A Testimony

Back in my Asbury College days when I first starting hearing that preaching and teaching about sanctification, it seemed to me that it was about an experience.  I thought there was some special experience to be had that would be good for a lifetime.  Of course, I was mistaken.  Sanctification is not about a single moment in our lives, but is, instead, about a lifetime.  This is not to say that there may not be some spiritual experience which brings to a climax a deep longing for God, but it is not necessary.  What does seem necessary is consciously choosing to allow the Holy Spirit to be the primary source of influence in everything we do. 

 

My response to the message about the sanctified heart did take me to an altar one afternoon during the Asbury Revival, but what I soon realized was that the moment was only a beginning.  It was the initiating moment for a journey that has stretched from then until now.  The personal confessing and heart cleansing by the Spirit that afternoon was not one that was final, but one that pointed me toward the way God was calling me to live for the rest of my days.  While there have been many times when the Holy Spirit has made me aware of heart work that needed doing, the moment at the Asbury altar was for me a powerful and unforgettable moment of being overwhelmed by the Spirit.  It set the course for my spiritual life.

 

No two of us are the same.  We are all different and as different children, our Father God responds differently to us.  But, there are things which He desires for every one of us.  According to the Word, one of the things He desires for each of us is our sanctification.  He wants us to live with such a longing for Him that we are never satisfied until we step into that life of living totally dependent upon Him.  When we come to the place where nothing is more important to us than Him, He is ready to fill our hearts with an awareness of holy presence which will surpass anything we might have imagined possible.