Lesson 31 - Sanctification

     Sanctification (Heb. קָדָשׁ qadash & Grk. ἅγιος hagios) means to be set apart for sacred use. In Scripture, it refers both to people (Ex. 29:21; 1 Cor. 1:2) and objects (Ex. 29:37). There are three aspects to sanctification with regard to persons:

1. Positional sanctification (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 6:11). In this sense, “Every born-again person is as much a saint the moment he is saved as he ever will be in time or eternity. The whole church which is His body is a called-out, separate people; they are the saints of this dispensation.”[1] Positional sanctification does not imply sinless perfection. The Christians at Corinth were regarded as “saints by calling” (1 Cor. 1:2), yet they were by no means perfect. They were guilty of childish quarrels (1 Cor. 1:11), carnality (1 Cor. 3:1-3), tolerating sinful behavior (1 Cor. 5:1-2), and selfishness and drunkenness (1 Cor. 11:17-21). (Read page 206-207)
2. Experiential sanctification (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Here, the believer chooses to walk closer to God, in conformity with His will. Our experiential sanctification starts with our union with Christ (1 Cor. 1:2, 30), and increases by the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Pet. 1:2), by our choice (Rom. 6:19; 1 Pet. 1:15-16; cf. 2 Tim. 2:21-22), by our submission (Rom. 12:1-2), by our growth (Eph. 4:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18), and as we learn and live God’s Word by faith (Ps. 119:9-11; John 17:17).
3. Ultimate sanctification occurs when God transfers us to heaven—removing our sin nature—to spend eternity with Him (Eph. 5:26-27; cf. Jude 1:24-25).

The Means of Sanctification

     God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all holy, eternally sanctified, set apart from sin. God the Father sanctifies us (1 Thess. 5:23), God the Son sanctifies us (Eph. 5:25-26), and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us (2 Thess. 2:13). People may sanctify God (Matt. 6:9; 1 Pet. 3:15), and sanctify themselves (Rom. 12:1; 1 Pet. 1:15-16).

Steps to Sanctification

1. The Christian must be in daily submission to God (Rom. 6:11-13; 12:1-2). 
2. The believer must be in continual study of Scripture, applying it to every aspect of his/her life (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18). The Christian cannot live what he does not know, and learning Scripture necessarily precedes living in God’s will. 
3. The Christian must learn to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). To be filled with the Spirit does not mean we have more of the Spirit at one time and less at another; rather, it means the Spirit is fulfilling in us all that He desires, and that we allow Him to guide our thoughts, words, and actions.
4. The Christian must learn to walk in daily dependence on the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25). Walking by the Spirit means we are walking in dependence on Him and not relying on our own resources, experiences, or human wisdom. It means we are walking in the same direction He is, and like a friend, we are glad to be in fellowship with Him. It means God is regularly in our thoughts, and we live every day conscious of Him and His will for our lives (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 3:16-17). It means being sensitive to what may offend Him, and making every effort to please Him through a life of faith (2 Cor. 5:9; Heb. 11:6). It is important to understand that the Spirit guides us Biblically and never by vague impressions. Walking by the Spirit is a learned behavior, and it gets easier with practice. 
5. The Christian must restore broken fellowship with God through confession of personal sin (1 John 1:5-9). It is never the will of God that we sin (1 John 2:1); however, when we do sin, we break fellowship with God and grieve and/or quench the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19). Personal sin hinders our walk with God and halts the progress of our sanctification; however, confession of sin turns us around and gets us headed back in the right direction (1 John 1:9).
6. The Christian must take advantage of the time God gives to learn and grow spiritually.  As Christians, we all start off as babes who need to feed on the milk of the word (1 Pet. 2:2; cf. Heb. 5:12), and as we grow spiritually, over time, we develop a taste for solid foods (Heb. 5:13-14). As we grow spiritually, we will maximize our time wisely. Paul exhorts Christians, “be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). To live wisely, according to Scripture, means knowing God’s will and having the skill to execute it. Making the most of our time means we seize every opportunity to live in God’s will.

 

[1] Lewis Sperry Chafer; John F. Walvoord; Major Bible Themes (Grand Rapids, Mich. Zondervan Publishing, 2010), 203.