“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” – Philippians 1:6
Four great pillars hold up the Christian life—regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. These are not random theological terms; they are the pillars of God’s plan. Paul lays them out in a single sweeping sentence: “Whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:30, NKJV). Regeneration is the moment God brings you from death to life. Justification is the moment God declares you righteous in Christ. Glorification is the moment God completes His work in you forever. And standing right in the middle of these pillars is sanctification—the lifelong process of God shaping you into the image of His Son.
Sanctification is far more than a church word or a theological category. It is the daily, ongoing work of God in the life of every believer. J.I. Packer described it as a “divinely wrought character change” that frees us from sinful habits and forms Christlike affections within us. Merriam‑Webster calls it “the state of growing in divine grace,” but Scripture shows us something even deeper. Salvation is the moment God brings you into His family; sanctification is the lifelong process of God making you look like you belong there. While regeneration is new birth, sanctification is continual growth. It is God renewing us “in the whole man,” enabling us “more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness,” as the Westminster Catechism beautifully puts it.
To understand sanctification, you must see it in the big picture of God’s saving work. God does not save you and leave you as you are—He begins a transformation that touches every part of your life. Like a master craftsman shaping raw stone into a polished image, God patiently chisels, refines, and forms His people. Sanctification is not instant perfection; it is steady progress. It is God’s grace teaching you, stretching you, correcting you, and strengthening you. And every step of growth is evidence that the God who saved you is still at work in you.
Sanctification is God’s commitment to your growth. You are not shaping yourself—God is shaping you. You are not striving alone—grace is empowering you. So when you feel the pressure, the stretching, or the refining, remember this: you are being formed into the image of Christ. Lean into the process. Trust the Potter’s hands. And rejoice that the God who began a good work in you will faithfully bring it to completion.
“The work of grace in a believer’s heart is never abandoned. What God begins, God will carry on; and what God carries on, God will finish.” — J.C. Ryle
surrendered devotions 