“I don’t know what to do,” I told my wife. “I’m not reading my Bible. I’m not spending time in prayer. I feel like a failure!” My wife listened intently. She put her hand on my back, looked me in the eyes, and gently said, “Caleb, you need to go and pray.” The thought of drawing near to God in my weakness hadn’t even occurred to me.
When Christians talk about “conquering sin” or growing in their faith, the prevailing tone is often that of striving with human effort. A person may say “I need to be more disciplined” or “I need to work harder. I need to build my spiritual muscles, to create new habits and stick to them.”
This isn’t altogether wrong. But the Bible tells us sanctification isn’t primarily an act of the will. Instead, it’s rooted in acknowledging our weakness and depending more and more on the Spirit’s power to transform our lives.
Strive to Depend
In Philippians 2, Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (vv. 12–13, emphasis mine).
Sanctification is rooted in acknowledging our weakness and depending more and more on the Spirit’s power to transform our lives.
Paul clearly exhorts the Christian to work. This relates to other commands he gives to Christians: walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), put off the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13–14), and press on toward the end goal (Phil. 3:14). The effort prescribed here is what we usually associate with sanctification, and rightly so. Striving for holiness is utterly biblical.
But what’s often left out of the conversation are the qualifying clauses around Paul’s exhortation to “work.” He first writes that we ought to participate in the process of sanctification with “fear and trembling.” These aren’t words we tend to associate with progress in the Christian race. Fear and trembling are terms that denote human weakness and dependence before God (cf. 1 Cor. 2:3).
Why does the apostle reference weakness? Because he’s convinced coming to grips with one’s limits and depending on the Spirit is how sanctification works. After all, God does the sanctifying work. That’s the second qualifying clause: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work” (v. 13). We work out our salvation fearfully and humbly, knowing we’re not strong enough—but God is.
No Spiritual Superheroes
As we strive in Christ to participate in our sanctification, we become “weaker” in the worldly sense. We lose our sense of autonomy and independence; we even lose the notion that we can obey God in our own strength. But we gain greater faith, a glorious dependence on the Spirit—and that’s true strength.
We lose the notion that we can obey God in our own strength. But we gain greater faith, a glorious dependence on the Spirit—and that’s true strength.
God impresses this truth on Paul when he tells him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” The apostle joyfully replies, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses” (2 Cor. 12:9). Growth in Christ doesn’t make Paul a spiritual superhero who accomplishes everything he sets his mind to. Rather, his sanctification is a process by which he learns to be “weak in [Christ]” so the power of Christ is magnified (13:4).
What would happen if today’s church were to firmly grasp the reality that you must be weak to be sanctified? First, our spiritual pride would be crushed by knowing we walk the narrow path of sanctification every day only through the abundant grace of God. We can’t brag about our level of spiritual maturity, because it’s all wrought by grace. Second, our faith would abound.
Weakness as an Invitation
Our failures and weaknesses often keep us from coming boldly to the throne of grace. When we fail to read our Bibles, spend time in prayer, or develop spiritual disciplines, the guilt can be hard to dispel. Failures are met with the mental message “Just do better!” But this understandable response works against the Spirit’s sanctifying work because it places the power for change in human hands.
If we instead see our weaknesses and failures as invitations to trust God, we’re free to face them with growing faith, knowing God is at work even when we’re sinful and weak. It’s not as though he can’t touch our worst. He delights to do so, showing that his strength is perfect even in our weakness.
Christian, you must be weak to be sanctified.
The Gospel Coalition