It may take (40) years for a believer to be changed from an "average" Christian into someone whose conduct is identifiable as being a "mature" Christian.
From sinner to saint? Not over night! Theoretically and legally, we become saints of God when we are born again because we are justified to be righteous through faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice. We are transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light upon repentance and thus receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior at initial salvation.
However, it takes quite a while, perhaps a lifetime, for our transformation and conduct as a Christian to even appear to catch up with our legal position in Christ. Our sanctification (growth and separation for God) is usually a lifetime process, and at the end of it few people will call us a saint in the sense of being a Saint Paul or Saint Peter. I would even assume many Christians seem to finish their lives disappointed with their service to the Lord. With that said, each believer in the final analysis is responsible for their own rate of progress, according to their commitment, obedience (action) and submission (attitude). I myself was saved at the age of 15 at a Jesus Freak camp-out gathering in 1972. That was 50 years ago. I would say I have been seriously attempting (there has been growth) to walking out my salvation unto the Lord for the last 38 years. Yet on a few occasions, I have felt that I've barely scratched the surface.
I will probably be accused of meddling here, but it is inexcusable for Christians to rest on their conversion experience and the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's Cross and use their legal position of being justified by faith as an excuse to disobey and neglect the word of God. I believe there is some confusion between SIN and SINS. The Root of Sin in the heart (singular "old man") CAUSES the sins (plural) we commit in action (both sins of commission and omission). It is the CAUSE and EFFECT principle. As Jesus said, sins come out of (are sourced in) the heart of man, where the "old man" resides.
It's easy to see external problems (sins) that obviously are related to the "fallen nature" of mankind. I believe the Lord is preparing His people with an inner cleansing from problems which exist deep within the inner person, where they are not so obvious hidden down deep in the inner parts of man and woman, where all the hereditary roots and childhood scars had left their "hideous" mark upon the human personality.
Beloved, now we are the children of God and it has not
yet been shown what we shall be. We know that when
He appears, we shall be like Him, because
we shall see Him as He is (1 Jn 3:23).
Thank the Lord for the "Blessed Hope."
We can all Look forward to a glorious eternity with our Lord.
But what about today? Do we still need to be cleansed and purified today, even after our initial salvation experience at the new birth?
"Let us CLEANSE OUSELVES FROM ALL POLLUTION OF THE FLESH AND OF SPIRIT,
perfecting holiness, in the fear of God"(2 Cor 7:1).
I think when Paul penned this verse of Scripture he was concerned about the believers sanctification. There is both a positive and negative aspect in mind. It involves separation from participating in the sins of society (indulgence in ungodly activity) on one hand, and dedication to the sacred on the other. Paul's emphasis is on separation from those things which once enslaved us. He exhorted a cleansing of self from sin. Although it is God who sanctifies, there is an emphasis on man's responsibility in sanctification. Paul hints that we must rid ourselves of filthiness, which defiles the flesh in outward acts of displayed sins. Yet we cannot afford to take less care to what soils the spirit, the inner sins of pride, envy, jealousy, lust, and bitterness are a few.
I think we would all agree that the believer who accepts what Christ did for us, realizes that he/she has been sanctified as Gods own (set apart). However, the believer has a continuous duty (throughout his/her life) of perfecting (maintaining, completing) holiness in their life. The man and woman of God is under obligation to do so in the fear of God (abhor evil) with appropriate awe and respect for Him.
Allow me to change gears here.
The Holy Spirit showed me three kinds of enemy spirits which are especially defiling to the members of the Body of Christ today.
They are SPIRITS OF JEALOUSY, SPIRITS OF CRITCISM, AND SPIRITS OF RESENTMENT. All three are the fruit of the manifestation of the root of bitterness in people. Just as Jesus refused vinegar mixed with gall (a bitter substance) so we should also refuse the spirits of bitterness from operating in us and in the Body of Christ as a whole. And these spirits are primarily JEALOUSY, CRITISM, AND RESENTMENT.
Sometime later, the Lord began to deal with me concerning other spirits which are especially troubling to the Body of Christ at this time. The Holy Spirit showed me two other groups of three each. In the second group are PROUD SPIRITS, RELIGIOUS SPIRITS, AND DECEIVING SPIRITS. In the third group are COVETOUS SPIRITS, LUST SPIRITS, AND LYING SPIRITS. These six, plus the three "bitter" spirits are the nine kinds of spirits that are opposite of the nine fruits of the Spirit found over in Gal 5:22-23, and are defiling the Body of Christ. They are also hindering the saints from moving into their full inheritance in Christ.
There are many believers who are vexed and oppressed by one or more of these spirits and they are not fully aware of it. They may sense that something is wrong, but they don't know what to do or how to get free. When believers are experiencing the effects that these spirits are targeting them, how can they walk in the genuine fruit of the Holy Spirit? Can a fresh spring remain fresh if it is contaminated with bitter water?
Dear forum, we cannot expect the spiritual Body of Christ to function in full power and glory until the Spirit liberates it from all bitter and defiling spirits of the enemy which are so prevalent among the saints today. I am sure that most of you who are moving on with God would like to avoid what I am talking about today. But I am convinced there can be no real moving on into the fullness of the inheritance of Christ and the freedom that is only found in the Holy Spirit until there has been a real cleansing and liberating work done in His spiritual body.
FOR I SAY UNTO YOU, MY PEOPLE, I AM ABOUT TO MOVE BY MY SPIRIT TO DO A WORK AMONG MY PROPLE.
I WILL BEGIN A NEW AND FRESH MOVE AMONG MY PEOPLE TO BRING ABOUT A FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IN THE
CHURCH ,WHICH IS MY SPIRITUAL BODY IN THE EARTH. I AM RAISING UP CERTAIN VESSELES OF MY CHOOSING,
THAT I WILL ESPECIALLY ANOINT THAT THEY MAY BE USED TO BRING DELIVERANCE UNTO MY PEOPLE.
ESPECIALLY KEEN SHALL BE THE GIFT OF DECERNMENT OF SPIRITS, FOR MY PEOPLE HAVE COME UNDER MANY
DECEPTIONS AND OPPRESSIONS OF THE ENEMY, AND THERE IS A NEED OF GREAT CLEANSING AND LIBERATING
WORK AMONG MY PEOPLE. THEREFORE GIVE THYSELF TO ME QUICKLY AND UNRESERVDLY THAT YE MAY BE USED
TO HELP CLEANSE THE BODY OF CHRIST FROM ALL THE DEFILEMENTS OF THE FLESH AND OF THE SPIRIT SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS.