Nurtured into Holiness

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:9-11, NIV).

“For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Pet. 1:16, NIV).

Sanctification. It’s one of those big church words that we learn on our discipleship journeys. We discover that sanctification means the life-long process God takes us through, of changing us into the image of Christ. We get this term from the Latin word santificatio, which means the act of making holy. As Holy Spirit sanctifies us, He works into our very nature the holiness of God.

In short, getting sanctified means growing up into spiritual maturity. This is God’s purpose for all of us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible holds stern words of admonition for those who have not moved past Christian babyhood. Staying babes in Christ is just as tragic as it would be to encounter a physical baby who never developed past the stage of infancy.

Can you imagine a grown man or woman wearing Pampers and crawling around on the floor, crying instead of speaking? Believers who never submit to Holy Spirit’s process of growing us up in Him are akin to that picture. Not too pretty, is it?

The wonderful thing about God’s call to maturity is this. We aren’t called to grow up in a vacuum. Rather, we get the most amazing parenting environment to nurture us as we grow. Just as physical babies and children need a whole lot of love in order to develop correctly, so do we as we grow up in Jesus. And He abundantly provides.

The other day, my daughter Ester exclaimed to me about a baby in our family named Luca. Luca is my niece’s ten-month-old son. I had the joy of spending time with him a few months ago. I have seen a lot of good-natured babies in my life, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one quite so happy as this little guy. He is absolutely delightful.

Ester observed, “Chloé is such a good mom. She is right there, anticipating his every need. He is so loved.” I have no doubt that this is why Luca overflows constantly with sunshine and smiles. He knows he is loved, treasured, and safe. He knows it all the way down to his toes.

Jesus asked this pointed question. If we humans know how to take care of our kids, how much more will our heavenly Father meet our every need? How much more will He lavish us with His perfect care?

Our Father is the best father. In His house, you belong. You are cherished. He is anticipating your every need. He is providing abundant safety and warmth. He is celebrating your every milestone. This is the home environment in which you get to grow up in Him. What a joy to develop maturity in a family like His!

Here’s a closing thought. The deeper you come to know the love of the Father, the further along your sanctification journey you will progress. The more His love gets into the core of who you are, the more His holiness will get into your character. Holiness is born in His love.

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Is there a connection between the passage in Ephesians 3 about “know[ing] this love that surpasses knowledge” and that in the next chapter about “no longer be[ing] infants” but “grow[ing] in every respect to be the mature body”? Is experiential knowledge of the Father’s love a prerequisite to spiritual growth?