Sanctification continued

A few posts ago I asked why the sanctification process seems to be so slow and arduous. This is a follow up thought to that post.

Before my wife and I were married, she had the nerve to confront me on an issue. I did not enjoy being confronted at all, but she was right. It was an area about which I had been completely blinded and unaware. After she pointed it out to me, I was able to begin working on it and asking God to conform me to his image.

All of us have those blind spots in our lives. Since that first occurance, I regularly make it a point to ask my wife, “Are there any blind spots in my life, any habits? Please point them out to me!” I’m blessed to have a wife that does so with honesty. Yet relationships as a whole among beleivers don’t tend to be very transparent. Unfortunately, there are very few who have even one person willing to point out their weak spots, their blind areas.

Maybe this explains why there are some very godly Christians who seem to get stuck in a rut. They love God, study his word, but for some reason are completely unaware of that rough edge in their life that everyone else around them is aware of. Could it be that their sanctification is stunted because they have no one to point out the their vice to them?

Sanctification is not a solo deal. God intended it to occur in the midst of community. The assembly of believers is to be a place of mutual sanctification. “If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual are to restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Gal 6:1). Unfortunately, many churches lack the kind of depth necessary for this type of relationship. This takes more than just a Sunday morning meet and greet. But when beleivers are really serious about being conformed to the image of Christ, correction and confrontation will lovingly be given and received.

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