For the past couple of years, my husband and I have had the joy of participating in a church small group that is going through Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. The members of the group have affectionately dubbed themselves, Thursday Theology.
While I thoroughly enjoy spending time with the members of this group reading, learning, discussing, and growing together, there are, of course, certain chapters and topics that speak to me right where I am. One of those was Chapter 38: Sanctification (Growth in Likeness to Christ).
Imagine that, with our emphasis on growing in Christlikeness!
In Chapter 38, sanctification is defined as a progressive work of God and believers that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives (page 924).
Grudem then continues in the chapter by discussing such things as the difference between justification and sanctification, the three stages of sanctification, how God and believers cooperate in sanctification, and more.
In our explorations of spiritual transformation (growth in Christlikeness/sanctification) over the past couple of years, we have touched on many of the points expounded upon in this chapter of Systematic Theology. Nevertheless, there is one section of the chapter that I felt compelled to look at a bit more closely with you.
Sanctification Affects the Whole Person
As we examine the truth surrounding spiritual transformation and explore some of the means for carrying out our part of the work, it is important that we understand that this process is not one that affects a singular part of our being.
GOD’S IMAGE BEARERS
Integration is embodied in the life of Christ, who put on humanity when He took His place in time and history. In His human form, Christ’s experiences involved many aspects of His being. Emotionally, He wept and felt the pain of abandonment while on the cross. Spiritually, He endured temptations. And physically, His body knew hunger, thirst, and the pain of crucifixion.
Created in God’s image, we, too, are integrated beings.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Mark 12:30 (Emphasis mine)
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Mark 14:38 (Emphasis mine)
These verses and others speak to the integration of our being.
INTELLECT AND KNOWLEDGE
Growth in Christlikeness will involve growth in wisdom and knowledge. We see this in the letters of Paul (Colossians 3:10; Philippians 1:9; Romans 12:2).
Of course, our knowledge of God should be more than simply the things we know in our mind (intellectual). But there should certainly be an intellectual component to it, for how can our heart love what our mind does not know.
EMOTIONS
Likewise, growth in sanctification will affect our emotions. The Bible tells us that our negative emotions will be put away (Ephesians 4:31) and be replaced by emotions that reflect the character of Christ (Galatians 5:22) as we grow more and more into His image.
In other words, as we grow in Christlikeness, we will be more and more able to “abstain from the passions of the flesh” (1 Peter 2:11) and delight to do God’s will.
WILL
The will is our decision-making capability, and sanctification will affect it just as it affects our intellect/knowledge and emotions. This is because God is at work in us (Philippians 2:13). As we experience spiritual transformation, our will will be more and more conformed to that of our Heavenly Father’s.
SPIRIT
The nonphysical part of our being (spirit) will also be affected by sanctification. Again, this can be seen in the letters of Paul, particularly his letters to the Corinthians.
In 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul tells his readers to “cleanse [themselves] from every defilement of body and spirit.” And in 1 Corinthians 7:34, he writes to them to take thought for “how to be holy in body and spirit.” These verses confirm that we are integrated beings and that sanctification affects our spirit.
PHYSICAL BODY
Finally, we must not overlook the fact that sanctification affects our physical body. This is clearly seen when Paul says, “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” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
As we grow in Christlikeness, our bodies become increasingly useful as conduits for God’s work. They also become more and more responsive to His will and the desires of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 9:27). Therefore, we should treat our bodies with care (Romans 6:12; 1 Corinthians 6:13, 6:19-20).
As we continue our journey of sanctification, may we always remember that the process affects our whole being!
