Ep 924 - Sanctification – Colossians 3:1-3

Why do you do what you do? To ask it another way, what motivates your behavior? There is always a reason behind what we do. And it could be good or bad. But as followers of Jesus Christ we must constantly ask ourselves why it is we attempt to live the Christian life. We must regularly assess our motivation and the source of the strength we put into our efforts. You see, sanctification does require work on our part. But we must never forget that, at its core, it is the work of God. That is why Paul reminds us, "Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." We must work hard, but never forget that God is working in us. We are working alongside Him, in the power of His Spirit, and in keeping with His will for us. And we must remember that the end goal of all our Spirit-empowered effort is our future glorification. We are not to pursue our best life now in the here-and-now, but the better life God has prepared for us in the hereafter.