But the need for human effort toward sanctification has pushed other believers toward legalistic obedience. At some level of consciousness man cannot forget the fact that he is “finite man” – surely at some point there will be a cry within him, that there must be a real answer in this life to the “separation from himself. Once we “consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God” (Rom 6:11), Paul then says, “we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies by obeying its lusts” (Rom 6:12); rather, “we are to present our bodies as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom 6:13) – that is faith.

True sanctification is marked by “active passivity”—by opening our hands in faith for God to use us as vehicles for his purposes (93). The word translated “consider” is logizomai – it signifies “to take account of” (2 Cor 10:7) – as believers we are exhorted to think and consider certain things as being true – that is faith – we are trusting what God says as indeed being true.And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw – “and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kg 6:16-17).

Again,the central point is that they were “not thankful” – the beginning of man’s rebellion against God was,and is, the lack of a thankful heart.Perhaps the concept of “passivity” should be explained here – in the New Testament language of Greek, when the verb is passive, that means “we are recipients of the action;” when the verb is active, that means “we are the ones initiating the action. As Jesus taught, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Without a firm understanding of the truths presented above, you will often struggle with a “lack of assurance” regarding the fact that you are really saved.