But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
Ephesians 5:10-20
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Why do professing Christians take their sanctification so lightly? Though I, myself, was once in this same position (having, over the course of my life, fallen under nearly every category on the religious spectrum from agnostic/atheist to devoted Christian and everywhere in between), it is a question that now baffles me.
In this stage of my life, I have been blessed with an amazing family who constantly motivate one another to strive towards Christ. In this environment, it is practically unthinkable that one would become complacent in his faith. Unfortunately, I have discovered that my family is not the rule but the exception. Those who have such a family or community who encourage them in holiness have received a tremendous blessing from God, for which they should thank Him.
However, those who have not received that particular blessing must not use it as an excuse to become complacent. As stated in Romans 14:11-12, “‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.'” So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
If we backtrack just a little bit, we’ll see St. Paul’s call in Romans 12:1-2, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Sanctification is not just a state of being, like being saved from the weight of our sins, but rather, it is a continual process in which we shape and mold our lives to the will of God. In fact, it is through this continual growth that we are able to see if one truly belongs to Christ or not. As expressed in Matthew 7:15-20, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
But this growth is, by no means, easy work, as we see throughout the Bible. In fact, in the passage from Ephesians quoted above, St. Paul is reiterating what we have already been told in Proverbs 6:6-11:
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
7 Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
8 she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
However, the difficulty matters not, for it is good and pleases the Lord. For our striving, we shall be rewarded in glory, though we deserve it not, because Christ has already achieved our salvation while we were still sinners. We have been bought for a price; our lives are not our own, so let us toil after the things of Him who bought us, to honor Him with our lives, and bring due glory to Him forever and ever, amen.