Today’s Scripture: Titus 2:13-14

“Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for us . . . to purify for himself a people for his own.”

Holiness or sanctification is an actual conformity within us to the likeness of Christ begun at the time of our salvation and completed when we’re made perfect in his presence. This process of gradually conforming us to the likeness of Christ begins at the very moment of our salvation when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and to actually give us a new life in Christ. We call this gradual process progressive sanctification, or growing in holiness, because it truly is a growth process.

The holiness we have in Christ is purely objective, outside of ourselves. It’s Christ’s perfect holiness imputed to us because of our union with him, and it affects our standing before God. God is pleased with us because he is pleased with Christ. Progressive sanctification is subjective or experiential and is the work of the Holy Spirit within us imparting to us the life and power of Christ, enabling us to respond in obedience to him.

Both aspects of sanctification are gifts of God’s grace. We deserve neither our holy standing before God nor the Spirit’s sanctifying work in our lives. Both come to us by his grace because of the merit of Jesus Christ.

Progressive sanctification begins in us with an instantaneous act of God at the time of our salvation. God always gives justification and this initial imparting of sanctification at the same time. The author of Hebrews described this truth in this way: “?his is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,’ then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more’” (Hebrews 10:16-17). (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

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