What is Sanctification

1. What is Sanctification?- 28thDecember 2016
“…toopen their eyes and turn them from darknessto light,and fromthe power of Satanto God,so
that they may receive forgivenessofsinsand a place amongthose whoare sanctifiedbyfaithin me”
(Acts 26:18).
The definition,whichfitsnicelywithwhatthe Bible teaches,isthat Sanctification meanstobe setapart
for holyuse. Italso meanstomake holyor to purify. Thisisexactlythe goal of everybelieverin
Christ. Like the OldTestamentTemple vesselsusedbythe priest,these were tobe usedforholy
purposesandto be pure and to glorifyGod. Today,Christianshave beenregeneratedbythe HolySpirit
and our bodiesare the temple of Godinwhichdwellsthe HolySpiritandourbodiesare vesselstobe
usedfora holyor pure purpose forthe gloryof God.
The originof thisword Sanctification isfromthe Latin“sanctus”whichmeansholyor to consecrate. The
suffix of “tion”insanctificationisthe ongoingorcontinuingprocessof thisbecomingholy. Itisa
progressive holinessandgrowinginpurityandittakesa lifetime. We are beingperfectedandthis
perfectiontakestime andpatience. IthankGod that He is patientwithme inthisprocess. We can not
see muchof our ownprogress until we startlookingbackat last year,andthe yearbefore andthenten
yearsago. There shouldbe noticeable differencesinaperson’slifethatare tangible evidencesof
growth.
Many Christiansrefertoa progressionof justification,sanctification, andglorification.Justification
referstothe fact thatbelievershave beendeemedrighteous throughorfaithinJesusChrist,His death
and resurrection.Itisonlythroughthisfaithandbelief thatoursinsare forgivenand onlythroughsame
we can be pure before God.We can learn in 2 Corinthians5:21,“Godmade himwho had nosin to be
sinfor us, so that inhim we might become the righteousnessofGod”. We can learnthat we can
receive JustificationthroughfaithinJesusChrist Romans5:1,“Therefore, since we have been justified
throughfaith,wehave peace withGodthrough our Lord Jesus Christ”;AsChristians we know thatour
salvationiscomplete throughourfaithinJesusChrist,there are still aspectsof oursalvationthatare
beingworkedout. ThroughthisfaithinJesuswe have the possibilityof becomingrighteous because it
doesnotoccur overnight.Righteousnessisthe state of moral perfectionrequiredbyGodto enter
heaven.
However,the Bible clearlystatesthathumanbeingscannotachieve righteousnessthroughtheirown
efforts:"Thereforeno one will be declared righteousin God'ssightby the works ofthe law;rather,
throughthe lawwe become consciousofour sin"(Romans3:20). Simplyby readingthe lawsstatedthe
TenCommandments,itshowsushowfar we fall shortof God's standards. Therefore we needtowork
towardsbecomingmorallyperfector“become righteous” whichinturnisreferredtoassanctification.
Sanctificationiswhere ourpresentrealitiesfall inline withoureternal status. We canlearnthisfrom
Acts 20:32, “NowI commit youto God andto the word ofhis grace, whichcan buildyouup and give
you aninheritance amongall those who are sanctified”.
In one sense,the Christianlife isall aboutsanctification.Christisfinishingthe goodworkthatHe began
inus: “…beingconfidentofthis,that he who began a goodwork in youwill carry it on to completion
until the day of ChristJesus” (Philippians1:6).AsChristianswe needtocontinuallylearntofollow God's
waysand discardour sinful natures aswe can learnin Ephesians4:22-24, “Youwere taught,with
regard to your former way of life,to put offyour old self,whichis beingcorrupted by its deceitful

2. desires; 23
to be made new in the attitudeof your minds; 24
andto put on the new self,created to be
like Godin true righteousnessandholiness”.We can obtaina great teachingfromthe apostil Paul in
Colossians3:5-17, “Putto death, therefore, whatever belongsto yourearthly nature: sexual
immorality,impurity,lust,evil desires andgreed, which isidolatry. 6
Because of these, the wrath of
Godis coming.[a] 7
Youused to walk inthese ways,in the lifeyou once lived. 8
But nowyou must also
rid yourselvesof all such thingsas these: anger, rage, malice,slander,andfilthylanguagefrom your
lips”.
We can alsolearnwhen Paul wrote tothe church inEphesus, "Itherefore, a prisonerfor the Lord, urge
you to walkin a manner worthy ofthe callingtowhich youhave been called" (Ephesians4:1).We
have beendeclaredholyandnowattempttolive holylives aswe can learnfrom Matthew 5:48, “Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father isperfect”. AsChristians,we are to cooperate withGod's
workin us.He refinesandprunesus as we can learnin Zechariah13:9, “Thisthird I will put intothe
fire; I will refine them like silver andtest them like gold.They will call on my name and I will answer
them; I will say, ‘They are my people, and they will say,‘The LORD isour God”.We can readof a similar
teachingin Isaiah48:10, “See,I haverefined you, thoughnot assilver; I have tested youin the furnace
of affliction”
Glorificationisoureternal state.The legal realityof ourjustificationandthe physical realityof our
sanctificationnowmatchup whenwe refertoGlorification.AsChristianswhenwe receiveJustification
for our sinful deedswe seek salvationandthroughsame we receivesanctification.The toprungwe
reach isGlorificationwhichisoureternal state thatall of us as Christiansseektoachieve. Inreferenceto
Glorificationwe are withChristandmade completelyperfect aswe can learnfrom1 John3:2,“Dear
friends,now we are childrenofGod,and what we will be hasnot yet been made known.But we know
that when Christappears,we shall be like him,for we shall see himas he is”.We can alsosee this
biblical promiserepeatedin Colossians3:4,“WhenChrist,who isyour life,appears,then youalsowill
appear withhim inglory”.
As Christianswe musttherefore knowthatoursanctificationisaprioritybecause withoutthatwe
cannot be productive asGod requiresfromus:We can learnwhat Jesussaidin John15:2, “He cuts off
every branchin me that bears no fruit,while every branch that does bear fruithe prunesso that it will
be even more fruitful’.We can furtherunderstandthe importance of oursanctificationwhenthe
apostle Peterin 1 Peter1:7, “These have come so that the proven genuinenessofyour faith—of
greater worth thangold,which perisheseven though refinedby fire—mayresult inpraise, gloryand
honorwhen Jesus Christis revealed”.We can learn againfrom Isaiah48:10, “ “See, I have refined you,
thoughnot as silver;I have tested you inthe furnaceof affliction”
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