Teaching on the major doctrine of sanctification Part of the Christian's Pocket Guide series

The Christian life is a process of growing in holiness, our natural response to the good news of our redemption in Christ. This kind of growth is gradual, and obstacles are plentiful. Thankfully, we don't have to go it alone. God has given us his Spirit so that we can overcome temptation and become more and more conformed to the image of Christ. But how does the Spirit work? What is the nature of our own personal involvement in the process? And how do we know if we are making progress? Drawn from the lectures of beloved theologian R. C. Sproul, Growing in Holiness explores the doctrine of sanctification, offering insightful commentary on themes such as developing perseverance, overcoming barriers to growth, dealing with feelings of inadequacy, cultivating love for God and others, exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit, and much more. Whether you're a new believer who wants to understand what the Christian life is all about or you've been a Christian for some time but are frustrated by a lack of progress, this book is your guide to pursuing a holy life.

Do you long to be more like Jesus? Do you desire to live a holy life? Do you seek to answer the Spirit's call: "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15- 16)? If so, this book was written for you. Unfortunately, many Christians are confused about what the Bible teaches about living a holy life. I've had students who came from good Gospel-preaching churches who were not sure they even believed in what they heard called "holiness." Either their church did not speak much about it or what they heard seemed legalistic or unattainable. It is sad that there is so much careless and sometimes contradictory teaching about this vital subject. The aim of this book is to be as biblically and contextually accurate as possible in the use of words and phrases such as "holy, holiness, sanctify, the Spirit-filled life, and entire sanctification." Further, I seek to limit my comments to what the Scriptures actually affirm. I do not attempt to answer every question that can be raised when talking about the biblical doctrine of sanctification. Rather, I seek to affirm what Scriptures affirm and leave unsaid what Scriptures do not say. I think any reader of Scripture will agree that God does command Christians to be holy. The burning question is: "What does God mean when He commands us to be holy?" This book is an attempt to answer that question.

"Hands down my favorite book for teen girls." Rosaria Butterfield, author, The Gospel Comes with a House Key Your teen years matter. Of all the ways you're learning and changing during the busy teenage years, your growth in Christ is the most important. God intends to use your teen years as a launching pad into a lifelong pursuit of looking more like Jesus. This book will help you prioritize your Christian growth—pointing you to the resources God has given you in his Word, in prayer, and in the church; offering help for managing your emotions, watching your words, and bearing spiritual fruit; and challenging you with ways to center your life around this important task. Even as a teenager, you have all it takes to grow in godliness.

The hole in our holiness is that we don't care much about holiness. Or, at the very least, we don't understand it. And we all have our reasons too: Maybe the pursuit of holiness seems legalistic. Maybe it feels like one more thing to worry about in your already overwhelming life. Maybe the emphasis on effort in the Christian life appears unspiritual. Or maybe you've been trying really hard to be holy and it's just not working! Whatever the case, the problem is clear: too few Christians look like Christ and too many don't seem all that concerned about it. This is a book for those of us who are ready to take holiness seriously, ready to be more like Jesus, ready to live in light of the grace that produces godliness. This is a book about God's power to help us grow in personal holiness and to enjoy the process of transformation.

Apart from being a scholar and theologian, Rowan Williams has also demonstrated a rare gift for speaking and writing plainly and clearly about essentials of the Christian faith. In the chapters of this book he writes with profound perception about the life of holiness to which we are called. The range of Williams' frame of reference is astonishing – he brings poets and theologians to his aid, he writes about the Rule of St Benedict, the Bible, Icons, contemplation, St Teresa of Avila and even R. D. Laing. He concludes with two chapters on the injunction 'Know Thyself' in a Christian context. Throughout, Williams points out that holiness is a state of being – it is he writes 'completely undemonstrative and lacking any system of expertise. It can never be dissected and analysed.'