Sanctification
The Book of Romans highlights 4 major doctrines: condemnation, justification, sanctification, and glorification.
The first speaks of our sins condemning us to eternal damnation, while the second speaks about salvation in Christ. The fourth addresses eternal life with Christ following this life.
The third doctrine – sanctification – is a “lifetime” doctrine. By definition, “to ‘sanctify’ something is to set it apart for special use; to ‘sanctify’ a person is to make him holy.”[1] By application, sanctification is God molding us – our character and behavior – to be more like our Lord Jesus.
Sanctification requires us to obey God’s commands. A sampling includes:
- “Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
- “We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
- “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
- “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14).
- “Do all things without complaining or arguments” (Philippians 2:14).
The above is all part of sanctification – the way we should behave during our mortal lives, and we should always be working on them.
But there is one particular command which has taken hold of me. No doubt it is God’s doing as He wants me to work on this weakness in my life.
A Straightforward Verse
The verse which has so captured me is Ephesians 4:29:
Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth,
but if there is any good word for edification according
to the need of the moment, say that, so that
it will give grace to those who hear.
I sometimes like to examine the original Greek translation of keywords, but I don’t see a need for that here. Ephesians 4:29 is as straightforward as it gets.
During my early days as a Christian (dating back to 1986), the first part of this verse was huge. Before salvation, I used quite a bit of profanity. Fortunately, that ended quickly.
However, unwholesome language includes more than profanities: engaging in ungodly conversations and speaking cruelly, negatively, and disparagingly to others. Though my profane language left me decades ago, the way I speak to others has been an issue.
Age (I am 65) has mellowed me, but I still have work to do.
Being Positive
Where the first part of Ephesians 4:29 is negative – “let no,” that is, “don’t do this” – the second part is positive (“do this”): “… if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”
I work with quite a few young people (in their 20s and 30s), and notice their struggles – physically, emotionally, financially – and they are more frequently coming to me for comfort and counseling.
Part of this is that I am the only single man in my entire workplace, but also a father and grandfather who is very close to my son and grandson. My co-workers know I have raised my son to adulthood and have devoted my life to him.
Younger workmates seeking my counsel have caused me to step up my Christian behavior. I am becoming a far better hearer, listening more intently to what they say.
When I respond, I apply Ephesians 4:29 the best I can, speaking encouraging words of edification, counseling biblically as I can, and praying I can encourage them.
For me, Ephesians 4:29 is about listening first and being careful that when I speak I do so solely with words that edify, encourage, uplift, and comfort.
This is the place where God has brought me at this time of my life, and Ephesians 4:29 is my most valuable tool!
What about you? Is there a particular verse that plays an active role in your life?
Written by David Ettinger
Purchase David’s book, Overcomers: 30 Stories of Triumph from the Bible, here.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Christian Grandfather Magazine
Featured Image by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html
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