Remember Jesus, who sanctifies

For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have on source. Hebrews 2:11a

This is an important subject. Jesus is not a catch-all. Your salvation is not an excuse to sin. If you think that because Jesus paid the price for your sins, you now get to continue to rebel against Him and live in your sin, I think you need to check your heart on this. Jesus doesn't love you so that you can keep enjoying your sin. He saves you to life. Abundant life. He saves you to the pursuit of holiness. He saved you to being made like Him. He saves you to Himself.

Max Lucado wrote, "God loves you enough to accept you right where you are, and too much to leave you there" God knows how the world and human life work best. All of His statutes are for our good, to help us glorify and enjoy Him forever.

Sometimes I think it's helpful to look at the big picture, the end from the beginning. In heaven, we will join the other redeemed saints in singing praises to Jesus 24/7 forever. Forever and ever. Right now, would you enjoy that, honestly? What else would you want to do? Would you want to have family game night or go to movies or work out or cook or...? The list goes on and on. We still love other things with the affections that belong to Jesus. The goal of sanctification is to help us love Jesus.

Sanctification is hard. It's messy. It hurts. We don't want to let go of our things. We like trying to love the world. But Jesus came in order to make us His brother! We will be like Him! That's what He's trying to accomplish.

he disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:10b-11

Sanctification does not always seem fun or enjoyable, but take hear that it is Christ who works in you for your good and His glory.

For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

I have a song for you today,

And also a (non-31days) blog post a friend shared this week.

Let these be our cries to Jesus our sanctifier today.