Becoming a new creation in Christ, putting the old life behind you, and daily yielding to the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of the Spirit and form the character of Christ are topics that are not welcome in most churches today. But for the church that will be the bride of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit and character formation are a natural consequence of obedience to the word of God. The purpose of this book is to help us to grow in spiritual maturity with godly character formation, walking in the Spirit, and producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

We need to make it clear from the start that it is only by the grace of God that anybody is saved, filled with the Spirit, or able to glorify God with their life. We do not want to confuse the obedience of grace with the law, and we oppose any form of works-based salvation or religious legalism. Salvation is by God's grace, and it is God who works in us to make us willing to do his will.

The words holy or holiness and sanctify or sanctification can be interchangeable and mean pure, morally blameless, consecrated (dedicated, set apart), innocent, modest, chaste, and clean. There are two applications of sanctification or holiness. The first was imputed to us as a gift by faith in Christ when we were born again. When Christ died for us on the cross, he became our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption before God as the only means of salvation. Nobody could ever earn salvation by their works, but God gives it as a gift through faith in Christ, so all the glory belongs to Christ alone.

The second application of sanctification is the practical outworking of holiness and could include character formation and fruit of the Spirit. The practical application of being sanctified is a process whereby we separate from worldliness and sin and become more like Jesus. If we claim salvation and the righteousness of Christ, people will watch to see if we are legitimate in our profession. Jesus said we know a tree by its fruit, good or bad. If our lives reflect holiness or the Devil, people see it. Working out our salvation with fear and trembling is a practical part of our sanctification and spiritual growth.

This book is part of a series of basic teachings that all Christians should be able to teach. We call it the "toolbox series" because each study is a tool for you to share your faith with others. These "tools" can also be a start-up kit for small groups, used as workbooks, and shared freely online. For free resources and study materials, visit our website at Ears2Hear.online.