“For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”
(Hebrews 2:11-12)
Sanctification, the lifelong process for the believer by which the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ, is both the blessing and byproduct of salvation. Moreover, the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are “all of one,” as this text in Hebrews 2 tells us, so that Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren. This language speaks of nearness, relation, and participation in the saving benefits that flow from Him.[1]
This union with Christ that the believer shares in also carries with it a right to the inheritance of the saints. Those who are sanctified are not simply improved morally; they are brought into the company of those who possess the promised inheritance. Grace does not stop with present renewal. It builds the believer up toward what God has prepared for all His sanctified people. The work begun in them has an appointed end in glory.
This estate of believers therefore abounds with spiritual privileges. We belong to Christ, and in Him we possess blessings that reach across life, death, things present, and things to come. And some of these privileges are already in hand. We are called the sons of God. We are sanctified. We belong to Christ. We have been brought into a present relationship with grace that anticipates the inheritance still to come.
For these reasons, those who endure loss for Christ have no reason to regret their calling. Present suffering, however painful, cannot be compared with the glory that shall be revealed. Union with Christ gives suffering a new horizon. We do not judge the worth of the Christian life by our present ease, but by the glory already promised and the inheritance already secured.
This makes the statement that Christ is “not ashamed to call them brethren” especially precious. The sanctifying Lord does not keep His people at a distance as though reluctant to own them. He identifies them as His own. The One who is infinitely above them stoops in grace to acknowledge them. That nearness gives the believer abundant reason to bless God for the gospel by which such a relation is revealed and enjoyed.
Contemplations:
- You Are Not Ashamed to Call Me Brethren. You are the One who sanctifies, yet You do not keep those You sanctify at a distance. You call them brethren. Though You are infinitely above me in holiness, glory, and dignity, You identify Your people as Your own. I do not deserve such nearness, but You have freely brought Your people into it.
- My Holiness Comes from Union with You. You are the Sanctifier, and those who are sanctified are united to You. Every real advance in holiness therefore comes from grace, so help me remember that the source of holiness is found in the One to whom I belong.
- Grace Has Already Put Privileges in My Hand. Not every blessing is waiting to be bestowed in the future. You have already given present graces: adoption, union with Christ, sanctification, access to the gospel, and a right standing of those who belong to You. I praise You for what is already mine by grace, even while I wait for the full inheritance. Let these present privileges strengthen my present obedience and make me more thankful for every evidence that I have already been brought into the household of faith.
- The Inheritance Makes Present Suffering Small. When obedience to Christ becomes costly, remind me what has been secured. Present suffering is real, but it is not ultimate. The glory to be revealed outweighs what is endured now, and no sacrifice made for Christ can overturn the inheritance You have promised.
Prayer (Thanksgiving):
Father, I bless You for the grace that brings sinners into union with Christ and does not leave them as they were.
You have given a Sanctifier, and in Him You have joined Your people to the One from whom holiness flows. Every true grace, every movement toward holiness, every mortification of sin, and every growth in obedience comes from Your work through Christ.
I marvel that Christ is not ashamed to call His people brethren. Such nearness is beyond anything they could claim. You have brought them into a relation of grace that includes adoption, fellowship, and a secured inheritance.
I praise You also for the privileges already possessed. Your people are already called sons of God. They already belong to Christ. They already know the sanctifying work of grace and already stand within the promises of the gospel.
Let these present blessings make me more steadfast when suffering comes. Keep me from measuring the worth of the Christian life by comfort, ease, or outward prosperity. The glory to be revealed is greater than present loss.
Above all, I bless You for the gospel by which You call sinners into this state. Through it You reveal Christ, summon the lost, and bring Your people into the blessings purchased for them.
Make me increasingly thankful for union with Christ, for sanctification, for adoption, for inheritance, and for the privilege of being owned by the Savior who is not ashamed to call His people brethren.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Heb. 13:12; Heb. 10:10; Matt. 25:40; Matt. 28:10
[1] John Flavel, An Exposition of the Assemblies Catechism with Practical Inferences from Each Question, (London: Printed for Tho. Cockerill, 1692), 70.
