WCF 13: Of Sanctification

By William Boekestein - Posted at Place for Truth:

The purpose of your life is to be holy as God is holy. God is “majestic in holiness” (Ex. 15:11). His holiness—his complete lack of character flaws—is the theme of angelic praise (Isa. 6:3). And God aims to manifest his holiness among his people (Ez. 28:22). This will surely happen. Those whom God justified by a declaration of righteousness, he will one day glorify by perfecting in them actual righteousness (Rom. 8:30).

But believers must begin to reflect God’s perfection now. The entire Christian journey from justification and glorification is called sanctification. In this process God renews us after his image and enables us more and more to die to sin and live righteously.[i] “Holiness … is the purpose of our justification.”[ii] God delivers his people from the hand of the enemy that they “might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness” (Luke 1:74–75). Hymn-writer Augustus Toplady gets to the point: “We are redeemed from sin and shame, and called to holiness.”

We need to see God’s interest in our sanctification because the devil opposes it, the world mocks it, and our own flesh resists it.. But without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). So it must be our chief concern.

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