Can I Ask That? – Part Nineteen – What is Sanctification?
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%201%3A18-22&version=NLT
This morning, I want to ask you: Is Christ merely a guest in your heart, or have you given Him full control? Entire sanctification is the act of turning over every key, every room, and every aspect of your life over to the Lord. I want to try to persuade you to let Him make your heart His home.
Introduction
I want to begin by introducing one of my favorite books, Robert Munger’s classic story My Heart, Christ’s Home.
The premise is simple but profound: When we invite Jesus into our lives, he comes to dwell in our hearts, as if our hearts were a home. Now, understand, when the Bible uses the idea of heart, we mean the core of our being, not the blood pumping organ. So, this is metaphorical language about inviting Jesus into our lives, and the image is of a home. Munger describes Jesus going room by room, examining our lives, and seeking to make each part holy and dedicated to him. At the end of the story, the homeowner experiences a full surrender—turning over the deed of the house to Christ.
This powerful illustration aligns beautifully with the Wesleyan concept of entire sanctification, the process by which every part of our lives is brought under Christ’s lordship through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit,soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls youis faithful, and he will do it.”
This passage encapsulates the heart of Wesleyan theology: God’s desire to sanctify every part of us, making us holy and fully devoted to Him.
Step 1. Christ Moves In
At the beginning of Munger’s story, the homeowner invites Jesus into their heart. Initially, Jesusis welcomed, but only into certain areas of the house. He has not been given free access to the whole house. This reflects the beginning of our Christian journey—justification, when we are forgiven and Christ comes to dwell in us.
Revelation 3:20
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I willcome in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
This is where many Christians stop. We let Christ in but hesitate to give him full access to every part of our lives. Sanctification begins as we allow him to move beyond the entryway, beyond merely inviting him in for coffee in the living room.
2. Room by Room Transformation
In Munger’s story, Jesus walks through the house, addressing each room. The library represents our thoughts and mind. The dining room symbolizes our appetites and desires. The living room reflects our relationships and fellowship. Each room has areas in need of cleansing and renewal. This mirrors the process of sanctification, as the Holy Spirit works to purify our hearts and transform every aspect of who we are.
Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Ask yourself, what rooms in your life are you hesitant to let Christ enter? Are there closets full of hidden sins? Are there areas you simply do not want to deal with? Entire sanctification involves opening every door, allowing Christ to transform us completely.
3. Turning Over the Deed
The climax of Munger’s story comes when the homeowner gives Jesus the title deed to the house. This act of surrender represents the heart of entire sanctification. Wesley described it as “perfect love,” a state where we are wholly surrendered to God and filled with His love.
Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”Scripture:
Matthew 22:37
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Entire sanctification is not just about clearing out individual sins but offering ourselves wholly to God. It’s saying, “Lord, not just this room or that, but the whole house is Yours.”
4. The Ongoing Work of Grace
Wesleyan theology emphasizes that sanctification is both instantaneous and progressive. There is a moment of full surrender, but the journey of grace continues as Christ perfects His work in us. It is when we give full access of the house to Jesus that real work begins.
Philippians 1:6
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Giving Christ the deed doesn’t mean the house is immediately perfect. There may still be repairs to make, but the ownership has shifted. Christ is now in control, and His Spirit will work to restore and renew us fully.
Conclusion: Becoming a Dwelling for God
Ephesians 3:17-19:
“…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Is Christ merely a guest in your heart, or have you given Him full control? Entire sanctification is the act of turning over every key, every room, and every aspect of your life to the Lord. Let Him make your heart His home.