sanctification

Sanctification is an act of grace through which God attributes the righteousness and holiness of Jesus Christ to the believer and includes him in it. Sanctification is experienced through faith in Jesus Christ and is effected through the presence of the Holy Spirit in people. (Romans 6,11; 1. John 1,8-9; Romans 6,22; 2. Thessalonians 2,13; Galatians 5, 22-23)

sanctification

According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, to sanctify means to set apart or hold sacred, or to cleanse or deliver from sin.¹ These definitions reflect the fact that the Bible uses the word "holy" in two ways: 1) special status, i.e. set apart for God's use, and 2) moral behavior - thoughts and actions befitting holy status, Thoughts and actions that are in harmony with God's way.²

It is God who sanctifies his people. He is the one who singles it for his purpose, and it is he who is capable of holy conduct. There is little controversy about the first point that God separates people for His purpose. But there is controversy regarding the interplay between God and man in the sanctification of behavior.

The questions include: What active role should Christians play in sanctification? To what extent should Christians expect to be successful in aligning their thoughts and actions with the divine standard? How should the church admonish its members?

We will present the following points:

• Sanctification is made possible by the grace of God.
• Christians should try to reconcile their thoughts and actions with the will of God as revealed in the Bible.
• Sanctification is a progressive growth, in response to God's will. Let's discuss how sanctification begins.

Initial sanctification

People are morally corrupt and cannot choose God of their own accord. Reconciliation must be initiated by God. God's gracious intervention is required before a person can have faith and turn to God. Whether this grace is irresistible is debatable, but Orthodoxy agrees that it is God who makes the choice. He selects people for his purpose and thereby sanctifies them or sets them apart for others. In ancient times, God sanctified the people of Israel, and within these people he continued to sanctify the Levites (e.g. 3. Moses 20,26:2; 1,6; 5 Mon. 7,6). He singled them out for his purpose.³

However, Christians are set apart in a different way: "The sanctified in Christ Jesus" (1. Corinthians 1,2). "We have been sanctified once for all by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ" (Hebrews 10,10).⁴ Christians are made holy by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10,29; 12,12). They have been declared sacred (1. Petrus 2,5. 9) and they are called "saints" throughout the New Testament. That's her status. This initial sanctification is like justification (1. Corinthians 6,11). “God chose you first to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit” (2. Thessalonians 2,13).

But God's purpose for His people goes beyond a simple declaration of new status—it is a setting apart for His use, and His use involves a moral transformation in His people. Humans are “destined… to obedience to Jesus Christ” (1. Petrus 1,2). They are to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (2. Corinthians 3,18). Not only are they supposed to be declared holy and righteous, they are also born again. A new life begins to develop, a life that is to behave in a holy and righteous manner. Thus the initial sanctification leads to the sanctification of conduct.

Sanctification of behavior

Even in the Old Testament, God told His people that their sacred status included a change in behavior. The Israelites were to avoid ceremonial impurity because God had chosen them4,21). Their holy status depended on their obedience8,9). The priests should forgive certain sins because they were holy (3. Moses 21,6-7). Devotees had to change their behavior while they were singled out (4. Mose 6,5).

Our election in Christ has ethical implications. Since the Holy One has called us, Christians are exhorted to "be holy in all your conduct" (1. Petrus 1,15-16). As God's chosen and holy people, we should show heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3,12).

Sin and uncleanness do not belong to God's people (Ephesians 5,3; 2. Thessalonians 4,3). When people purify themselves from nefarious intentions, they become "sanctified" (2. Timothy 2,21). We should control our body in a way that is sacred (2. Thessalonians 4,4). "Holy" is often associated with "blameless" (Ephesians 1,4; 5,27; 2. Thessalonians 2,10; 3,13; 5,23; titus 1,8). Christians are “called to be holy” (1. Corinthians 1,2), “to lead a holy walk” (2. Thessalonians 4,7; 2. Timothy 1,9; 2. Petrus 3,11). We are instructed to "pursue sanctification" (Hebrews 1 Cor2,14). We are encouraged to be holy (Romans 12,1), we are told that we are “made holy” (Hebrews 2,11; 10,14), and we are encouraged to continue to be holy (Revelation 2 Dec.2,11). We are made holy by the work of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. He changes us from within.

This brief study of the Word shows that holiness and sanctification have something to do with behavior. God sets people apart as "holy" for a purpose, that they might live a holy life in the discipleship of Christ. We are saved that we might bring forth good works and good fruit (Ephesians 2,8-10; Galatians 5,22-23). Good works are not the cause of salvation, but a consequence of it.

Good works are proof that a person's faith is real (James 2,18). Paul speaks of “the obedience of faith” and says that faith is expressed through love (Romans 1,5; Galatians 5,6).

Lifelong growth

When people come to believe in Christ, they are not perfect in faith, in love, in works, or in behavior. Paul calls the Corinthians saints and brothers, but they have many sins in their lives. The numerous admonitions in the New Testament indicate that readers need not only doctrinal instruction, but also admonition regarding behavior. The Holy Spirit changes us, but he does not oppress the human will; a holy life does not automatically flow from faith. Every Christ has to make decisions, whether he wants to do right or wrong, even as Christ works in us to change our desires.

The "old self" may be dead, but Christians must shed it too (Romans 6,6-7; Ephesians 4,22). We must go on killing the works of the flesh, the remains of the old self (Romans 8,13; Colossians 3,5). Even though we died of sin, sin remains within us and we shouldn't let it rule (Romans 6,11-13). Thoughts, emotions and decisions have to be consciously shaped according to the divine pattern. Holiness is something to be pursued (Hebrews 12,14).

We are charged to be perfect and to love God with all our hearts (Matthew 5,48;
22,37). Because of the limitations of the flesh and the remnants of the old self, we are unable to be that perfect. Even Wesley, boldly speaking of "perfection," explained that he didn't mean complete absence of imperfection.⁵ Growth is always possible and ordered. If a person has Christian love, he or she will strive to learn how to express it in a better way, with fewer mistakes.

The apostle Paul was bold enough to say that his conduct was "holy, righteous, and blameless" (2. Thessalonians 2,10). But he didn't claim to be perfect. Rather, he reached out for that goal, exhorting others not to think that they had achieved their goal. (Philippians 3,12-15). All Christians need forgiveness (Matthew 6,12; 1. John 1,8-9) and must grow in grace and knowledge (2. Petrus 3,18). Sanctification should increase throughout life.

But our sanctification will not be completed in this life. Grudem explains: "If we appreciate that sanctification involves the whole person, including our body (2. Corinthians 7,1; 2. Thessalonians 5,23), then we realize that sanctification will not be fully completed until the Lord returns and we receive new resurrection bodies.”⁶ Only then will we be delivered from all sin and given a glorified body like Christ has. (Philippians 3,21; 1. John 3,2). Because of this hope, we grow in sanctification by purifying ourselves (1. John 3,3).

Biblical admonition to sanctification

Wesely saw a pastoral need to exhort the faithful to the practical obedience that results from love. The New Testament contains many such admonitions, and it is right to preach them. It is right to anchor the behavior in the motive of love and finally in
our unity with Christ through the Holy Spirit, who is the source of love.

Although we give glory to God and realize that grace must initiate all our behavior, we also conclude that such grace is present in the hearts of all believers and we exhort them to respond to that grace.

McQuilken offers a practical rather than a dogmatic approach. 7 He does not insist that all believers in sanctification must have similar experiences. He advocates high ideals, but without presupposing perfection. His exhortation to serve as the end result of sanctification is good. He emphasizes the written warnings about apostasy, rather than being limited to theological conclusions about the perseverance of the saints.

His emphasis on faith is helpful because faith is the foundation of every Christianity, and faith has practical consequences in our lives. The means of growth are practical: prayer, the Scriptures, fellowship, and a confident approach to trials. Robertson exhorts Christians to greater growth and testimony without exaggerating the demands and expectations.

Christians are exhorted to become what they already are, according to God's declaration; the imperative follows the indicative. Christians are supposed to live a holy life because God has declared them to be sacred, destined for their use.

Michael Morrison

¹ RE Allen, ed. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, 8th Edition, (Oxford, 1990), p. 1067.

² In the Old Testament (OT) God is holy, His name is holy, and He is the Holy One (occurs more than 100 times in all). In the New Testament (NT), “holy” is applied more often to Jesus than to the Father (14 times versus 36), but even more often to the Spirit (50 times). The OT refers to the holy people (devotees, priests, and the people) some 110 times, usually in reference to their status; the NT refers to the holy people about 17 times. The OT refers to sacred sites about 70 times; the NT only 19 times. The OT refers to sacred things about times; the NT only three times as a picture of a holy people. The OT refers to holy times in verses; the NT never designates time as sacred. In relation to places, things, and time, sanctity refers to a designated status, not a moral conduct. In both testaments, God is holy and holiness comes from him, but the way holiness affects people is different. The New Testament emphasis on holiness relates to people and their behavior, not to a specific status for things, places, and times.

³ Especially in the OT, sanctification does not mean salvation. This is evident because things, places and times were also sanctified, and these relate to the people of Israel. A use of the word "sanctification" that does not refer to salvation can also be found in 1. Corinthians 7,4 find - an unbeliever had been placed in a special category for God's use in a certain way. Hebrews 9,13 uses the term "holy" to refer to a ceremonial status under the Old Covenant.

⁴ Grudem notes that in several passages in Hebrews the word "sanctified" is roughly equivalent to the word "justified" in Paul's vocabulary (W. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Zondervan 1994, p. 748, note 3.)

⁵ John Wesley, "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection," in Millard J. Erickson, ed. Readings in Christian Theology, Volume 3, The New Life (Baker, 1979), p. 159.

⁶ Grudem, p. 749.

⁷ J. Robertson McQuilken, "The Keswick Perspective," Five Views of Sanctification (Zondervan, 1987), pp. 149-183.

sanctification