Through Salvation, you’re justified. God looks at you as if you’d never sinned. But what comes after that? Sanctification is staying connected to God. If you love Him, you’ll serve Him! John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Don’t say you’ve accepted Salvation and are justified through Christ, and then turn around and live in your old ways.
In the context of sanctification, you get to decide how close you’re going to get to God. Your expectation should be to have a deep relationship with Him. This started in the garden with Adam and Eve—they expected to be with God every day. But their expectation got twisted, and they desired wisdom over relationship. Once they had sinned, they did NOT expect Him to show up again, yet He did. God doesn’t want you to test this, but He keeps showing up, even when you keep messing up.
I mentioned King David yesterday. He was probably the closest to God, yet he had his moments of complete failure. If you don’t feel God by your side during dark times, it’s time to pursue Him again. Your expectations will be strengthened through your relationship with God. Rather than waiting for a holiday to roll around, you’ll celebrate the greatest day in history every day.
Jesus said in John 20:29, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Just because you can’t physically see everything that God is working on in the world, have faith that He’s fulfilling His promises. You are promised a relationship with Him if you seek Him. If you love Him, having a relationship with Him and furthering His kingdom will be on your heart!