One distinction in The Crisis of the Deeper Life made me stop and think: being set apart for ministry does not necessarily mean my character is being changed. I can be involved in the work of the church and still have areas of my life where I am resisting what God wants to do.
George P. Pardington brought that question close to home. Is what I believe showing up in how I live?
What the deeper life means
Pardington’s central theme is that holiness comes from being connected to Jesus and depending on the Holy Spirit. Holiness means being set apart for God, with a life increasingly shaped by his character. Sanctification is the Christian word for being made holy. Calling Jesus our sanctifier means trusting him to bring about that change.
The Holy Spirit is God present and at work in people’s lives. For an introduction to how Christians understand the Spirit in relation to the Father and Jesus, see the guide to the Trinity.
Pardington describes a definite point of surrender, when we yield ourselves fully to God and trust Christ to be our sanctifier. The word crisis in the title refers to that decisive turning point. It leads into a daily life of abiding, remaining in a relationship of trust and dependence on God and allowing the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out.
Being set apart and being changed
One section I highlighted was the distinction between ceremonial and moral holiness. In this distinction, ceremonial holiness concerns being set apart for a sacred purpose or role. Moral holiness concerns character and conduct. Someone can be set apart for a role while still needing a real change in how they live.
That made me reflect on everyday life: how I respond when I’m frustrated, how I treat others, and whether I’m willing to obey when God brings something to my attention. Being involved in ministry does not, in itself, mean I am allowing God to work in every area of my life.
Being set apart for ministry needs to be reflected in the person I am becoming.
A deeper life that leads to service
Pardington’s description of the Alliance’s calling also stood out to me. The Christian and Missionary Alliance is the church family behind this book, with an emphasis on Jesus as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. He describes its calling to proclaim neglected biblical truth and carry out neglected Christian work.
That helped me see how the deeper life connects with mission. As we surrender to Jesus and depend on the Holy Spirit, he changes us and equips us to bring the gospel, the good news about Jesus, to others.
Knowing Christ more deeply should make us more willing to go where he sends us and serve people who have been overlooked.
What I want to keep practicing
In ministry, I want to help people see that they can trust Jesus for sanctification in their daily lives. I want to point them toward him and help them depend on the Holy Spirit to change them from the inside out.
My response is to keep surrendering whatever the Holy Spirit shows me is out of alignment with him, and to trust him to produce the character and fruit I cannot manufacture myself. By fruit, I mean the qualities that grow out of life with God, such as love, patience, and self-control.
Where Christians describe growth differently
Pardington writes from the Alliance’s tradition of decisive surrender followed by continuing growth. Other Christians place more emphasis on gradual growth, and Pentecostal traditions often distinguish baptism in the Spirit for empowered service from sanctification. Christians also differ over how fully freedom from sin can be experienced in this life. Compare understandings of the Holy Spirit and the relationship between grace and a changed life.
Book discussed
George P. Pardington, The Crisis of the Deeper Life. For a related reflection, read Filled With the Spirit…Then What? My article Christ our Sanctifier explores the belief behind these reflections more fully.
A question in the margin is a good place to begin.