Road to Sanctification – 1 Peter 5:10
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
The road to sanctification stretches across the decades that lie behind me. As I look back over it, I know I have traveled a long distance upon it. Many miles were jagged, rock-strewn, filled with tribulation, while others were clover-covered, passing through fragrant orchards and sunny pastures. Through the scorching heat and frigid cold, through the rugged and the smooth, along each mile, a host of angels protected me,[1] and the most faithful of friends, Jesus Christ, walked at my right hand.[2] Even during the times when I left the safety of the road, wandering into the enemy’s territory, the Lord did not count me among the lost. He came after me, rescuing me from places I should never have gone, tenderly bringing me back onto the highway,[3] never again mentioning my sin once I had confessed it and repented of it.[4] Indeed, the road has taken me far from the spoiled, selfish, young woman I was when I first stepped onto it, but I know much lies ahead as I continue to walk in faith that I might see the Lord in all of His glory.[5]
Since I have traveled each mile undergirded by the grace of God and strengthened by the joy of the Lord,[6] I can travel the miles ahead assured that fear will not cripple me nor will disappointment crush me. The Lord’s loving-kindness surrounds me as He takes me inch by inch further from my sin and closer to the heavenly places to which Christ Jesus has called me.[7] In God’s mercy, He does not show me all He has left to do to cleanse me from unrighteousness, lest I faint in despair at having so far to go. Rather, He is tenderly washing away the layers encrusting my heart, revealing only enough of the sin still lurking there for the journey before me each day.
Wherever you are on your trip to Christlike holiness, whether you are along a rough and treacherous stretch or in a pasture ablaze with wild flowers, take joy in “the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”[8] Seek a clearer vision of heaven, asking the Lord to enlighten the eyes of your heart, so you may be encouraged about what lies ahead, knowing that the road is leading you closer to Jesus and to the imperishable and invaluable reward of your inheritance in Him.[9]
The Journey
The road along the highway
Was pitted, cracked, and torn
The traveler’s burden heavy
And she felt the world’s scorn
But having stepped upon it
She determined not to veer
Keeping her eyes upon the prize
Trusting her Friend, most dear
He led her round the pitfalls
Ever lightening her load
And day by day she carried less
As she walked along the road
Her soiled rags turned brighter
Becoming white and clean
Wrapped in a cloak of righteousness
She took on a holy sheen
And through the peaks and valleys
Her heart within her soared
For the Way, the Truth, the Life
Was her very great reward
[1] Psalm 91:11
[2] Acts 2:25
[3] Psalm 139:8-10
[5] Hebrews 12:14
[4] Psalm 103:12
[6] Nehemiah 8:10
[7] Philippians 3:14
[8] Ephesians 2:7
[9] Ephesians 1:18
