Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Acts 20:32
And now I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Another way of translating Acts 20:32 is, “Now. I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to keep building you up, and to give you the inheritance through sanctification.”
The part that is translated ‘among those who are’ are two Greek words, ‘through all’, and then ‘those who are being sanctified is one word, ‘sanctification’… Grace builds you up and gives you an inheritance through, or by means of sanctification.
‘Grace keeps you in the process of sanctification so that you are able to receive your inheritance.’
Another word for ‘sanctification’ is ‘holiness’ – another word for ‘justification’ is ‘righteousness’. Righteousness, or justification (just as if I’d never sinned) is a free gift to every born-again believer in Christ and has nothing to do with what we do and everything to do with what Jesus did. Holiness, or sanctification is a process by which we are transformed into the image of Jesus from glory to glory. It is a ‘process’ that involves us working together with the Holy Spirit by grace through faith.
We are sanctified, or made holy by grace. It is a transformational work of the Holy Spirit within us… transforming us, cleansing us, giving us fresh revelation, changing our identity, and setting us free from the works of the flesh. Grace enables us to yield, to receive, to plant the Word and to do our part in resisting temptation and to walk away from destructive habits, attitudes and actions. Without grace we would never grow in holiness – grace gives us the ability to stay in the school of the Spirit… it keeps us on the road of transformation.
As we are made holy, as we are transformed, we are divinely enabled to receive our inheritance that we have in Christ… (everything that pertains to life and godliness)
Believers that do not yield to the grace of God that sanctifies cannot receive all that the Lord has for them. Righteousness is the free gift, but sanctification is what enables us to receive everything provided in righteousness. The man of the flesh cannot receive the revelations that lead to the blessings.
Sanctification deals with dying to your flesh, overcoming sin, overcoming fleshly attitudes, and renewing your mind, which at it’s core changes your desire and passion from the desires of the flesh to desiring what the Lord made you to be and have.
As you sit under the Word of grace, yield to the process of transformation and give yourself over to it, then walk differently, think differently, act differently by grace through faith!
Blessings on you, Nick
