Abiding in Christ: The Daily Work of Sanctification
Sanctification in the Bible is God’s loving work of setting a person apart for Himself and slowly shaping that person to live in truth and goodness. It is not a cold religious idea. It is the way God takes a real human life, with struggles and weakness, and patiently cleans it, guides it, and teaches it how to walk with Him.
Jesus shows us the heart of sanctification in His own prayer. He says, “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth”(John 17:17, ASV). This tells us something very important. Sanctification does not come from feelings, titles, or claims. It comes from God’s word entering a person’s life and changing the way they think, choose, and live. Truth is not only something to know. Truth is something that works on the heart and reshapes the path of life.
When someone comes to Jesus in a real way, sanctification begins. Jesus says, “Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3, ASV). This means God starts the cleansing when a person receives His word. But Jesus immediately adds, “Abide in me, and I in you” (John 15:4, ASV). This shows that sanctification is not a single moment that ends the work. It is a living relationship. To abide means to stay, to remain, to continue. Sanctification grows as a person stays close to Jesus and does not walk away from His words.
Sanctification changes how a person lives. Jesus never separates holiness from obedience. He says, “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ASV). Love for Jesus is not proved by words alone, but by a willing heart that listens and follows. This obedience is not about earning God’s love. It is the natural fruit of a heart that trusts Him. Jesus also says, “If ye abide in my word, then are ye truly my disciples; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32, ASV). Freedom from sin grows as a person continues in His word. Sanctification is the path from being trapped by sin to being freed from its power.
This process is compassionate and patient. God does not demand instant perfection. Jesus Himself teaches us to live one day at a time when He says, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34, ASV). Sanctification is daily. Each day, a person learns again to trust God, to turn away from sin, and to walk in His ways. The struggle may continue, but surrendering to sin is not acceptable. God works with those who keep coming back to Him.
The disciples taught the same truth. Peter writes, “Like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living” (1 Peter 1:15, ASV). Holiness touches every part of life, not just religious moments. In Acts, we read that God cleanses hearts by faith, “cleansing their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9, ASV). This faith is not empty belief. It is trust that opens the heart for God to clean it. As God cleans the heart, the life begins to change.
The Old Testament lays the foundation for this understanding. God says, “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am Jehovah your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them” (Leviticus 20:7–8, ASV). Sanctification and obedience have always gone together. The psalmist asks how a person can live a clean life and answers, “By taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9, ASV). God’s word has always been the tool He uses to cleanse and guide His people.
So what should a person do? Come to Jesus honestly. Listen to His words. Stay with Him. When His word shows something that needs to change, do not resist it. When you fail, return to Him instead of hiding. Read His teachings. Pray with a willing heart. Choose obedience even when it is hard. Trust that God is patient and faithful to complete the work He has begun.
Sanctification is not about fear. It is about belonging. It is God saying, “You are Mine, and I will teach you how to walk with Me.” It is a life being slowly shaped by truth, guided by love, and prepared to stand in God’s presence. This is the path Jesus sets before His followers, a living path of truth, obedience, and growing holiness.
