The Meaning Of Sanctification
The term for ‘sanctification’ as used in the New Covenant is HAGIOSMOS and means basically ‘set apart’, in the sense of being set apart from all else and dedicated for Yahweh God’s use.
The concept of ‘holiness’ is derived from this meaning in that what is set apart unto Yahweh, is not contaminated by the corruption of the world and its influence. It is wholly set apart unto Him, in purity.
For the believer, sanctification defines an internal state of separation from everything in the world brought about by a divine work of grace in the believer’s life. This work of grace at salvation sets the believer apart as separate from and holy unto Yahweh God.
This state of sanctification is not inherent in the nature of man, nor can it be achieved through human effort, as a cleansing is necessary in the heart of man to achieve this purity from the inherent influence of the world.
In being set apart from the world, the believer is separated from the dominion of the ruler of this world, Satan. He is virtually taken out of the kingdom of Satan by being joined to Messiah, whereby he becomes part of the kingdom of God.”Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” Colossians 1:13
What Is Sanctification For Christians
May 4, 2016 by Jessica Wolstenholm
During your time at church or in Sunday school, you may have heard how Jesus was perfect because He is the Son of God. While it is not possible for any of us to be perfect because we are humans, God calls us to be more like Jesus. The process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification.
Why Do We Need Sanctification
Just because someone is saved, it does not mean that individual is useful for work in the Kingdom of God. Some Christians continue to pursue their own goals and ambitions, others struggle with powerful sins and temptations. These trials do not make them any less saved, but it does mean there is still work to be done, so they can be used for Gods purposes, rather than their own.
Paul encouraged his disciple Timothy to continue pursuing righteousness to be useful to the Lord, Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,;he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work . Being a part of the family of God means working for its good, and Gods glory, but without sanctification and renewal, no one can be as effective at it as they could be.;
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Living In Sina Practical Prohibition
Not only are there theological or positional reasons why the Christian cannot continue to live in sinthere are practical reasons as well. One such reason is discussed in verses 15-23. The question is essentially the same as that in verse 1: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under Law but under grace? May it never be! .
Paul lays down a very significant principle in verse 16, and that is that we become the slaves of whatever we choose to obey. If we give in to sin and submit to it, we are the slaves of sin. If we submit to God and serve Him, we become His slaves.
While we were unsaved we had no choice, but were by our very nature the slaves of sin. The fruit of such service was hardly praiseworthy, for of the things we once did we are now deeply ashamed . When we turned to God by faith in Christ and accepted the gospel, we were freed from servitude to sin and made servants of God.
We should not deceive ourselves by supposing that these two alternativesslavery to sin, or slavery to Godare only two of many options for the Christian. In reality, we must be one or the other. We are never truly free, but are only free to choose whether we will be the slaves of sin or the slaves of God.
What we see in chapter 6 is not so much the method of sanctification as the motive for it. We must leave the life of sin behind and seek to offer our bodies to God so that His righteousness may be lived out in us.
Israel Was To Remember Their Sanctification
God always wanted Israel to remember that He sanctified them to be His people. One of the primary ways God wanted Israel to remember that they had been set apart, was by keeping His Sabbaths holy .
God instructed Moses, Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy to you .
Ezekiel repeats this theme: Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them .
The Sabbath day was blessed and sanctified by God at creation with Adam and Eve as witnesses. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made .
The seventh-day Sabbath was sanctified by God as a benefit to man and as a holy day for the worship of the Creator God. It has a sacred purpose. Only God could make a particular day holy, just as only God could sanctify the nation of Israel.
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What Is Sanctification And What Does Sanctification Mean To Christians
May 4, 2016
During your time at church or in Sunday school, you may have heard how Jesus was perfect because He is the Son of God.; While it is not possible for any of us to be perfect because we are humans, God calls us to be more like Jesus. The process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification.
The Process Of Sanctification
So how does a Christian reach for sanctification? Some, like Pentecostals, believe sanctification happens instantaneously alongside justification and the Christian is immediately set apart from sin. Most believe it is a process that takes the entirety of our lives. The Bible speaks frequently about Gods sanctifying work in the Christians life, but what does the process look like? John MacArthur highlights three key steps in the sanctification process :
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The Definition Of Sanctification
Sanctification is a very large word that you may have heard at church from your pastor or Sunday school teacher. It simply means to sanctify: that is, to make holy or to set apart.; When God sanctifies us, He makes us holy and sets us apart.
The word holy means to be different to be set apart from those around you.; God wants to save us from the stain of sin; this is known as justification. When God justifies people, He puts a righteous stamp on them; He takes away their sinful label and replaces it with a righteous one. He cleanses them of their sin and puts a new label on them. To justify is to change somethings label from wrong to right.; This is a one-time event; once God justifies a person, the sinful label is thrown away forever.
God also wants to save us from the power of sin; this is sanctification. Sanctification is not a one-time event. It is something that takes place over the rest of a Christians life.; Even though God cleanses us of our sin and takes away our wrong label, this does not mean that we are perfect.; Sin is still present, and we still sometimes listen to it and make wrong choices.; God wants us to stop listening to sin and doing what it wants us to do. God wants us to do what He tells us to do through the Bible and through His Spirit. He wants to save us from the power of sin, so that sin no longer has control over us.; Sanctification is the power to say yes to God and no to sin.
What Is Progressive Sanctification
After a Christian receives saving grace, he or she seeks to lead a life that looks more and more like the one of Jesus example . Although some Christians do push back against this journey-model of holinessarguing sanctification is more about a position of holiness rather than a processmany do agree that we cannot stop our Christian walk from the moment we say the sinners prayer.
We need fruit and evidence of changed lives .
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Sanctification Is Different For Everyone
We are unique human beings who have been affected by the fall in unique ways. Though we all suffer from the same disease, our symptoms are often different. We all have need of the Great Physician, but his remedies are as unique as the ones whom he created. Though sanctification is deeply personal, we must remember that the Alpha and Omega of sanctification is Christ himself.
The first spark of justifying faith sets us apart as holy ones of God and simultaneously lights the first flame of our growth in Christlikeness. All tributaries of the Spirits subjective application of Jesuss objective work flow into this one source: to know, enjoy, delight in, and adore Jesus Christ for all time.
In his recent book, How Does Sanctification Work?, David Powlison gives us five factors towards our sanctification:
Sanctification Takes Place In Two Parts
Sanctification is the cooperative work of God and Christians by which ongoing transformation into greater Christlikeness occurs. Such maturing transpires particularly through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God . Sanctification is not about perfection, but persistence. Fighting sin is a lifelong endeavor. The believer cooperates with the Holy Spirit working in them, their works being an expression of gratitude for their salvation. Sanctification, therefore, begins at the moment of conversion.
The Bible gives us two ways of understanding this doctrine. First, sanctification is definitive. This is Gods work of setting believers apart from non-believers. Even the newest believer who trusts in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross is considered a saint . In this sense, Christians are sanctified in the present , dead to sin , crucified with Christ , and similar definitive statements. When we trust in Christ by faith we are set apart in Christ and considered to be saints based on the work of Christ for us.
Sanctification is also progressive. This active growth proceeds from the life we live by faith in Jesus Christ. Continuing to trust in the finished work of Christ, we grow in Christlikeness by cooperating with the Holy Spirit in seeking to live more faithfully in accordance with Gods word.
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Sanctification: So Why The Long Word
Executive Editor, desiringGod.org
It’s such a long word sanctification. And it has;such a churchy ring to it. No one uses this language outside the church.
So why not adopt a simpler term from the secular world and freight it afresh with Christian content?
While expositing Romans 6:23, John Piper went off script to tackle this question and also provide a short but substantive definition of what Christian theology means by the term “sanctification.”
For a powerful primer on sanctification, read or listen to Piper’s 2000 Christmas Eve sermon on Romans 6:23, called “The Free Gift of God Is Eternal Life.”
Things You Should Know About Sanctification
October 1, 2018 by Mike Livingstone
Youll not find the word sanctification in Pauls Letter to the Galatians. The process of sanctification, however, is what Paul describes in chapter 5 as the outworking of the Holy Spirit in the believers life.
One of the Holy Spirits functions in the believers life is to cultivate Christian character, to transform us more and more into the likeness of Christ. This is sanctification, and this is foundational to the teaching of Galatians 5. Here are five things we need to know and teach about sanctification:
1. Sanctification is the work of God.
All our efforts toward holiness are useless apart from the work of Christ on the cross and the work of Gods Spirit in us. Paul highlighted the Holy Spirits role with repetition of the phrase by the Spirit in Galatians 5:16,18,25. He used the phrase sanctified by the Holy Spirit in Roman 15:16, and in Romans 8:13 he said it is by the Spirit that we are able to put to death the deeds of the body.
2. Sanctification involves our cooperation.
3. Sanctification is on ongoing process.
4. The goal and measure of sanctification is Christlikeness.
5. The primary instrument of sanctification is the Word of God.
Remember, this is Gods will, your sanctification .
Mike Livingstone works at Lifeway Christian Resources as content editor for Explore the Bible materials.
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Progressive Vs Positional Sanctification
Where Christians tend to split on progressive sanctification comes when holiness occurs. Most assert it happens when a believer dies and goes to heaven, as nothing impure can enter heaven . However, some Christians believe one can attain this holiness in life.
One could easily swap out the words positional sanctification with the singular word justification.
This refers to the one-time event the Holy Spirit brings sinners out of darkness into wonderful light . Every Christian agrees with the biblical stance on positional sanctification. Most Christians agree that once a person is saved, they will always be saved.
After a Christian receives saving grace, he or she seeks to lead a life that looks more and more like the one of Jesus example . Although some Christians do push back against this journey-model of holinessarguing sanctification is more about a position of holiness rather than a processmany do agree that we cannot stop our Christian walk from the moment we say the sinners prayer.
Sanctification matters because we need to strive to live more like Christ every day. Also, when discussing positional sanctification , that matters more than anything else in ones life.
Sanctification In The New Testament
In the New Testament, we see that God was interested in sanctifying a holy people by calling them out of the world: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ .
This calling would include the gentiles as well. Notice Ephesians 3:6: That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.
God sanctified Jesus Christ to do His will , which included Christ dying for us. It is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we are sanctified: Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate .
God and Jesus Christ both desire this sanctification of people. Why? Just as ancient Israel was to be the people of God, the Church now is to be His people, His holy nation. In fact, the Church of God is noted as being sanctified in 1 Corinthians 1:2: To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.
Also notice 1 Peter 2:9-10: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
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Are We Ever Finished Being Sanctified
God wants for each person to be saved, and then to be like Himself so they can stand in His full presence, rather than just a glimpse of his back. That is part of why He sent the Holy Spirit, But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy . By going through the process of sanctification, Christians become more prepared for spending eternity in a state of holiness with God.
While the idea of constantly being molded and refined can seem tiresome, the Bible also assures those who love the Lord there will be an end to the process of;sanctification. In Heaven, But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life . The citizens of the new heaven and the new earth will never sin again. However, until the day the believer sees Jesus, whether by passing on into the next life or because He returns, they will need the Holy Spirit to continually sanctify them.
The Book of Philippians has a great deal to say about sanctification, and Paul encouraged believers, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure .