1 Peter 1:13-16

First Peter 1:16 says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” What an overwhelming command! But that is exactly what the Lord is committed to do in our life—make us holy. His grand plan can be summed up in one word: sanctification. This is the three-stage process by which He sets us apart for His purposes.

Stage one occurs at salvation. When God declares us righteous, we are positionally holy. The second stage is a progression of growth as we become more and more holy in practice. This process will continue as long as we are alive on this earth. Desiring that we be conformed to the image of His Son, the Father is continually working to shape our character, conduct, and conversation             (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

The third stage of sanctification is our ultimate perfection when we will possess absolute holiness. Upon our physical death, we are freed from sin, and in the resurrection, our bodies will be made perfect. We will stand faultless and spotless before Christ.

If we could just get a glimpse of what the third stage will be like, we would never moan and groan about the difficult sanctification process we endure now. Our eyes would be fixed on the goal, and our greatest motivation would be to glorify God by submitting to His transformation.