Sanctification - sanctification (the process of advancing in holiness); sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i.e. "made holy", as a vessel; use of the believer being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness (similarity of nature)
Pay it Forward - Pay it forward is an expression for when the recipient of an act of kindness does something kind for someone else rather than simply accepting or repaying the original good deed.
Obeying the Law of God
God's law is a set of commands and ordinances that are to be followed. Why would a person try to obey the law of God? The person is usually trying to make himself/herself acceptable to God - make God happy with them or pleasing to Him. While this is a noble goal, it is fruitless goal if attempted on own strength and merit. I would suggest this usually ends in one of three outcomes.
- Self-Righteousness - They change God's standard into their own standard (a righteous standard defined by their "self"). Then, they believe God is pleased with them and no one else (because no one else meets their personal standard).
- Despair - They recognize their inability to please God - their past actions and current nature do not allow it.
- Punting - They reject God and turn their back on Him, whether it be directly or indirectly by putting faith in other things.
Law of God Explained Further (Love)
God's law is a set of commands and ordinances that are to be followed. The commands and ordinances can be organized into a hierarchical classification (taxonomy). Jesus stated love is at the top of that hierarchy. That is to say, if you love God and all people, you are obeying the complete law of God.
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."[Matthew 22:36-40]
Basis of Love
When you become a Christian, you find you are a vessel of mercy. You find you are a recepient of God's love. Your faith in God's goodness, mercy, and love is the basis of a life to be expended in loving others. You can find more information at Love Explained and the verses below.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.[1 John 4:18-19]
Wrapping it Up (Sanctification = Pay it Forward)
So, the more obedient you are to God's law, the more sanctified you are to God (John 14:21). But, as stated earlier, if you try to fulfill God's law on your own strength and merit, it will not end well. You will become very inward looking, which prevents you from looking outward, which is necessary to love others, which is necessary to fulfill the law of God.
And, as we have stated earlier, to love God and others is to fulfill the law of God. And, if you accept God's love, you have a basis to love God and others. You can become outward looking to love others because you are no longer concerned about "saving your own skin" since God gave Himself (Romans 8:35-39).
So, the more you pay God's love forward, the more you are fulfilling the law of God, and the more you are becoming sanctified. A Christian is a new creation that starts with the faith in God's goodness and love that allows this transformation.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.[Eph 5:1-5]
