John’s Secret of True Sanctification

John’s life gives us an example of true sanctification. During the years he associated closely with Christ, the Savior often warned him, and he accepted these reproofs. He saw his weaknesses, and the revelation humbled him. Day by day his heart was drawn out to Christ, until love for his Master made him lose sight of self. The strength and patience that he saw in the Son of God filled him with admiration. He yielded his resentful, ambitious temper to Christ, and divine love transformed his character. 4TC 287.2

The experience of Judas provides a striking contrast to this. He professed to be a disciple of Christ but had only the appearance of godliness. As he listened to the Savior’s words, he often came under conviction, but he would not humble his heart or confess his sins. By resisting the divine influence, he dishonored the Master. 4TC 287.3

John battled earnestly against his faults, but Judas violated his conscience, fastening his habits of evil more securely on himself. The truth Christ taught did not match with Judas’s desires, and he could not yield his ideas. He cherished covetousness, revengeful passions, and dark and moody thoughts, until Satan gained full control of him. 4TC 288.1

John and Judas had the same opportunities. Both associated closely with Jesus. Each had serious defects of character, and each had access to divine grace. But while one was learning from Jesus, the other just listened and did not change. One, overcoming sin each day, was sanctified through the truth; the other, resisting the transforming power of grace and indulging his selfish desires, became a slave to Satan. 4TC 288.2

Transformation like we see in John results from fellowship with Christ. There may be defects in our characters, yet when we become true disciples of Christ, we are changed until we become like Him whom we adore. 4TC 288.3

In his letters, John wrote, “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (1 John 3:3; 2:6.) As God is holy in His sphere, so we fallen human beings, through faith in Christ, are to be holy in our sphere. 4TC 288.4

Sanctification is God’s purpose in all His dealings with His people. He has chosen them from eternity, so that they can be holy. He gave His Son to die for them to rid them of all the littleness of self. They can honor God only as they are transformed into His image and controlled by His Spirit. Then they can tell others what divine grace has done for them. 4TC 288.5

True sanctification comes as God develops in us the principle of love. “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). When Christ lives in the heart, He brings nobility into the life. Pure doctrine will blend with works of righteousness. 4TC 288.6

Those who want to have the blessings of sanctification must first learn the meaning of self-sacrifice. The cross of Christ is the central pillar on which hangs the “eternal weight of glory.” “If anyone desires to come after Me,” Christ says, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (2 Corinthians 4:17; Matthew 16:24.) God supports and strengthens anyone who is willing to follow in Christ’s way. 4TC 288.7

True Sanctification Is a Lifework

Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime. It does not come from a happy turn of feeling, but results from constantly dying to sin and constantly living for Christ. We will overcome not by occasional efforts, but by persevering discipline and hard conflict. As long as Satan reigns, we will have self to subdue and persistent sins to overcome. As long as life lasts, there will be no point that we can reach and then say, “I have fully arrived.” Sanctification results from lifelong obedience. 4TC 289.1

None of the apostles or prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived nearest to God, who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, have confessed the sinfulness of their nature. They have claimed no righteousness of their own but have trusted completely in Christ’s righteousness. 4TC 289.2

The more clearly we recognize the purity of Christ’s character, the more clearly we will see how very sinful sin is. We will be continually confessing our sins and humbling our hearts before Him. At every step forward our repentance will deepen. We will confess, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) nothing good dwells.” “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 7:18; Galatians 6:14.) May no human lips dishonor God by saying, “I am sinless; I am holy.” Sanctified lips will never give voice to such boastful, untrue words. 4TC 289.3

Those who feel inclined to claim great holiness should look into the mirror of God’s law. As they understand its work as a revealer of the thoughts and motives of the heart, they will not boast of sinlessness. “If we say that we have no sin,” John wrote, “we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar.” “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8, 10, 9.) 4TC 289.4

Some people profess to be holy and claim a right to the promises of God while they refuse to obey His commandments. But this is presumption. We will show that we have true love for God when we obey all His commandments. “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” “He who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him.” (1 John 2:4; 3:24). 4TC 290.1

John did not teach that we earn salvation by obedience, but obedience is the fruit of faith and love. “You know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him” (1 John 3:5, 6). If we abide in Christ, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God. The sanctified heart is in harmony with the teachings of God’s law. 4TC 290.2

Faith Is the Key to Overcoming

Many who try to obey God’s commandments have little peace or joy. These people do not correctly represent sanctification. The Lord wants all His sons and daughters to be happy, peaceful, and obedient. Through faith the believer possesses these blessings. Through faith, every lack in our characters can be filled, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed. 4TC 290.3

Prayer is heaven’s appointed way to success in developing character. For forgiveness of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask, and the promise is, “You will receive.” 4TC 290.4

It is in personal, private fellowship with Him that we are to think deeply about God’s glorious ideal for humanity. In all ages, as people have prayed and turned their thoughts to heaven, God has worked out His purpose for His children by unfolding the doctrines of grace gradually to their minds. 4TC 290.5

True sanctification means perfect love, perfect obedience, perfect conformity to God’s will. We are to be sanctified through obeying the truth. It is our privilege to cut away from the entanglements of self and sin and move forward to perfection. 4TC 291.1

Many interpret the will of God to be what they want to do. These people have no conflicts with self. Others may sincerely struggle for a time against their selfish desire for pleasure and ease, but then they get tired of dying to self every day and of endless trouble. Death to self seems repulsive, and instead of resisting temptation, they fall under the its power. 4TC 291.2

The Word of God leaves no room for compromise with evil. At whatever sacrifice of convenience or selfish indulgence, of effort or suffering, Christ’s followers must continue to wage a constant battle with self. 4TC 291.3

The greatest praise we can bring to God is to become consecrated channels through whom He can work. Let us not refuse to give God that which, though we cannot gain merit by giving it, will bring us ruin if we deny it to Him. He asks for a whole heart—give it. It is His, both by creation and redemption. He asks for your intellect—give it. It is His. He asks for your money—give it. It is His. “Do you not know that ... you are not your own? For you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). God holds up before us the highest ideal—perfection. He asks us to be absolutely and completely for Him in this world, as He is for us in the presence of God. 4TC 291.4

“This is the will of God” concerning you, “your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Is it your will also? If you humble your heart and confess your sins, trusting in the merits of Jesus, He will forgive and cleanse you. God demands entire obedience to His law. Let your heart be filled with an intense longing for His righteousness. 4TC 291.5

As you contemplate the unimaginable riches of God’s grace, you will come into possession of them, and your life will reveal the merits of the Savior’s sacrifice, the protection of His righteousness, and His power to present you before the Father “without spot and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14). 4TC 291.6