Sanctify 1. to make holy;set apart as sacred;consecrate.
We don’t hear much about the topics of justification and sanctification in church any more. Jesus called for the sanctification of believers when He prayed,
“Sanctify them by the truth;your word is truth.” ~John 17:17
As Christians, the primary way of being sanctified is by following His commands. One of the greatest of these was the Great Commission.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:19-20
As parents, I believe our children should be the first of the nations to hear the gospel from us. Through these teachings, we become more Christlike.
The New Testament authors address the church as children throughout their letters and this is for a very good reason. Again, Jesus said,
“I praise you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” ~Matthew 11:25
and
“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 18:3
If one must have the faith of a child to enter Heaven, does it not stand to reason that the best time for one to learn to obey everything He has commanded is as children?
It was certainly important to the church fathers that the leaders in the church had children who were believers and were “well managed.”
A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. ~1Timothy 3:12
An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ~Titus 1:6
The other way in which parenthood contributes to the sanctification of the believer is that it cultivates the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ~Galatians 5:22-23
As parents, it is important that we show and use each of these attributes with our children.
I pray that each of us, as parents now or in the future, will recognize the call to sanctification and will use the opportunities that parenthood bring to more holy, more pure and more Christlike.