This past Sunday we looked closely at Hebrews 2:11 and the doctrine of sanctification.
Sanctification has two aspects to it: definitive sanctification, which happens at the moment of your salvation, and progressive sanctification, which is a process that will last for the rest of your life. In definitive sanctification God has both declared you to be holy and made you holy (he purified your conscience from dead works – Hebrews 9:14). In progressive sanctification God is working in and through your obedience to him to make you more and more like Christ.
Read Hebrews 2:10-18 together as a group before discussing these questions, and don’t forget to pray.
- Do you ever think about sanctification? Do you ever think about your sanctification?
- As a Christian, God has definitively declared you to be holy (you are now holy, when before salvation you were not) and made you holy (by purifying your conscience from dead works – Hebrews 9:14). What are the implications of this significant change for your day to day life?
- We learned two Sundays ago that Jesus was made perfect through suffering (2:10). Suffering is also used by God in our sanctification process. Suffering includes things like adversity, troubles, affliction, illness, injury, setbacks, difficulties, persecution, etc. If God is truly sovereign and in control (he is!) of every aspect of our lives, what should our response and our attitude be when God allows any and all suffering into our lives?
- Read Hebrews 12:3-11, and discuss that passage in light of the previous question.
- Knowing that progressive sanctification is a life-long process of becoming more like Christ, what can we do to further this process in ourselves? In others? How can others help us?
- Every Christian is at a different stage (or degree of glory – 2 Corinthians 3:18) in their sanctification process. How will knowing that fact affect your evaluation and interaction with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?