Sanctification in the Everyday

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Jarvis Williams wrote a very helpful chapter on means of God’s grace in our everyday sanctification. He essentially lays out four tools that God enables us to use to see growth in our personal lives.

Williams, Jarvis. “Acting the Miracle in the Everyday: Word of God, the Means of Grace, and the Practical Pursuit of Gospel Maturity.” In Acting the Miracle: God’s Work and Ours in the Mystery of Sanctification, edited by John Piper and David Mathis, 89–105. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013.
Read a full review of the book here and get the free pdf here

Summary:

3 Points:

1. “First, God’s action for us and in us through Christ is the foundation underneath our pursuit of practical maturity in the gospel of Jesus Christ” (89). This is explained through a treatment of foreknowledge and predestination in the NT.

2. “Second, God uses means of grace by which to enable us to pursue practical maturity in the gospel of Jesus Christ” (89).

3. “Third, both God’s action for us and in us through Christ and his means of grace will in fact lead us to practical maturity in the gospel of Jesus Christ” (90).

 

4 Means: (90)

(a) the Word of God

(b) preaching to yourself and meditation

(c) fervent prayer

(d) suffering

 

He gives good, clear, applications to each of these, making it helpful to put each of them into practice.