Reading this brought to my mind the scripture in Revelation that speaks of one leaving his first love. This scripture tells us to repent and do our first works. I also thought of the scripture that tells us we are sanctified by the spirit and through belief in the truth.

The bible tells us the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord. We are sanctified by the spirit through belief in the truth. Again, if you insist that Christians can still sin, what do you do with the scripture in 1 John that tells us he that is born of God doth not commit sin. And again, he that sinneth is of the devil. And again if we say that we know God and keep not his commandments we are liars?

Thank you so much for this honest discussion of your struggles!! It’s very refreshing. I’ve been Googling madly (in possibly 3 senses senses of the word !) for for helpful stuff on all this! I’ve been blessed by your article and many of the comments…I envy those who can sit with you and discuss/pray re: it all. So…..thanks!!

I’m a 61 yr.-old married (not easy) mom of 4 who accepted Christ when I was 30 or so. Lately I have been having similar questions about who I am in Christ. Especially when my faith is put to test- as in everyday life, forgiveness, love patience, etc..
Satan is really working hard to pull as many of us away from the Father and His perfect, unconditional love and forgiveness for His children (us) Satan determined, completely evil but he is not omniscient. But our Father in heaven is and He also is completely aware of our past, current and future imperfections. Because He loves us, God gave us His Son as a standard to work toward (not as in works for salvation : ) but He makes it clear that because we are not perfect like Jesus that we will struggle as we attempt to be more like Him. Because this in this quest is our only hope for peace and joy on this earth. And so we pray always for faith, jHis protection and His guideance to fill us with His love beyond anything we can ask or imagine.
I didn’t read the comments to your post so maybe someone else suggested that C.S. Lewis might be where we might find some clarity for our human conundrum. I have learned that the battle between good and evil doesn’t end until we die and that no one said it was going to be easy. That’s not very much for 61 years- but I know that God is with me and that’s all I need for now.
Matthew tells us how to recognize a true believer and how much God knows us for who we are right now. Stay in the Word and try not to intellectualize too much because it just makes the truth more remote.
Love, Barbara

[...] Rethinking Sanctification Because I Have to This is a recent posting by Reclaiming The Mind’s Michael Patton at http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2009/09/rethinking-sanctification-because-i-have-to/ [...]

Re: sanctification: what is it.
In the OT all the pots, pans, flesh hooks, etc. etc. were “sanctified” initially unto the Lord. They were not re-sanctified every day. They were, however, WASHED every day. The only time they were sort of un-sanctified was when they were dragged away to be used in the temples of Babylon. Jesus told Peter that he didn’t need to be washed all over–only his dirty feet. Peter was “sanctified” to Jesus, but his feet were dirty from the dusty roads they travelled–wearing sandals! He only needed his feet to be washed. I think we have spooky ideas about sanctification!

Many people see any ” problem with sanctification,” as being 1) their simple inability to obey good laws.

My problem with sanctification? I’m 2) not convinced that all the rules are really, actually, themselves, entirely good. Preachers load us up with Scruples. Petty “moral” rules, that might not really be moral. Scruples that may – or may not – reflect important virtues; might not really reflect what the Bible itself really meant to call for. LIke obeying the letter of the law. Like actually, literally sacrificing a goat on passover? Or praying continuously?

And in fact I think that’s the reason most people have trouble with becoming sanctification; deep down, they are not really convinced that all the various scruples we’ve been ordered to honor, are really, actually, true and good. Or even, really, from God.

The Catholic CHurch attempts to deal with this, by acknowledging that there is such a thing as over-scrupulosity. Does the Protestant Church have something similar?

Judging by your new found understanding of and definition for sanctification, I’d say you have been sanctified all along.

Thank you for you candor and insight! I have the same thoughts daily. I wonder why I am not getting “gooder” I have been a Christian 20 years and I still have these thoughts. Conclusion: maybe I am not a Christian. Oh and church excuses. I love my church. I love attending. I also love sleeping late, enoying French toast and coffee and reading the newspaper which is spread all over the table. Conclusion: I must not be as spritual as so and so. Or I don’t love the Lord enough if I am wanting French toast instead of Him. I am devoted to prayer in the mornings but I wonder why I don’t “hear the Lord speaking to me” like the believers who speak at Women of Faith conferences. Conclusion: I must not be a Christian or at least not a deep one.

However, I go back to the basics. Christ died for my sins. I believe on HIm for eternal life. I belive Scripture is the inspired Word of God. And though I may not be “santified” in my terms, I must be in His.

Dear Michael,

I have not the depth of knowledge that the people who post here have. My experience is from a “different”. I was raised a Roman Catholic and studied RC dogma – which in my opinion is only related to theology as a process result not as a methodology at understanding or at least attempting to understand God works and attributes. Now I am a full fledged “Protest-ant” transformed at least in my experience 11 years ago living the “always reforming” and seeking a discipline to express my relationship with the our Lord and Savior.

I am not going into a long polemic about the RC church and what I think is wrong or why. What I wanted to say is that they offer something that is, I think, not “really”available to our community that may be of assistance in what you are going through. It is called “The lives of the Saints.” This is not an argument for intercession in the sense that a RC might mean it. You see, in that institution more than in ours the lives of the “heroically saintly” are more closely examined and the information published more than in our tradition. They feel that those are models for us to find value. I think they are right. I think that a trained researcher like yourself will find value and an answer. If you study the life of Francis of Assisi, John of God, or, Teilhard De Chardin (who I think you would really like) or Theresa of Avila (the last three my personal favorites). Each of these saints expressed the ‘dark night” that you speak of. Each suffered the uncertainty, the pain, the doubt and each found an answer. Like John Wesley or Martin Luther in our tradition, they each went through the spiritual “pounding” and the result is that the tenderness of the searcher grows more acute as they move passed the mundane. We call it sanctification and for the most part with a few exceptions have left it to the individual and unexamined. I realize that is a broad statement and may be ignorant on my part, but I am commenting on what I seem to see We seem to parse Paul but not the “sacrament” of sanctification.

So we ask each other as we should, “what is happening to me?” Are we not brothers and sisters to each other? We respond. But the answers are missing the intimacy that leads to satisfaction. I say you are not alone and it has happened many times before and the lives of the saints will allow you to move past this or at the very least give you insight so you can move to the next thing God has in mind for you and maybe if grace allows, some respite from your pain. In my own search, I have found value doing such.

I hope you will forgive me my delay in responding but I prayed for days about this. That I was giving you something that would be of value. I am very ignorant and could have very simply proved it here. You are in my prayers.

With much affection,

jay saldana