Women’s Conference on Sanctification
On 25 July, we had the joy of hosting over 100 women from 17 different churches for a Women’s Conference on Sanctification. Sanctification is a doctrine we often speak of by may only hazily understand. It was a heartening sight to see women gather for six hours of study and fellowship over three talks and one workshop.
We had two speakers that morning – Beverly Berrus and Ruth Lee. Beverly was our guest speaker that day and she has written for various online platforms like She Reads Truth, The Gospel Coalition, Risen Motherhood, Well-Watered Women and 9Marks. She has also given talks and taught women in churches and loves encouraging women in their love for God and His Word.
Through her talk, our member, Ruth, helped to offer an insight into how we can live out the truths in our life together here at Grace. Ruth also loves God’s word and has been helping the women at grace know and obey God through His word.
Sanctification as a foundational doctrine
Beverly taught our women that sanctification is a foundational doctrine that is essential to how we live out our Christian life. Sanctification is God graciously purifying and reserving a holy people for Himself in Christ Jesus. We often think that it is a burden we carry, but Beverly challenged the ladies to see it as a gift to treasure. Sanctification is all about gospel holiness, which shapes our identity as daughters of the holy King.
However, we all have a holiness problem, a result of being born in a post-Genesis 3 world. Our only hope is that all who are in Christ are made holy before God. Quoting Melissa Kruger, Beverly encouraged us not to separate what Christ has done for us as we pursue holiness – “Jesus hung on a tree so we can now be fruitful like a tree.”
Positional sanctification: Reserved for God
In Christ, all Christians have been made holy and are being made holy. Positional sanctification means that Christians are reserved or set apart for God and are holy. Hebrews 10:1-14 details for us how Jesus is the solution to our holiness problem. Hebrews 10:10 also assures us that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ, once for all. We are saints, reserved in Christ and now await His return.
This is our comfort and we can draw near to God in prayer. Beverly encouraged the ladies not to squander this privilege.
Progressive sanctification: Living Out What We Are
Christians are also becoming holy because of what God is doing in us through the Holy Spirit. Progressive sanctification is about living out what we are. All Christians are becoming holy and those who are positionally sanctified will make an effort to live it out. Beverly used the analogy of a wedding day and marriage. On the day of the wedding, one becomes a wife – marking a change of identity – but will spend the rest of the marriage learning to live it out and growing into the role as wife. So it is too, with our holiness.
Glorification: The Goal of Sanctification
Glorification is the goal of sanctification. We look forward to being in God’s presence and experiencing the joy of fellowship with our Trinitarian God. This is what Jesus secures for us.
For those whom God has made holy, there is so much for us to look forward to. The best is yet to come and holiness is a communal, family reality.
Sanctification and the Local Church
Indeed, right now, we are not left to pursue holiness in isolation. Ruth, helped us to see the importance of the local church in our sanctification. She reiterated Beverly’s point that holiness is a communal reality because it is a family trait and it is God’s design for His people to become holy together. The ministry of the word is important to our sanctification. God’s word is for our sanctification and His church is to be the pillar and buttress of the truth. The Spirit also works through the word.
The fellowship of God’s people is also important to our sanctification as we love and serve one another. We can help one another grow through our discipling relationships.
Ruth also highlighted the role of church discipline. She acknowledged that many of us may immediately baulk at the thought of discipline, but also went on to remind us that as saints, we are meant to grow in sanctification in community. We are to be Word-filled and Spirit-filled people who reflect His holiness. We cannot let sin go unaddressed in our community. Church discipline therefore, helps with our corporate sanctification. It safeguards the holiness and purity of the church. It warns us about the righteous judgement of God and instructs us on the severity of sin and the holiness of God.
Abiding in Christ and Spiritual Disciplines
Beverly also conducted a concluding workshop, where she encouraged the women to abide in Christ amidst a world full of distractions. We are tempted to resolve to do better, immediately reaching to fix our behaviour in order to fight distractions. However, she encouraged us to remember Jesus’ command to His disciples to abide in Him (Jn 15:5). Union with Christ is the foundation of a God-glorifying, Christ-exalting life. Thus, all ongoing spiritual growth and activity ought to flow from communion with Christ by faith.
She then helpfully reframed spiritual disciplines as actions that help us to abide in Christ and positions us to receive more of His grace, power, and joy. She focused briefly on the acts of prayer and Scripture meditation. In prayer, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. She encouraged us to pray the Scriptures, pray a variety of prayer, pray constantly, pray with other believers and pray immediately and not wait.
Scripture meditation is allowing the word of Christ to dwell in us richly. Using an analogy from Don Whitney’s book, she explained how meditating on Scripture is like steeping a tea bag in water. Scripture is the tea bag that is steeped in the water of our mind. When we do so, we allow the flavour and richness of Scripture to seep out. She also offered some practical, simple ways that we could do so.
A Fruitful Day
It was a long day for the women, but many, if not all, left feeling encouraged and refreshed by the time spent in God’s word with fellow saints. Many also made use of the tea break and lunch to meet ladies from GBC and other churches.
Three books were also sold at the book table that day. These books were selected to help the women grow in the understanding of who God is and to encourage them to help others do the same.
A Churchwide Effort
Many of the mothers were able to be present because their husbands helped to take care of the children that day. It was encouraging to hear of groups of fathers meeting with their children, and also spending some time with each other. This is a picture of how the church works together, and how men and women can build each other up in the local church.
Sanctification, indeed, is a communal reality.