Recovering our understanding of Sanctification / Holiness

Sanctification is being made holy, purified, and set apart for God’s use or purpose.

Sanctification or holiness is what makes us saints (a term for believers - Christians used in scripture); God’s holy or sanctified people. Saints, enjoy purification from evil, separateness (not isolation) from the world, fellowship with all other saints, and enlightenment - wisdom from God. We enjoy this sanctification from the moment we become believers. It's not a "second blessing" for which we must wait.

1) We are sanctified through the Spirit by faith and obedience

• 2 Thessalonians 2:13: "You are saved by the Spirit (God) making you holy and by your faith in the truth."

• 1 Peter 1:2: "God planned long ago to choose you and to make you His holy people, which is the Spirit’s (God's) work. God wanted you to obey Him and to be made clean by the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ."

• Ephesians 5:26-27: "so that He (Jesus) might sanctify her (the Church), having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He (Jesus) might present to Himself the Church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she (the Church) would be holy and blameless."

2) We are sanctified when justified and redeemed

• 1 Corinthians 6:11: "...you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus."

• 1 Corinthians 1:30: "Jesus... was made to us wisdom from God, and justification, and sanctification, and redemption."

3) We are sanctified to serve

• Romans 12:1: "...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy (sanctified), acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service."

Let’s look at five characteristics of "saints" and their sanctification:

A) Purification from Evil

Here are three important scriptures that associate sanctification with purification:

• Hebrews 9:13-14: compares animal sacrifices with the sacrifice of Christ's own body and blood. In these verses the word "sanctifies" is used in connection with the words "purifying" and "purge."

• 1 Corinthians 6:11: note how "washed" and "sanctified" are associated here. "You were washed... sanctified... justified..."

• Ephesians 5:25-27: the terms, "sanctify, cleanse, washing, holy, without blemish," are all linked together.

In God’s law there are three things essential to purification and therefore to sanctification:

• a sacrifice of blood
• offered by an appointed priest
• under a divine covenant

Jesus made our sanctification possible by offering His own blood as our High Priest who mediated the New Covenant (1 Peter 1:2, Hebrews 9:14-15, Hebrews 10:10-12). There is one important and simple fact we can believe and understand regarding what it means to be sanctified: "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). In verse 7, John states, that the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin. Our sanctification is immediate, full, and ever-present.

B) Separateness from The World

Our spiritual duty:
The saint (sanctified person) has a "spiritual duty of worship" to present his or her body as "a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God... not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing..." (Romans 12:1-2)

A spiritual world view:

•  Because "the earth and its works will be burned up" the saint lives in "holy conduct" as if already living in the new world where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:10-14).

• Sanctified people live in the world, but are not of the world; they conform to Christ’s prayer for their sanctification (John 17:14-20).

• In short, if a person's life and ways are not markedly different from that of worldly people, then that person is not one of God’s saints.

C) Spiritual investment

• Saints have an inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14,18). An inheritance has much in common with an investment, however, in some cases, an inheritance is a gift; the beneficiary contributes nothing.

• Certainly, our inheritance is a gift from God, however, we are required to invest our whole selves in God’s kingdom. We must render our bodies "a living and holy sacrifice" (Romans 12:1).

D) Fellowship with The Saints

• There is a "manner worthy of the saints" in which we receive one another, and recognize one another’s ministry (Romans 16:1-2). Christ’s prayer, mentioned above, goes on to ask,  "that they all may be one" (John 17:20-21).

• Saints are called "fellow citizens" (Ephesians 2:19). We are "stones fitted together" in God’s temple (1 Peter 2:5). "A heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another" (Colossians 3:12-13), characterizes those who are sanctified.

• We "put on love, the perfect bond" of unity (Ephesians 2:19-22; Colossians 3:12-15). People who fight, hinder, slander, avoid and abandon each other are not saints.

E) Enlightenment from God

• The "mystery which has been hidden from past generations and ages, has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known" His revelation. So the saints are not ignorant of eternal truth, having "the eyes of their understanding enlightened" (Colossians 1:26-28, Ephesians 1:1,17-18).

F) Dedication and Loyalty to Jesus

• Saints are "faithful in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:1). To be sanctified means to be dedicated. We recall that Solomon "did not follow the Lord fully" (1 Kings 11:4-6).

• There are people like Solomon, who partly follow God, but also follow their own ways. Sanctified people, however, are characterized by their total dedication and loyalty to the Lord. (Luke 11:23).

• In the time of Moses, the tabernacle, or tent of worship, had rooms called the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 9:1-3). These rooms were hallowed, sacred, dedicated, set apart for God and devoted to His use and presence. That's what it means to be "holy."