Salvation includes a number of stages including Regeneration (2 Cor. 5:17), Justification (Rom. 10:9 & 2 Cor. 5:21), Sanctification (1 Pet. 2:9-10) and Glorification (1 Jn. 3:2). The stage of Sanctification can be confusing because Scripture refers to it as a past, present, and future reality. For example, the past phase of salvation is also referred to as Justification: “I have been sanctified in Christ” (Heb. 10:10). The future aspect of salvation is also referred to as Glorification: “I will be sanctified in Christ” (1 Jn. 3:2). The present phase of salvation begins at the moment of Regeneration and continues—aided by the Holy Spirit—until after death when our transformation into the character of Christ is finally complete. This present, life-long phase of salvation is Progressive Sanctification or what we refer to at IDT Ministries as Christ-formation. Therefore, Progressive Sanctification and Christ-formation refer to the same thing; the life-long process of becoming more and more like Jesus in his character. It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit is the primary agent of Christ-like character formation, it also requires our participation. Paul refers to this in Philippians 2:12-13 where believers are exhorted to work out their salvation.  

God is a triune being of three equal yet unique persons including Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As a triune being, God is relational; he has existed for all eternity in the trinitarian community. You could say that the Trinity is God’s small group. The process of Christ-formation is deeply rooted in intimate relationship with God and others. The relational theology that we affirm at IDT Ministries is deeply rooted in the reality that relationship is fundamental to the nature of God and therefore, makes us relational beings—in need of relationship with God and others—because we are created in his image and likeness (Gen. 1:27).

The work of the Holy Spirit in Christ-formation is essential. Of the many works of the Holy Spirit in our lives, He is the primary agent of our Christ-formation (2 Cor. 3:18).  In addition, other works of the Spirit specific to Christ-formation include but are not limited to the following: The Holy Spirit leads us into truth (Jn. 16:13), He bears witness in us that we are children of God (Rom. 8:16), He reveals to us the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10), He sets us free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2), He enables us to obey the truth (1 Pet. 1:22), He pours the love of God in our hearts (Rom. 5:5), He comforts us (Acts 9:31), He gives us joy (1 Thess. 1:6), He brings things to our remembrance (Jn. 14:26), He dwells within us (Rom 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16), and He produces His fruit—namely love—in our lives (Gal. 5:22-23). Without the Holy Spirit, any progress in Christ-formation will be impossible.

One of the most amazing dynamics of Regeneration (being born-again) is that the new believer becomes a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). This new status does not erase former hurts and it does not produce instant maturity, but as new creations, we have a new nature and identity. Understanding and living out of our new identity in Christ is an essential dynamic of Christ-formation. In Christ, the new believer is the salt of the earth and light of the world (Matt. 5:13-14), a son or daughter of God (Rom. 8:14-15; Gal. 3:26), a joint heir with Christ, sharing in all His inheritance (Rom. 8:17), a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16), one spirit with Christ (1 Cor. 6:17), a saint (1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col. 1:2), righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24), a citizen of heaven (Eph. 2:6), and dearly loved by God (Col. 3:12). The believer’s new identity is truly a mind-blowing reality.

At IDT Ministries, we believe that Progressive Sanctification, Christ-formation, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Growth and Maturity, and Discipleship are essentially synonymous as they all point to the same life-long process, namely becoming more and more like Jesus Christ in His character. Therefore, discipleship is not optional. The Gospel is so much more than the good news of the forgiveness of sin and heaven when you die. Jesus invites us to follow him, to be with him, and to learn what it looks like to be part of God’s family. Discipleship is so much more than just gaining biblical information and practicing spiritual disciplines, it is a moment by moment encounter with the living Jesus where we live in the reality of his presence and power in our lives.

The Bible clearly reveals that Satan and his horde of demonic, angelic beings are working against us (Jn. 10:10; Eph. 6:12). While Satan and his minions have no power over us in Christ (1 Jn. 4:4), they can try to deceive us and tempt us to believe lies about God, self, and others. We combat these lies with God’s Word and prayer as we take every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). We do this by comparing the lies of the enemy with biblical truth and choose to believe God’s Word instead of Satan.