Sanctification

Sometimes it is hard to understand what Paul is talking about when he exhorts us to “work out our salvation”. Isn’t it a one-time decision…an acceptance of God’s free gift? Isn’t it by faith…not by works. Paul is not talking about our salvation in terms of our rightness with God. When you make that decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it is binding. You cannot lose or earn your salvation. What Paul is talking about is “sanctification”. It is the daily dying to ourselves and our sin and taking up Jesus’ cross and following Him.

What does “daily dying to self” look in my life? First of all I am not alone in the process. Thankfully the Holy Spirit goes before me, behind me, to the left and to the right. It is not possible to die to self on our own. We are after all fallen. Each day I get up and face the day – hand in hand with the Holy Spirit. I work in a job in which I am surrounded by Christians. I spend time in staff prayer. I have a job that does not “tempt me”, surround me in poor language, difficult situations, etc. For that I am thankful. However, I do live in a neighborhood, go to the grocery store, have friends outside the church and parent children who have friends with families. In all of these things I believe my life is a witness to others and my dying to the selfish attitudes, anger, etc. is not only a process for me, but a challenge to those around me. Dying to self helps me to portray Christ in my world.

Darla Benjamin