Jesus' Fourth Gift is Sanctification - Heidi Kortman

Jesus’ Fourth Gift is Sanctification
Jesus’ fourth gift is Sanctification. Some of you following this are relieved to learn that this is the last gift with a heavy-weight topic.
For the purposes of this post we’ll concentrate on one portion of Webster’s definition: 2b. The state of growing in divine grace as a result of Christian commitment after baptism or conversion.

Sanctification, it’s not about haloes.

It’s Different.

Unlike Salvation, Righteousness, and Justification which are complete when we receive them, Jesus’ fourth gift Sanctification, shapes us over the course of our remaining lifetime. It’s the gift obvious to the people who observe our behavior, our attitudes, and our speech.

Why do we receive it?

Sanctification, when guided by the Holy Spirit, equips us with character traits that reflect God’s character. It brings God greater glory, attracting others to Christ because of who they see in us.
The process isn’t smooth. Even the Apostle Paul had trouble with it. Each moment, each interaction is a test.
We must be alert against pride, because if it sneaks in, sanctification warps into sanctimoniousness, which drives those who don’t believe farther away from Christ.
What’s good, is that we have help. Jesus asked God the Father to send the Holy Spirit, who brings even more gifts that we’ll be talking about later on. We also have the help of fellow believers, because the purpose of all the gifts is to strengthen the church.