God’s Part and My Part

 

One professor in seminary stated that Christians need to verbalize what they believe because in saying it, it becomes a deeper reality in our lives. This is much like these NT words:

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9–10)

These two things go together — believing in my heart and saying it with my mouth. For me, believing it in my heart and writing it on paper has much the same effect. I’m more visual than verbal and remember written truths far better than hearing the same truths. For that reason, I take sermon notes and write what I hear from God during my devotions and Bible studies.

Today, the topic is sanctification. The devotional author says it has two sides to it. I would not term it that way. It is more like the union between faith and verbalizing what I believe; both are necessary. That is, God sanctifies me and that sanctification is completed by obedience. I need to do what He puts in my heart or the sanctifying process is not complete. However, according to NT verses like this, both parts require the work of God:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

I need to do my part in being sanctified (the word means to be set apart for God) yet it is God who works in me so I want to do His will.

Nevertheless, when God works, my part is not about being “zapped” but cooperating with what He puts in my heart. I see that in these verses…

…For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:19–22)

In my new life, I have all I need to be set apart from sin, death, and this world — to serve Him. I know I cannot do godly actions without His enabling. My part includes listening to Him.

Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:22–25)

My part shown here is to say NO to evil and pray for other Christians to do the same. Jesus is faithful to set me apart for Himself and I need to cooperate..

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. (Hebrews 13:12–13)

Jesus suffered that I could be set apart for Him. My part is to go to Him and rely on Him even if it means I may suffer too.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. (1 Thessalonians 4:3–6)

My part in this is obvious. Being set apart for God means I don’t mess around with this or any other kind of sin. Instead, I need to be thankful that I and other Christians belong to Him and can let that show up in godly living. We know that sin has consequences, even forgiven sin.

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

PRAY: Oh Lord, because of You, I am in Christ Jesus and cannot boast about anything, not even my obedience because Jesus is my wisdom, as well as my righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). I am so grateful for this incredible salvation and that You have set me apart from the world, my old nature, and the devil’s deceit and adopted me to be Your child and to serve You.