The "Process" of Sanctification

The pastor on the radio introduced his message on repentance by saying, “Repentance is at the core of the Christian faith. It is absolutely an essential step in both our salvation and our ongoing walk with the Lord Jesus Christ; a process that the Lord calls Sanctification.” Repentance does play a role in our salvation. Jesus spoke of repenting and believing the Gospel. This is a one-time act that happens the moment an individual goes from unbelief in Jesus Christ as their savior to accepting Him as their savior. However, I don’t believe it plays a role in our ongoing walk as Christians because our sanctification is not a process. There is a difference between trying to live a life of obedience and repentance with a goal of getting more sanctified and realizing that you are already as sanctified as you will ever be and are to live a life of discovering all that you already possess.

 “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,  waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified (Hebrews 10:11-14).” 

If sanctification is a process, then what is that process? Don’t answer that! Why? Because the minute you begin to formulate an answer you are creating a law. And if you create a law, by definition there is a work that must be performed in order to obey it. Conversely, there must be a penalty enacted for the disobedience of that law. If there is a work that must be performed then grace is no longer grace. If repentance plays a role in your ongoing walk with the Lord how is that any different than a priest “offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take way sins”? It is not, because when your average Christian talks about repentance they mean, “I used to commit a certain sin, but now I don’t.” Oops, you did it again. Now what? Did you not really repent the first time? And even if you never committed that sin again, what about the endless amounts of other sins you commit; some you don’t even know you did or remember doing? Your entire life becomes consumed with sin and the vicious cycle of sin, repent, sin, repent and so on. If you could make yourself more sanctified (i.e. holy) there was no point in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His one sacrifice made you holy! 

When Jesus died, He offered an inheritance, the will of God, that you received when you accepted Jesus Christ by faith. Part of that will is that you are perfect and made holy. You don’t grind out the Christian life trying to get through a lifestyle of repentance, that which you already have received by faith. If God calls you to a Sabbath rest from your daily works, how is it some teach that sanctification is a process? It doesn’t mesh. You can’t rest if there is work to be done. You either are holy or you get holy. You either are sanctified or you get sanctified. Jesus either did it all or He did nothing at all. If you repent of anything, repent of your unbelief in the finished work of Jesus Christ.