1st Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour.
This passage of scripture describes for us the results of the work of sanctification in our hearts which is accomplished solely through the power of God working in us, as we cooperate with Him. The apostle Paul says here that we should "Abound more and more", meaning that there should be a continual growth in the active Christian virtues as we behold the perfect character of The Lord Jesus from day to day. This pertinent comment given by Paul also infers that anyone who is being sanctified by God cannot be stagnant in growth and development, and definitely will not be retrogressive by any means.
Justification is the means whereby we are placed in a right relationship with God through the sacrifice of His Son, but sanctification is the "Nuts and bolts" of the work of salvation as it takes place on a day to day basis within our hearts. Many of us as Christians begin our walk with the Lord through justification, but some of us do not proceed to the advanced level of being sanctified, and because of this our profession of Christ becomes nominal, being held at bay from interfacing with our everyday experiences, through which the truths and principles of God's word are applied directly in every situation we may find ourselves.
One of the reasons why this is often the case is because we sometimes harbor erroneous doctrines and errors that are popular with the masses, which in turn prevent us from understanding or believing the truth, and the result is that God cannot do for us what we do not believe or subscribe to, for then He would be forcing His ways upon us without our acknowledgement or consent, something which He never ever does. The truth is the main ingredient in the process of sanctification, and even though a person might genuinely believe on The Lord Jesus Christ, yet if errors are harbored, they will without doubt forestall the sanctification process. Let's read:
John 17:14 I have given them thy word" .... 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.
One of the more prominent errors held today by many Christians is the false doctrine which teaches its adherents that the law of God has been abolished by the death of Jesus. When this erroneous teaching is believed and adopted it opens up the floodgates of sin to run riot in our hearts, while at the same time we claim to be followers of Christ. For instance, the ninth commandment says that we should not bear false witness against anyone, which means that all forms of lying or false misrepresentation for any reason is out of harmony with the Spirit of truth. However, if we believe that the commandments are no longer valid, then when tax season comes around, many aunts and uncles, in-laws and outlaws will appear out of thin air, only to disappear without a trace into "Never land" after those fraudulent refunds are filed.
The same is true of covetousness which is the root of all sins. If we believe that God's law is no longer binding upon us, then we will inevitably think that we are at liberty to covet that which belongs to another, including, but not restricted to, material possessions, spouses and even positions of authority. It is because of covetousness why many Christian politicians often unload a barrage of attacks and and character assassinations against each other, and will go to extreme lengths to bend the facts out of context. If the law of God is held as being not applicable to us, then the inevitable result will be nominal Christianity which does not touch the heart, and the work of sanctification comes to a halt, for as Christ Himself said, the truth is what makes us free, something that can never be accomplished by error.
In our own experiences, we should be certain to appropriate the truths of God's word without altering them or watering them down to suit our carnal fancies, for if we take the Bible as it reads, together with its own correct interpretations, then the work of sanctification will be seen and manifested in our daily lives, and growth in grace will blossom exponentially and be reproduced in others. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to know the Lord as it is our privilege to, for as we behold the truth in the written and Living Word, we will be changed. Let's read:
2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!