Should we subscribe to the popular notion to let go and let God when troubles befall us? In looking a little deeper at our spiritual growth process, the Bible does not support this popular belief of just letting go and letting God handle it. In fact, our progressive sanctification process requires us to be actively involved, especially in our times of struggle.
The Concept of Sanctification
Sanctification, by definition, means to be set apart as a vessel of holiness to be used by God. It is a process a believer begins the moment he or she accepts Jesus as their personal savior and ends when the last breath is drawn.
In preparation for our sanctification, God works in us (2 Thessalonians 2:13). We are also positionally sanctified by God (1 Corinthians 1:30), and through God’s actions we have prospective sanctification (1 John 3:1-2). In all three of these areas, God alone has done the work, however, it is our progressive sanctification where God requires us to be a participant (John 17:17; 1 John 3:3). Once we accept Christ and receive His justification, this progressive sanctification is our key to growth and maturity. It does not end during our human life, nor do we ever arrive in our earthly bodies. This is the theology of discipleship.
All persons of the Trinity are involved in our sanctification process:
The Father: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15: 1-2).
The Son: “that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:26-27).
The Holy Spirit: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:16-17).
Our Role
The Bible is clear that man must also be involved in his or her own progressive sanctification. As part of this process, there will be trials and there will be suffering. It is unbiblical to take these trials and refuse to let God develop you and it is also unbiblical to ask God to remove these burdens from your life without any effort on your part.
Here are a couple of verses that clearly indicate an action on the believer’s part as part of sanctification (along with a few others in a list you may look up on your own):
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13).
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Other references to active participation in our own sanctification are Ephesians 4:17; 22-24; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Timothy 4:7; 1 Timothy 6:11.
So when we are told to “Let go and let God”, we create an imbalance and are going against Scripture. Welcome the trials as teaching and growth opportunities (James 1:2-4; Proverbs 3:11-12), seek His will in prayer and study and you will learn to recognize His pruning work in you.
For more on sanctification, click here.
