving a tempting situation. To reduce temptation, keep your mind occupied with God's word and other good things.

** Reveal your struggle to a godly friend or support group. you need at least one person you can honestly share your struggle with. Satan wants you to think your sin and temptation are unique so you must keep them a secret. But the truth is that we all face the same temptations... the reason we hide our faults is pride. People talk about having an 'accountability partner' which is a great idea. I haven't really found anyone that I can do this with completely. They strongly encourage you to pick a person of the same gender to be your accountability partner, which is kinda difficult for me because I tend to hang out with mostly guys and don't have that many female friends that I'm very close to... especially not Christian ones. I mean, I share a LOT of stuff with Robbie and trust him enormously with stuff like that. He's been a really good Christian friend to confide in, but there are some things I just can't talk to him about...it just wouldn't be appropriate.

** Resist the devil. this can be done by first accepting God's salvationl. Then use the word of God as your weapon against satan. Never try to argue with the Devil.

** Realize your vulnerability. don't carelessly place yourself in tempting situations. This is something I've learned to do, although its tough sometimes to miss out on hanging out with my friends and everything when I do avoid the situations... but in the long run its best for me.

So why does spiritual growth take so long??
1. We're slow learners.
2. We have a lot to unlearn.
3. We're afraid to humbly face the truth about ourselves.
4. Growth is often painful and scary... you have to let go of the old ways to experience the new
5. Habits take time to develop... you have to practice them. habits aren't instant

Some ways to cooperate with God during your process of spiritual growth. Believe that God is working in your life even when you don't feel it. I struggle with this a lot. I know that I've gone through a 'lower' point in my Christian walk recently and basically it was because I was discouraged from not hearing God. Secondly, keep a notebook/journal of things you learned. Then, be patient with God and with yourself. And don't get discouraged. Remember how far you've come not how far you have left to go because though you might not be where you want to be, you're farther than where you began.

So that's what I've learned this week.