Worth Waiting For
Sanctification is both an immediate reality and an unfolding journey. The moment a believer trusts in Christ, they are sanctified—set apart as holy, justified in His name, and made completely new in spirit. Yet, the realization of this truth in daily life is something the Holy Spirit patiently works out over time. Many expect that grasping a biblical truth should instantly translate into consistent experience, but God, in His wisdom, unfolds the reality of our sanctification step by step, shaping our lives to reflect the fullness of what is already ours in Christ.
Paul understood this process when he wrote, “I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12). Though fully sanctified in Christ, he pressed on, knowing that his daily walk was being conformed to the wholeness already secured in Him.
This journey can be compared to the phases of the moon. At times, the evidence of sanctification in a believer’s life may seem faint, like the thin crescent of a new moon. Yet, just as the moon never ceases to be whole even when only a sliver is visible, so too does the believer already possess complete sanctification in Christ. Day by day, as they walk with Him, what is true in heaven becomes increasingly visible on earth, until they grow into “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
God has placed sanctification within every believer, held secure with Christ, and unveils it gradually through daily communion. There is no need for striving or discouragement in the waiting, for the fullness of what is promised is certain. As 1 Thessalonians 5:23 affirms, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly.” This is His work, and He is faithful to complete it.
Prayer of Trust
Father, You have sanctified us in Christ, and we rest in the certainty that You are bringing forth in our lives what is already complete in Him. Every day, You unveil the fullness of Your work, and we trust in the process of Your Spirit conforming us to the image of Christ. Thank You for securing all things in Him and for faithfully leading us forward. We walk in confidence, knowing that what You have begun, You will bring to completion. Amen.
Final Thought
Sanctification is not about striving to become something we are not, but about walking in the unfolding reality of what we already are in Christ.
(Credit: Insights drawn from Abide Above, "Worth Waiting For")