THE DOCTRINE OF SANCTIFICATION

THE DOCTRINE OF SANCTIFICATION (Part 1) -

THE MEANING OF SANCTIFICATION

by Bill Parker

1 Corinthians 1:30 - But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,
and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption

The Bible teaches that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." It teaches that our sin is the result of our fall in Adam, and that as a result we are all guilty before God and defiled by sin. The guilt of sin is that which makes us liable or subject to God's wrath, the just punishment and condemnation for sin. The defilement of sin is that which keeps sinners alienated from God, unfit for His holy presence, and unqualified for His blessings. These are the two principle legal effects that sin produces which cannot be separated -- the guilt of sin which keeps sinners under condemnation, and the defilement of sin which keeps sinners alienated from God. Salvation from sin, therefore, requires both a clearing (acquittal from guilt) and a cleansing (purification from defilement). Both the guilt and the defilement of sin must be totally removed in salvation.

The removal of the guilt of sin is called justification. The removal of the defilement of sin is called sanctification. Both justification and sanctification are the product of God's grace in salvation based on the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ground of both is Christ's righteousness freely imputed and received by faith. As the Gospel is God's promise to save guilty and defiled sinners, to give them freely all the benefits of eternal life and final glory, and entitle them to all of salvation based on the righteousness of Christ alone, we must understand that this salvation includes both justification and sanctification (1 Cor. 1:30). Again, we must understand that Christ's righteousness alone secures for us all of salvation, including both justification and sanctification, before we make any efforts to serve the Lord. The removal of the guilt of sin (justification) enables us to stand before God as righteous, having no guilt of sin charged to our account (Rom. 4:6-8; 8:33), "unblameable and unreproveable" in God's sight (Col. 1:22). The removal of the defilement of sin (sanctification) enables us to fellowship with God, to worship Him in His holy presence, and to commune with Him so that "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:22).

Although justification and sanctification can be distinguished and considered separately, they are inseparably connected. God never justifies a sinner without sanctifying that sinner. Sometimes we speak of these two blessings of God's grace as if they are the same because they are so inseparably connected to salvation. A saint, for example, is one who has been sanctified, and every saved sinner begins the Christian life as a full-fledged SAINT, or sanctified one. This is so important because there is so much confusion and error concerning the doctrine of sanctification, much of which is a total denial of the Gospel.

For example, some teach that a sinner is justified by God's grace and then sanctified later, progressively, as he improves himself and grows in obedience and dedication. This is the false notion of "progressive holiness" or "progressive sanctification." Those who believe this claim that, by God's grace, a saved sinner progressively, in degrees, dies more and more to sin and progressively becomes holier. They will admit that a sinner is first positionally sanctified based on the blood of Christ, but then a sinner must be practically sanctified by his efforts to be holy. Those who promote this believe sanctification is accomplished by their separation from the world, their obedience to religious customs and traditions, and their abstinence from the use of things they consider evil - "touch not, taste not, handle not" (Col. 2:21). They teach that sanctification is a progressive increase of a believer's "personal holiness". They either say or imply that the child of God attains higher degrees of holiness by his own efforts in sanctification, until at last he is ripe for heaven, and that sanctification buds forth into glorification.

This is none other than self-righteous legalism, a denial of the Gospel of God's grace ("another gospel" (Gal. 1:6-9)), a subtle form of works-based salvation. First, there are no degrees of holiness, therefore, no degrees of sanctification. There is growth in grace and love, but the Bible does not call this sanctification. Secondly, our good works and efforts at obedience, our improvements in character and conduct, neither sanctify us, make us holier, nor entitle us to any part of salvation. As stated, believers are never commanded to do anything in order to become a saint. All exhortations are given to justified saints and to be motivated by the fact that we who believe are already completely justified and sanctified in Christ alone (Rom. 6:11-14; 12:1-2). All exhortations given to God's people are commands and encouragements for us to conduct ourselves in accordance with our state and standing before God as justified, sanctified sinners, to walk worthy of our calling. We begin as saints, and no part of salvation, including our sanctification and final glory, is conditioned on our obedience. Christ is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

I. WHAT DO THE WORDS "SANCTIFY" AND "SANCTIFICATION" MEAN?

A. The first and most common meaning of "sanctify" is "to set apart, particularly, "to set apart for God or for divine service." "Sanctification" is taking something common and ordinary and setting it apart, or separating it, unto God for some special use He has ordained. We see then that the word "sanctify" does not always refer to an aspect of eternal salvation by God's grace in Christ Jesus. For example -

1. The seventh day was set apart for God (Gen. 2:3) - This is the first time the word "sanctify" is used in the Bible - "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because He had rested from all His work which God created and made." The day itself was not altered at all. A day cannot be made inherently holy by any infused moral quality of character, but it was simply set apart from the other days of the week for God's service alone.

2. The firstborn of all the families of Israel were set apart for God - "Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both to men and of beast: it is mine" (Ex. 13:2). This did not guarantee the eternal salvation of any of the firstborn. Consider Esau, for example. It simply meant they were to be set apart for a special purpose.

3. The tabernacle, the altar, and the priesthood of Israel were sanctified unto the Lord, set apart for His use alone - "And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office" (Ex. 29:44). Even the vessels of the tabernacle were sanctified, set apart, for God's use.

4. Isaiah 13:3 describes the army of the Medes and Persians as "sanctified ones" meaning instruments set apart for a special use to accomplish God's purpose in punishing the Babylonian Empire for their treatment of God's people, the nation Israel. These "sanctified ones" were heathen idolaters, unbelievers, yet God used them for His purposes. In that sense alone they were sanctified or set apart.

5. The Lord Jesus Christ was said to have been sanctified by the Father (John 10:36), meaning that the Father set Him apart as He appointed Him to the be the Mediator and Representative of the elect. God the Son was already holy in every attribute of His character. Christ is said to have sanctified Himself, yet He was sinless and therefore free from all moral impurity. He prayed, "And for their sakes, I sanctify myself ..." (John 17:19). He was simply testifying that He had set Himself apart to fulfill the holy purpose for which the Father had sent Him into the world - the establishment of righteousness to insure the eternal salvation of His people.

B. The next meaning of the word "sanctify" as used in God's Word is "to regard as holy," "to treat as holy," and "to declare as holy." We need to emphasize here that God never regards, treats, or declares anything or anyone as holy that is not actually holy. This is in no sense pretense or as if God regards, treats, or declares a person to be holy when the person is not. God always deals in truth and reality, and He commands us to deal in truth and reality.

1. God commands us to regard Him as holy - "Sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let HIM be your fear, and let HIM be your dread" (Isa. 8:13). Moses's sin in smiting the rock the second time, for which he was not allowed to enter the land of promise, was just this - "Ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel" (Num. 20:12).

In all of God's dealings with man, in all His revelations of Himself, God identifies and distinguishes Himself as the only true and living God who is holy, just, immutable, omnipotent, and who is gracious, loving, and merciful. He distinguishes Himself in creation, in providence, and in salvation (His redemptive glory as both a just God and a Savior), the one who saves sinners based totally on the righteousness of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Men can only truly regard God as holy when they see that God's law can only curse them based on their best efforts to obey it when aimed at attaining or maintaining salvation. All who seek salvation by their own efforts to keep the law do not sanctify (regard, treat, or declare) God to be holy. We can only sanctify the Lord God when we come to Him pleading the righteousness of Christ and expect salvation based on this ground according to His holiness, wisdom, power, and faithfulness.

In Ezek. 36:23, God said, And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes." The nation Israel in their doctrine, attitudes, conduct, and religion had failed to regard, treat, and declare God to be holy, the true and living God, who saves sinners based totally on the righteousness of the promised Messiah. They had failed to set God apart and distinguish Him as holy, as the only true and living God (cf. Isa. 45:20-22). In 36:23 God tells them of the future when under the New Covenant He would have a people who would regard, treat, and declare Him as such - those whom God would save by His grace (cf. Jer. 31:31-34; John 6:44-45).

We see this as applied to God in salvation in 1 Peter 3:15 - "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." This means that we who believe God's Gospel are to set Him apart in our minds, affections, and wills as He reveals Himself to be both a just God and a Savior, as He identifies and distinguishes Himself in His holiness, justice, mercy, and grace in the salvation of sinners based on the righteousness of Christ. We are never to treat this revelation of God of Himself as common or insignificant, but we are to esteem Him always and act appropriately in our witness to unbelievers and in our fellowship with other believers. In doing this we do not add anything to God's holy nature, but we do acknowledge Him unto His glory and majesty.

2. When a sinner is sanctified by God in salvation, that sinner is to be regarded, treated, and declared holy, not in his character and conduct, but in his person legally all based on the righteousness of Christ. In a justified sinner's case, this refers to the legal aspect of sanctification and not to any infusion of life or a moral quality of character. That sinner has been set apart and consecrated to God for God's glory and use. Again, we should never regard, treat, or declare one to be holy is not actually holy, but all who are in Christ are legally righteous and holy in their position and relationship to God who judges all things according to truth.

C. The third meaning of the word "sanctify" is to "purify something and make it holy." This would refer to the moral aspect of sanctification, specifically, the work of the Holy Spirit within a sinner, which is the fruit and result of Christ's work for the sinner. This is an actual moral change in the nature of things. This aspect of sanctification is a point of confusion and error for a lot of people. For example, when we say that it involves an actual moral change within a sinner, we do not mean that this sanctification is a sinner reforming from immorality to morality. It refers to the work of the Holy Spirit within a sinner when He sets that sinner apart in regeneration and conversion - "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13). Again, all this is the fruit and result of Christ's righteousness which entitles sinners to all of salvation, including this blessed works, before we make any efforts to serve God. This aspect of sanctification was symbolized and pictured in the Old Testament by all the ceremonial washings and purifications in which the Israelites were required to participate.