'The process of sanctification is broader and more subtle than our conscious efforts to mortify known patterns of sin in our lives. Much of our growth in grace is quietly effected by events and conditions God brings into our lives to perfect his work in us. We are faced with sacrificial choices, like Abram's call to leave Ur and the later command to offer up Isaac, and our positive response to such choices deepens the purity of our intention to follow Christ. We undergo painful losses and illness, or attack and persecution, and our trust and obedience to these circumstances enlarge our character and conform us to the image of Christ.'
Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, p.117.
