Have you ever seen an old piggy bank? A really old piggy bank doesn’t have a rubber stopper in the bottom. How do you get the money out? You have to smash it! This is similar to our process of sanctification.
What does our catechism say about sanctification?
Question 34 of Spurgeon’s Catechism: What is sanctification?
The Answer: Sanctification is the work of God’s Spirit, where we are made new again in the image of God, made able to die to sin more and more, and live a holier life.
Notice who the sanctifier is. God is the sanctifier. We are the sanctified. He does the work, and we receive the benefit. Notice the difference. He is our Creator, and our re-Creator. He makes us as we are His creation, and He remakes us through the work of the Spirit, as a response to hearing the Gospel. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…(2 Corinthians 5:17). Our ability to die to sin and live to righteousness is all of grace, all of Christ. Our work is a response to what God is doing in us. He is the worker, and we are the work. God doesn’t justify us, and say “good luck buddy.” No, He moves us along every inch of the way.
How?
How does God sanctify us? He uses the ordinary means. Ordinary means is the historic term for going to church week in and week out, hearing the Word preached, singing the Word, participating in the visible Word (baptism and Lord’s Supper), and praying the Word. Do you see a common theme here? The Word sanctifies. Of course the Holy Spirit would use His Sword to slice the sin out of our lives. …the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Do you want to be more sanctified? Of course you do, every Christian wants to be more sanctified. God works in us by His Spirit through these wonderful graces. Come, be fed the Word. God will keep His promise to sanctify those whom He justifies.
How else?
God also uses circumstances to sanctify His children. Remember the piggy bank at the beginning. You, Christian, are the piggy bank, and God is smashing you so that the glorious Gospel will shine forth.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; (2 Corinthians 4:7)
The treasure of the Gospel is in you, Christian. God is smashing you so that the treasure will be visible for all to see. Our circumstances may not be fun or even pleasurable, but we can trust the our kind Father is doing all things for His glory and our good.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
What is Paul getting at here? Afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down? Really? Joel Osteen, I want my money back. This isn’t my best life now. I want comfort, ease, wealth, health. Paul is showing us that God wants what’s best for us, and the best thing is exactly what is happening right now, Christian. That hard thing is the best thing for you. How do I know? Because God is a kind Father who provides what’s best for His children. We have a wonderful Savior, who experience all of this, and more, on our behalf. Afflicted? Look to Christ. Perplexed? Look to Christ. Persecuted? Look to Christ. Struck down? Look to Christ? Cancer? Look to Christ. Betrayed? Look to Christ. Lost a job, lost a family member, lost a home? Look to Christ. God is smashing the piggy bank. He is bringing affliction our way so that the glory of the Gospel will be brought forth, and His grace will be on full display. Affliction is hard. Sanctification ain’t easy, just ask Job.
Did Job love God more at the beginning of the book of Job, or at the end? At the end, of course. But why? Because the affliction that Job endured was a sanctifying grace. Job knew more of his Redeemer after this affliction. Job was afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, but he was sustained by a gracious God through the trials. Avoiding trials doesn’t show us Christ nearly as much as having Him with us in the trials. All of these hard things came to Job, and come to us so that we will dwell upon the One who is with us through it all. We aren’t crushed, Christ is with us. We aren’t despairing, Christ is with us. We aren’t forsaken, Christ is with us. We aren’t destroyed, Christ is with us. The glorious Gospel of grace shines forth as the piggy bank is smashed. This treasure in earthen vessels. Breaking the bank so the treasure is revealed.
Even Paul was smashed so that the glory of the treasure of Christ would shine forth. Don’t believe me? Read Acts, arrested, forsaken, abandoned, shipwrecked, target of an assassination attempt, bitten by a viper.
Don’t believe me? Read Philippians 4, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.
Don’t believe me? Read 2 Timothy 4, I am already being poured out as a drink offering.
Don’t believe me? Read 2 Corinthians 11, imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Yeah, God was smashing Paul so that the glory of the Gospel would be seen in his life, and God is doing the same thing for you, Christian. Breaking the bank so the treasure of the Gospel can be seen. Graciously breaking the bank, and letting you know that HE IS WITH YOU. He is with you through every trial, every hardship, and He is using these things to conform you into the image of His beloved Son.
Very good