Our Role in Sanctification Is To Surrender to God’s Will and the Holy Spirit’s Work

Section 7: Salvation – Part 2

Week 2: Sanctification

Day 5: Our Role in Sanctification Is To Surrender to God’s Will and the Holy Spirit’s Work

Rom. 8:9-13, Gal. 5:13-25

We’ve noted that the Holy Spirit’s work is essential to our sanctification.  Now, the Holy Spirit is working in the lives of every believer, but not all of us experience the kind of growth we might expect. Why? In short, we don’t respond appropriately to the Spirit’s work. Instead of accepting the truths he id teaching us and putting those truths into practice in our particular circumstances, for various reasons, we resist him. That’s why surrender is essential to experiencing greater spiritual growth.

Think back to our earlier discussion on Scripture. We noted how easy it is for us to try to distort God’s word rather than putting it to work in our lives. Sometimes that’s because we honestly misunderstand it. More often it’s because we just don’t want to do what God is telling us to do. The root problem of our failure to grow spiritual then is our unwillingness to give up the things we cherish. If we want to become more like Christ, we need to be willing to not only listen to the Holy Spirit, but actually do what he prompts us to do. When we respond in that way to his work, we inevitably develop Christ-like habits that develop into Christ-like character. When we resist the Spirit’s work, though, we inevitably reinforce our sinful habits and sinful character.

Reflection Questions:

The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in your life. In what areas do you find that comforting? In what areas are you tempted to resist the Spirit’s work? Why? What are you nervous the Spirit might do or change?

Challenge:

Identify an area in your life where you have not made a change you know the Holy Spirit is prompting you to make. Look for ways to start making that change today.