In Christ You are Sanctified by Jesus

I have a confession to make. I am not good at all at making myself better. I read all the books (cliff notes really) and blog posts on how to hack my life and get just that much better. I hear stories of "holy" people and I think to myself, "man I would love to be that good." But then I spend ten minutes with myself and it is abundantly clear; I have a long way to go and I am awful at making myself better. I am just not that disciplined. I too easily forget who I am and what has been declared over me.

Then I read these words: "For he who sanctified and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers" (Hebrews 2:11 ESV).

Did you see that? He who sanctifies and the one sanctified have one source. Jesus.

Jesus is the sanctifier and source of sanctification. It is his work in me. The author of Hebrews does not say that Jesus provides help to those working out sanctification. He says, Jesus accomplishes, Jesus is the sanctification. In giving up my feeble attempts to improve myself and yielding to the work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, I will be better.

Friends, it is okay to want to be better. Just don't for one second think you can make yourself better. Know that in your union with Christ, at repentance and belief in him, he is the one, the source of your becoming more like him. He is sanctifying you. That is good news.

But there is more. Just as he sanctifies you, and because he sanctifies you, he is not ashamed of you. Let that sink in deep Christian.

JESUS IS NOT ASHAMED OF YOU. Ever. In him, he calls you brother. He calls you sister. And he is proud of it. No shame. No condemnation. Nothing of your own ability. All of him, he is the worker and the source. You are the one that is sanctified.

That sure sounds good to me, and I hope it does to you too.

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