God’s Role in Sanctification
2: 13
God’s role in sanctification DIG: Who sanctifies us? How are we sanctified? Why are we sanctified? What is the result of our sanctification? In light of working out your salvation, what part is up to God? How does ADONAI use holy discontent and holy aspiration to motivate us to do the work of sanctification?
REFLECT: How are you doing by balancing your role in sanctification and God’s role? Do you sometimes try to take the steering wheel of your life and put God in the back seat? Or do you sometimes think that God will do all the heavy lifting and you don’t have to do anything? How can either one be really bad for you?
Even though sanctification takes a great effort on our part, it is totally dependent on God’s power.
As John MacArthur has stated in his commentary on Philippians, there are two equal and opposite errors into which believers may fall concerning the doctrine of sanctification (to see link click Ay – The Believers Role in Sanctification: two aspects). On the one hand, quietists stress God’s role in sanctification, to the virtual exclusion of any human effort. Pietists, in contrast, emphasize self-effort at the expense of reliance on God’s power. In Philippians 2:12-13, the apostle Paul avoids both of those unbiblical extremes, and presents the true balanced view of sanctification. Having presented the believer’s responsibility in sanctification in 2:12, Paul, in verse 13 focuses on God’s role in the believer’s sanctification. While believers are working “out” their sanctification, God is working “in” you. In fact, apart from the reality of verse 13, the fulfillment of verse 12 would be impossible.
Yeshua stressed that truth in the Upper Room Discourse, given to His apostles on the night before His death: Remain in Me, as I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:4-5). In this verse, Paul indicates the divine work of sanctification by emphasizing five key features about ADONAI: His Person, His power, His Presence, His purpose, and His pleasure.
His Person: For it is God (2:13a NASB 1995). The first truth about God’s part in believer’s sanctification is His Personhood, which is made clear by the personal pronouns who and His and by the verbs to will and to work. Most pagan deities are described as impersonal, remote, and indifferent. But the true and living God of Scripture is real and personal. The Bible doesn’t try to prove that God is a Person because it assumes that He is. In both the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah He is spoken of in anthropomorphic (human like) terms, such as having eyes and seeing, of having ears and hearing, of having feet and walking, of love and hating, weeping and laughing, condemning and forgiving. He thinks, feels, acts, and speaks – all elements of being a real living Person. He has a personal concern for mankind, and especially for His children. That personal concern is also seen in His work in believers.
The God of the Bible has unimaginable love for fallen, sinful mankind, which has rebelled against Him, blasphemed Him, and vilified Him. He has such great love for them that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:16-17). It is not the Lord’s will for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9).
For those who belong to Him, ADONAI has even greater love and the closest personal relationship. In the TaNaKh (Isaiah 63:16 and 64:8), and especially in the B’rit Chadashah (Matthew 5:16, 45, 48; 6:1, 9, and 23:9), He is referred to as His children’s Father. Adam and Eve, Moses, Job, Malachi and many other kedoshim spoke to Ha’Shem directly. The omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Creator and Sustainer of the universe loves His children with an everlasting love and chesed (see the commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed). ADONAI protects them according to His everlasting covenant and promises.90 No more so than Isra’el, who is the very pupil of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalm 17:8; Proverbs 7:2; Zechariah 2:8) and His chosen people, (see Romans Cw – The Future Paradox of Isra’el), chosen out of all the peoples on earth to be His treasured possession (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Cb – God has Chosen Isra’el). Yet, He has compassion on the Goyim and will graft those who love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob into the Olive Tree (see the commentary on Dani’el Dx – The Mystery of the Olive Tree).
His power: who is at work (2:13b NASB 1995). The second essential truth emphasized here about God’s part in the believer’s sanctification is His divine power. Above all else, it is ADONAI who is at work in the lives of His children. He calls us to obey, and then through His sovereign power, enables our obedience. He calls us to His service, and then empowers our service. He calls us to holiness, and then empowers us to pursue holiness. Work is from the Greek verb energeo the source of the English word energy. Ruach Ha’Kodesh energizes His children to obey and serve Him; His power enables our sanctification. As noted in the previous file (see Ay – The Believer’s Role in Sanctification), believers can do nothing holy or righteous in their own power or resources. Just as no one can be justified by the work of the flesh (Rom 3:20), so no one can be [sanctified] by the flesh (Gal 3:3).
It is important that believers minister to each other, because that is God’s will (see the commentary on First Corinthians Ch – Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts). It is also God’s will that teachers and preachers minister to the Church (Ephesians 4:11-13). It is important that the holy angels minister to believers, because ADONAI sends out those spirits who serve (ministering servants) to help those who will inherit eternal life (1:14). But above all else, God Himself is our supreme and indispensable resource and power. The most amazing thing is that it is God who is at work in us. Paul summed it up in Colossians 1:29 when he said: I labor, striving according to His power, which works mightily within me.
His Presence: in you (2:13c NASB 1995). The third essential truth about God’s part in our sanctification is His divine Presence. The preposition in is often featured in Paul’s writings as he records the truth that Yeshua Messiah dwells in believers (Romans 8:9-10; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:1 to 2:12; Colossians 1:27). The Lord Himself spoke of His indwelling Presence: The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know the You sent Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me (John 17:22-23). David understood and gloried in the reality of ADONAI’s continual Presence within him: You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways (Psalm 139:3).
God works unceasingly for the welfare of His people (Romans 8:28). His holiness, wisdom, power, love, Presence, and mercy are infinite. Having begun our new life in Messiah through the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, we are perfected [sanctified] by that same divine power. Because some believers in the Galatian churches were seeking to live by their own foolish “wisdom” and resources, Paul asked in dismay, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected [sanctified] by the flesh (Galatians 3:3).
His purpose: both to will and to work (2:13d NASB 1995). The fourth essential truth emphasized here, which is the heart of God’s work in believers’ sanctification, is His divine purpose. That purpose is revealed by what He energizes believers to do . . . both to will and to work. This phrase is best interpreted as not to God’s will and work but to that of believers. The will to do what is right before God must precede any effective work that is done toward that end. A genuine desire to do God’s will, as well as the power to obey it, originates with Him. ADONAI uses two means to motivate our wills.
First, is what might be called holy discontent, the humble recognition that one’s life always falls short of God’s standard of holiness. When Isaiah saw ADONAI sitting on a high, lofty throne! The hem of his robe filled the Temple. He could only exclaim in reverential fear: Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips (Is 6:1 and 5). Like all righteous people, he was dissatisfied with his spiritual state – a dissatisfaction immeasurably intensified by that awesome experience. Although Paul could say: I am conscious of nothing against myself, but he was quick to add: but this does not make me innocent (1 Cor 4:4). As he carefully and honestly examined his life, he knew that his finite perception could not detect every sin or spiritual shortcoming. His holy discontent led him to lament in his letter to the church at Rome: Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death (Rom 7:24).
Second, the means God uses to move our will is holy aspiration, the positive side of holy discontent. After Ha’Shem instills a genuine hatred of sin, He cultivates a genuine desire for righteousness. After He makes believers discontent with what we are, He gives us the aspiration to greater holiness. Above all, it is the desire to be like Messiah, to become conformed to the image of [God’s] Son (Romans 8:29). Paul brings together his own holy discontent and holy aspiration when he confesses: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Messiah Yeshua took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do know: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Messiah Yeshua (Philippians 3:12-14).
Holy resolve leads to holy living. A godly will produces godly work. It cannot be overemphasized that only ADONAI can produce in believers the will or the work that He commands of us. James noted that every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). Understanding that truth, the writer to the Hebrews wrote: Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Yeshua our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Yeshua Messiah (Hebrews 13:20-21).
Just as believers are not saved by good works but wholly by God’s grace working through their faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), so we are sanctified by His grace working through our obedience. We are God’s workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that [we] would walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Just as believers are sovereignly predestined to salvation, so also are we predestined to sanctification. Again, Romans 8 is helpful: For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed [sanctified] to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers; and these whom He predestined, He also called, and these whom He called, He also justified, and these whom He justified, He also glorified (Romans 8:29-30).
His pleasure: for His good pleasure (2:13e NASB 1995). The fifth and final essential reality about God’s part in our sanctification is the overwhelming truth that He works in our sanctification for His own good pleasure. His will for us is that we think and do what pleases Him. Although that is accomplished primarily by His own power, when His children seek His will and do His work, it brings Him great pleasure. Because ADONAI is infinitely self-sufficient, one cannot wonder how anything or anyone, especially a sinful human being, could add to His satisfaction. Yet, that is what Paul is saying. Even when they were weak, hesitant, and fearful, Yeshua assured His disciples: Don’t be afraid little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the Kingdom (Luke 12:32). Giving a place in His Kingdom to His children brings God great pleasure.
Because our sanctification brings Him great pleasure, God grants us the resources to pursue it. Paul wrote to the Ephesians that the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Messiah . . . has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah . . . [and has] made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him (Ephesians 1:3 and 9). To the Thessalonians he added that ADONAI will fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power (2 Thessalonians 1:11).
Even when we rebel against Him, God still desires to bless His people if we will repent and obey (First John 1:9). Isaiah addressed these encouraging words to a rebellious Isra’el. Seek ADONAI while He is available, call on Him while He is still nearby. Let the wicked person abandon his way and the evil person his thoughts; let him return to ADONAI, and he will have mercy on him; let him return to our God, for He will freely forgive (Isaiah 55:6-7). Through Hosea, God said to His people: How can I give up on you, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Isra’el? . . . My heart is changed within Me; all My compassion is aroused. I will not carry out My fierce anger, nor devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not man – the Holy One among you. I will not come with wrath (Hosea 11:8-9).
We need to understand that even though sanctification takes a great effort, it is nonetheless totally dependent on God’s power. Like many other truths in the Bible, those seemingly irreconcilable realities are hard to understand. Having done all we can, believers are to give ADOANI all the credit. Just as our Lord instructed, after we have done all the things which are commanded, we are to confess: We are unworthy servants; we have done only that which we ought to have done, not deserving of thanks or reward.91 It is not that God wants the groveling common to servants, but the absence of pride expected of those who know that obeying Him is a matter of duty, saying: We have only done our duty (Luke 17:10). The Pharisees served God for reward; but Yeshua cautioned His apostles were to avoid the leaven of pride. There was no room for boasting and they needed to remember who was to serve whom. This is a valuable lesson for us as well.
Dear heavenly Father, praise You for caring so much for me. You have promised to walk with me so that You are right there to help me to grow and to mature through trials and temptations. Yet I have the responsibility of listening and following Your Word, so that I can mature in the faith and be sanctified. Meditating on Your Word is food to the soul, nourishing and strengthening it. Blessed are those whose delight is in ADONAI’s Torah, on His Torah they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, they bear fruit in season, their leaves never wither, everything they do succeeds (Psalm 1:1a,2-3). My role is to abide in You. Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. The branch cannot itself produce fruit, unless it abides on the vine. Likewise, you cannot produce fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:4-5). In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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