God’s goal is not partial transformation but complete sanctification—spirit, soul, mind, and body brought under the lordship of Christ. Dr. Michael Youssef explains why holiness begins within and why true righteousness comes through dependence on God, not human willpower.
Paul prayed that believers would be sanctified “through and through.” In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains that God desires every part of our lives to come under the control of Christ.
Sanctification begins on the inside. As our thoughts are brought into obedience to Christ, our actions begin to reflect that inward transformation. Scripture does not separate the spiritual life from the physical life—our entire being belongs to God.
But this kind of holiness is not produced by sheer effort. The God who calls us is faithful, and He is the one who works in us. Our role is to surrender fully and live in daily dependence on Him.
Prayer: Lord, help me to decrease so that Christ may increase in me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“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 you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
*Excerpt adapted from Fearless Living in Troubled Times by Michael A. Youssef © 2017. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR. Used by permission.
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Until Christ Returns, Do Not Quench the Spirit: LISTEN NOW