God never treats our sanctification lightly, but He always puts it to the test. He will come between ourselves and that which we love until we can hold what we love with light hands. “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac” (Genesis 22:2). God will demand our Isaac as often as it is necessary to reduce him to something expendable. God never tests us on what we hate, but what we love can easily turn us aside from doing His will.
I must never forget the object of my sanctification. It is them. “For their sakes I sanctify Myself,” said Jesus (John 17:19). When I made my decision to trust Christ for salvation, that was for my sake. But God never stops working on us until we are ready for the second decision: Are we willing to sanctify ourselves for their sakes? The moment we say yes, that moment God begins to perfect our sanctification by weaning us away from every selfish desire in it. God knows that unfulfilled sanctification leads to backsliding, and untested sanctification leads to carnality.
Sanctification always needs the spirit of readiness. Our lamps must be constantly trimmed and burning (Matthew 25:1-13). By being ready I am preparing the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3), who longs to intervene redemptively in every human situation. My ready sanctification, for their sakes, acts like a well-grounded conductor ready to receive the lightning of God’s power and transmit it to human need. Sanctification is never an inward, subjective thing and never asks, “Am I getting holier every day?” It becomes an out- ward thing, concerned with the spiritual welfare of others, and asks, “How can I bring the power and love of my heavenly Father to them?” The sanctification of Jesus was God’s greatest love letter to the world. I am well sanctified when I become a fair copy of that love letter.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Daily with the King 