“And such were some of you. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
(1 Corinthians 6:11)
Converted sinners are those who have answered the call of Christ by the power of the Spirit and the Word. The moment a person believes in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation through the power and influence of the Holy Spirit, they become a child of the King. This is not a gradual process but rather an immediate spiritual transformation from death to life.
This deliverance rescues the sinner from the condemnation in which they were born and adopts them into the family of God. Their new status, their heavenly inheritance, and every spiritual benefit they enjoy thereafter comes solely by God’s grace. Nothing in them could have deserved it, and nothing they did could have brought it about. “It is done freely by Jesus Christ,” without one ounce of merit in the sinner. This unspeakable privilege flows entirely from His favor to those who once had no claim.
Yet there’s a staggering truth here: as a child of God, you answered His call while others you know may not have. The Gospel came to your ears, and you believed. His Spirit moved, and you repented. His Word confronted, and you turned. Your response is wholly the work of God’s Spirit, yet it came through faith in what God says in His Word about what Christ has done.
This is justification by grace through faith in Christ. But justification and sanctification cannot be separated. To pretend they can be divided is to invent a counterfeit gospel. You cannot be saved and never changed. To believe in Christ and remain as you were is to show you have not really believed at all.
If you truly belong to Christ, your life will bear ongoing marks of that spiritual transformation. “The work of grace includes the entire renewal of man in the image of God and the spiritual transformation of the sinner into a saint.”[1] And with such a transformation comes the responsibility of living in accord with that new nature.
God’s children are called to grow in understanding, wisdom, and obedience. They must seek to know all God has for them. As Thomas Boston wrote, “Bless God for Christ and the gospel. Bless Him for His holy and powerful Spirit. Admire and adore His rich grace, bestowed on worthless worms through Christ.” Those who bear the name of Christ must walk in a manner worthy of that calling which means walking humbly and cheerfully, with eyes set on the glory yet to come.
Contemplations:
- Grace I could not earn. I didn’t reach out for God first. He called, and by His Spirit I was enabled to hear. That fact silences my pride. I did nothing to bring about my salvation, and I can take no credit for believing. God moved. He gave me ears to hear and a heart to believe. I am justified not by any effort of my own but by faith in Christ alone, which was His gift in the first place.
- Sanctification cannot be optional. It’s a lie to think I can be saved without being changed. I see how easy it is to claim Christ and still live like the world, but that’s not real salvation. If I’m truly washed and sanctified, there must be fruit. God’s grace doesn’t just forgive me; it transforms me to pursue obedience in every part of my life.
- Responding with repentance. God’s call demands an answer, and that answer is repentance. I am called to turn from sin and to follow Christ. I must respond daily to His Word with genuine sorrow for sin and joyful trust in His promises. That’s how I show I’ve truly answered His call.
- Walking worthy of the King. Being a child of God brings privilege, but it also brings responsibility. I must not trample on grace. God calls me to walk humbly, joyfully, and faithfully. This means I need to set aside complaints, ingratitude, and halfhearted obedience. He deserves my full heart, my full strength, and my full devotion.
Prayer (Supplication):
Lord God Almighty, You called me when I was dead in trespasses and sins. You sent forth Your Word, and by the power of Your Spirit I was awakened. I heard the voice of the Shepherd, and I followed. I did not move first. I did not stir myself toward righteousness. You reached down when I was bound in darkness, and You spoke light into my soul. You washed me, sanctified me, and justified me. And now, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, I come and ask for help.
You have begun a good work in me, and I plead with You for the grace and strength to carry it on. Do not leave me to myself. I see how easy it is to drift, to forget, to settle into cold routines. Stir up in me a fresh desire to obey. Make me restless when I stray. Rebuke me when I compromise. Break me when I resist. I need Your Spirit every hour to lead me into holiness.
Lord, I ask You to strengthen me where I am weak. Guard me from the subtle lies that say I can have salvation without surrender. Root out that error from my thoughts and sanctify me that I might be conformed into the image of Your Son. Let me never grow content with past obedience but keep me hungry for righteousness like a starving man hungers for food.
You know how often I fall. I say I trust You, and yet I worry. I say I love You, and yet I chase after lesser things. I say I belong to You, but I hold on to sins I should have long forsaken. Forgive me, cleanse me, and remove every proud thought that would resist Your will.
Father, give me joy in repentance. Teach me to love correction. Make me ready to respond to every word You speak with eagerness instead of excuses. Set my heart on things above, not on the fading pleasures of this world.
You called me. You claimed me. Now keep me, Lord. Preserve me to the end. Cause me to walk in holiness that I may bear fruit. Help me answer Your call daily, to live as one set apart, washed, and justified. Let others see that I belong to Christ not only by what I confess but by how I live.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for 1 Corinthians 6:11:
Eph. 5:26, Acts 22:16, Rom. 5:1, Gal. 2:16, Titus 3:3.
[1] Louis Berkhof, The History of Christian Doctrines (Grand Rapids, MI: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1949), 140.
