According to the Scriptures, Christ is not merely a helper along the way—He is our righteousness, our sanctification, our reward, and our very life. This is not a poetic flourish; it is the foundation of the gospel and the bedrock of our assurance before God.
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”
—1 Corinthians 1:30
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
—Colossians 3:4
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
—John 14:6
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”
—Genesis 15:1
The New Birth: A Real Desire for Holiness
If you are born again, God has given you a new heart—a heart that genuinely desires to be holy. This is not a manufactured longing, nor is it the product of religious conditioning. Paul testifies, even in the midst of struggle, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” The believer’s desire for holiness is real, and it is the fruit of regeneration.
“I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.”
—Romans 7:21-22
Yet, alongside this new desire, there remains another law at work—the law of sin in our members. This is not a minor inconvenience; it is a relentless adversary. The result is an internal conflict: the inward man delights in God’s law, but the flesh pulls in the opposite direction. This tension is not a sign of spiritual failure; it is the normal experience of every believer.
The Fatal Error: Seeking Sanctification Apart from Christ
Here is where many stumble. Confronted with the ongoing presence of sin, we instinctively turn to self-effort, law-keeping, or religious performance to achieve holiness. This is not a harmless mistake; it is a theological disaster. The law of sin cannot be subdued by the flesh. Every attempt to secure sanctification apart from Christ leads only to frustration and futility. This is not a secondary issue—it strikes at the very heart of the gospel.
To seek sanctification outside of Christ is to deny that He is sufficient. It is to treat holiness as a process to be managed, rather than a Person to be received. If you persist in this error, you do not merely lose your peace; you undermine the very basis of your justification, your inheritance, and your sonship. You trade the finished work of Christ for the endless treadmill of self-improvement, and you forfeit the satisfaction and security that are yours in Him.
Christ: Our Sanctification and Satisfaction
The gospel does not offer you a method for becoming holy; it offers you Christ Himself as your sanctification. God has made Christ to be your wisdom, your righteousness, your sanctification, and your redemption. Sanctification is not a distant goal to be attained through effort—it is a present reality in the Person of Christ.
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”
—1 Corinthians 1:30
When you take Christ as your sanctification, you are no longer at the mercy of your own performance. You are satisfied and secure in the holiness that is found only in Him. He is your reward, your shield, and your life. To look elsewhere is to guarantee frustration; to rest in Him is to possess all spiritual sufficiency.
What Is Lost If You Miss This?
If you insist on pursuing sanctification apart from Christ, you lose everything that matters. You lose the assurance of your standing before God, the enjoyment of your inheritance, and the reality of your sonship. You exchange the Person of Christ for a program of self-effort, and you are left with nothing but frustration and defeat. This is not a peripheral matter—it is salvific. The difference is the difference between rest and striving, between sonship and slavery, between Christ and self.
The Only Way Forward
If you are weary of the cycle of failure and frustration, the answer is not to try harder. The answer is to see that Christ is your sanctification. He is your life. He is your reward. He is your sufficiency. Stop looking to yourself; look to Him. Rest in His finished work. This is the only way to satisfaction, security, and true holiness.
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
—Colossians 3:4
Christ is all. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Anything less is not the gospel.
If you want to go deeper into this reality, I recommend Christ as Satisfaction. It will show you how sanctification is not a process you manage, but a Person you possess. Stop measuring your progress—start beholding His sufficiency.
