Sanctification
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" Colossians 3:1-4
When we answer the call of salvation in our lives (confession, repentance, believing); We're then called to holiness as children of God. This is the work of Sanctification in our lives.
Don't mistake this for living a perfect life. Instead sanctification is a moment by moment, day by day, striving to look more like Christ than we did before. All for God's glory and not our own. We've already fallen short, and we're going to miss the mark in our lives often. We then are to respond in a way that honor's God in confession and trusting His forgiveness. God is calling us to pursue Him and at Connect Church we believe the 2 most important aspects of this pursuit are faithfully meeting God in His Word (The Bible) and faithfully meeting with God in prayer.
"The growth of trees and plants takes place so slowly that it is not easily seen. Daily we notice little change. But, in course of time, we see that a great change has taken place. So it is with grace. Sanctification is a progressive, lifelong work (Prov 4:18). It is an amazing work of God's grace and it is a work to be prayed for (Rom 8:27)."
― John Owen
Meet God in his word
“No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute for it. There simply is no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture. The reasons for this are obvious. In the Bible God tells us about Himself, and especially about Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God. The Bible unfolds the Law of God to us and shows us how we’ve all broken it. There we learn how Christ died as a sinless, willing Substitute for breakers of God’s Law and how we must repent and believe in Him to be right with God. In the Bible we learn the ways and will of the Lord. We find in Scripture how God wants us to live, and what brings the most joy and satisfaction in life. None of this eternally essential information can be found anywhere else except the Bible. Therefore if we would know God and be godly, we must know the Word of God—intimately.”
― Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
The first step for growing closer to God and in personal holiness has to be the constant intake of God's Word. We learn more of God and His character through his Word, and through His Spirit and prayer we seek to reflect who He is to the world.
You can find reading guides and online access to the Bible (ESV) by clicking HERE. If you don't own a Bible, let us know when you visit us at Connect and we'll make sure you have one when you leave. We'd love to talk to you about God's Word--how to study it, understand, and interpret it.
Meet God in Prayer
"True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that - it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth."
― Charles Spurgeon
We echo the words from Spurgeon - that prayer in the life of a Christian is not simply a chore. Instead we graciously have the ability to speak with God the Father.
We meet with God in prayer to worship and thank Him for his mercy. We put before him our shortcomings and where we desperately need His strength, encouragement, wisdom, etc. Prayer is where we ask God for wisdom to rightly interpret His Word so we can walk accordingly.
For a full resource on prayer and how it should be shaping our lives, please visit the dedicated resource page from Desiring God Ministries, found HERE.