Relationships – Tools of Sanctification
May 21, 2024 | 3:51 pm
Multiethnic Group of People and Church Concepts Sanctification refers to being set apart for holy living (1 Thessalonians 4:3). God sanctifies us through the fiery furnace of suffering and relationships. He allows us to go through seasons of pain and suffering so that we learn to depend on Him like Job. Additionally, sanctification occurs through relationships.
Everything God created is good, sanctified by the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4-5, ESV), including people. 
Through our interactions with others, we learn to love, carry burdens, forgive, and be forgiven. Those who avoid relationships remain unchanged and do not grow because they do not submit to the primary tools God uses for sanctification, relationships.
In the early church, sanctification was found in solitude, and relationships, especially marital ones, were seen as obstacles to spiritual growth. Many spent time in monasteries, praying, fasting, and studying the word of God. Although these practices are key, even Jesus found time to pray alone, Ephesians 5:22-33 likens the marital love to that of Christ for the church. The sacrificial, generous, committed love between husband and wife points to the unending and unconditional love of Christ for the Church and of God for His people.
Ephesians 5:31-32, NIV
‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the Church.’
Marriage brings out our selfishness, anger, pride, and trust issues. We deal with pride, ego, irritations, and judgmental attitudes, which defile us (Mark 7:21-23). Gary Thomas in his book ‘Sacred Marriage’ believes that the challenges, joys, struggles, and celebrations of marriage enable us to draw closer to God and grow in Christian character. Marriage can be a place to foster spiritual growth and holiness to serve God.
John Wesley once said, ‘It is not possible for a man to be truly happy who is not holy.’ That is true! How can one be happy when they are full of malice, hatred, jealousy, resentment, envy, lust, and selfishness? How can we claim to love God, whom we cannot see, yet hate a brother or sister whom we can see (1 John 4:19)?
In Matthew 7:24-29, Christ gave the parable of the two houses built on a rock and sand, which I liken to any relationship. The two houses experienced rains, floods, and winds yet responded differently to the various challenges. The rains represent blessings, the floods are internal challenges, and the strong winds are external pressures. One fell while the other stood because of the kind of foundation it had. Firm foundations have the right materials of prayer and the Word of God.
God reveals our sins to us through the relationships we have. As we read His word and confess our sins, He purifies us and makes us more like Him as instruments of righteousness in the kingdom. Our relationships serve a divine purpose: to reveal our ability to weather the rains, floods and storms of life to cause us to become loving and holy.
Here at HSDPM, our greatest value is to serve the Lord as a family. We are brothers and sisters of our heavenly father. Now and then, we will step on each other’s toes but we will not quit on one other. We will persevere like the porcupine family that stays warm together during winter despite the sharp spikes pressing on their skin. We are stronger and warmer together because love remains the excellent way to do ministry. Our loving God takes us through the furnace of relationships so that we can come forth as pure gold for His service!
Love,
Pastor Anne