Home > Work > Devoted to God: Blueprints for Sanctification
1 " In the New Testament the basic command of old covenant life, 'Be holy as I am holy', now means, 'Become like Jesus.' God involves himself in this work as the triune Lord: the Father commands it; the Son has died to provide the resources for it; the Spirit indwells us in order to effect it in our lives. As Augustine famously prayed, God commands what he wills and gives what he commands. "
― Sinclair B. Ferguson , Devoted to God: Blueprints for Sanctification
2 " Living in the Spirit means a daily commitment to please Christ and not to please self. "
3 " When I am tempted and feel the power of sin and its tug on my affections, the gospel gives me something to say: 'Christ bled and died for this sin—I will therefore have nothing to do with it. I am now united to Christ by the indwelling of the Spirit—how can I drag him into my sin? "
4 " Thus the motivation, energy and drive for holiness are all found in the reality and power of God's grace in Christ. And so if I am to make any progress in sanctification, the place where I must always begin is the gospel of the mercy of God to me in Christ Jesus. "
5 " If you are going to resist the desires of the flesh (negative), you will need to live in the power of the Holy Spirit and walk according to his disciplines (positive). "
6 " Growth in sanctification will always include a deepening appreciation of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. "
7 " To express it in the bold words of Professor Murray: 'sin may be said to have ruled over him [Christ]'. But he broke its dominion, and because we are united to him he has thereby broken its dominion over us. "
8 " If sin's reign over us is ended, then we must not—indeed cannot—go on living as though we were still its subjects. It now becomes irrational to use the body as if it were still the body in which sin reigned. Since grace now reigns; sin shall not be our master! "
