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What is the meaning of sanctification? How are we sanctified?
Regarding sanctification, we have to look at the following three points:
From the Old Testament to the New Testament, from Genesis to Revelation, sanctification means to be separated unto something. It means to be separated out and to belong to someone else. This is the biblical meaning of sanctification.
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast; it is mine” (Exo. 13:1-2). All the firstborn of Israel were God’s. They all needed to be separated, and a declaration needed to be made that they were sanctified and belonged to Jehovah. Therefore, sanctification means to be separated unto God. When man offers anything to God, whatever is offered is separated and sanctified unto Him (Lev. 27:14; 2 Sam. 8:11). The Lord Jesus was sanctified by the Father (John 10:36) and is the Holy One (Luke 1:35). The Lord is different from any other man because He is the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18), and He is holy. Those who believe in the Lord are called saints (Acts 9:13), which means that they are separated unto God.
While the Lord Jesus was on the earth, He asked the Pharisees a question. In the Old Testament times when a man offered a gift, did the gift sanctify the altar, or did the altar sanctify the gift? (Matt. 23:19-20). It is wrong to say that the gift sanctifies the altar. Rather, the altar sanctifies the gift. When a gift is put on the altar it belongs to God. Before offering the gift on the altar it belongs to man, but once it is offered on the altar it belongs to God. This does not mean that the thing itself has changed in any way but that it has been absolutely separated unto God; therefore, it becomes holy. In the Old Testament, after all the things belonging to the tabernacle were anointed, they became holy. The things themselves did not change, but after they were wholly separated unto God’s use, they became holy. The New Testament also shows that the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband, and the unbelieving children are sanctified by the believing parents (1 Cor. 7:14). The people do not change in themselves, yet they become separated and are sanctified because of their believing husband, wife, or parents.
God purchased us through the blood of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, we do not belong to anyone else; we cannot be anyone else’s. We belong to God Himself; we are only His.
When a Christian receives the Lord, not only is he forgiven of his sins and justified; he is also sanctified before God. God is holy. Without holiness man cannot see God, fellowship with God, or pray to God. Righteousness is the way in which God works; holiness is God’s nature. The forgiveness of sins is according to righteousness. Without the forgiveness of sins man cannot be saved, and without holiness no one can see God (Heb. 12:14). Sanctification does not relate to sins; it relates to being separated unto God. Every Christian is sanctified in Christ, and he can therefore come to God.
The book of Romans speaks about justification, but the book of Hebrews speaks about sanctification. Romans deals with righteousness, and Hebrews deals with holiness. Romans speaks of the throne, and Hebrews speaks of the Holy of Holies. Romans speaks of the guilt of sin before God, and Hebrews speaks of the defilement of man before God. Being forgiven and justified is taking away man’s sins so that he can stand before God; yet, without holiness man cannot enjoy God’s presence and fellowship with God in the Holy of Holies.
Romans tells us that although we are sinners, God has forgiven our sins and justified us through the death of His Son. Hebrews tells us that although our bodies are unclean, the blood of the Son of God has cleansed us and that by His blood we are able to enter into the Holy of Holies and have fellowship with God. We can enter boldly into the Holy of Holies through the blood of the Lord Jesus (Heb. 10:19).
How much does sanctification include? The gospel of God always draws forth hallelujahs. God is holy. Holiness is the highest expression of God’s glory. If we are anything less than holy, we cannot be in God’s presence. But we are as holy as Christ is when we are in Him. We can come before God because God sees us in the same way that He sees Christ. Thank God, the salvation of Jesus Christ is complete and eternal. If it were not complete, God’s righteousness would not be upon us. If it were not eternal, we would not be separated and sanctified unto God eternally. But the salvation of Jesus Christ is complete and eternal (Heb. 10:14). Therefore, we can obtain eternal forgiveness, be sanctified unto God, and remain forever in God’s presence.
“To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, the called saints, with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, who is theirs and ours” (1 Cor. 1:2). Paul wrote this letter to those in Corinth who were sanctified in Christ Jesus, the called saints. We are not going to be saints, because when we were called, we were already saints sanctified unto God. Once we are called and saved, we are sanctified in Christ and are called saints.
What kind of believers were the Corinthians? They ate and drank their own food before they partook of the Lord’s supper, so that while they were overly filled or even drunk, others came in hungry (1 Cor. 11:20-22). Yet Paul acknowledged that they were sanctified in Christ Jesus and were “called saints.” Moreover, gross sin had been committed among them, even the taking of one’s stepmother (5:1). Yet Paul still said that they were sanctified in Christ Jesus. They were boastful; nonetheless, Paul still said that they were sanctified in Christ Jesus. Therefore, sanctification in the Bible does not refer to outward behavior. Sanctification is different from what is spoken of Romans 5—8. What is mentioned there is the fruit of sanctification and not sanctification itself. Romans says that no one should be a slave to sin but that everyone should offer his members as slaves to righteousness and bear the fruit of sanctification (6:13, 17-22). Our sanctification is based upon the fact that when Jesus Christ died, He joined us to Himself. This is sanctification. The tree and the fruit of the tree are different. The tree is the tree, and the fruit is the fruit. Similarly, sanctification and the fruit of sanctification are different. Sanctification is one thing, and the fruit of it is another. The believers at Corinth had the position of sanctification, but they did not yet bear the fruit of sanctification. Therefore, Paul rebuked them in his letter and showed them that since they had the position of sanctification, they should also bear the fruit of sanctification (2 Cor. 7:1).
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). This verse says that Christ Jesus became our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Just as Christ Jesus is righteous and sanctified before God, we are righteous and sanctified in Christ. Our sanctification before God cannot be any less than that of Christ Jesus. Praise God that our sanctification before God is not because of our righteous behavior or experience of Christ; it is because Christ has become our sanctification before God, and His sanctification has become our sanctification.
“And these things were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). According to this passage, sanctification comes before justification. We were sanctified and justified. Paul said that we have already been sanctified and justified. Do you have sanctification and justification yet? If you ask a Christian if he has been justified, he will boldly say yes. If you ask him if he is a righteous person, he may dare to answer yes. But if you ask him if he is a saint, he will most likely not dare to say yes. But the Bible tells us that we are already sanctified. God has not only forgiven our sins and justified us, but He also reckons us as worthy, as being saints because of the Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s eyes, we are qualified and worthy. However, when our eyes are turned to ourselves, we lose the enjoyment of this relationship.
“By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). Our sanctification is based on Jesus Christ offering His own body. He did it once, and it was accomplished forever. “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (v. 14). Thank God that our sanctification is because of Christ and is perfected forever. Some are afraid to come to God because they sense their filthiness. Indeed, we are filthy, easily contaminated, unchaste, and unfaithful to God. But we are holy because of Christ and not because of our own work. Since Christ offered His own body once, we are sanctified forever, and our position before God is holy. Whenever we stand on this position and come to God through Christ, God sees us as holy in Christ and accepts us as He has accepted Christ.
“But according to the Holy One who called you, you yourselves also be holy in all your manner of life” (1 Pet. 1:15). The Lord is holy, and since we have already been called, we are holy in position as well. Nevertheless, in our daily living, in our behavior, we should be holy also. How can we possibly be holy before God and yet unholy before men? Our daily living must express that we are a holy people separated and sanctified unto God.
“But now, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end, eternal life” (Rom. 6:22). Thank God that having been freed from sin and separated unto God, we are enslaved to God and should have our fruit unto sanctification. We should not offer the members of our body to lawlessness and unrighteousness. Instead, we should offer our members to righteousness and should belong wholly to God so that we can be slaves of God and bear the fruit of sanctification.
“Therefore since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and of spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). We should remove anything that defiles our body and spirit and anything that is not of God, and we should bear the fruit of sanctification in the fear of God.
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). To be sanctified in the truth is to bear the fruit of sanctification daily. This truth is the word of God. Daily as we compare our conduct with God’s truth, any conduct that is not sanctified unto God should be done away with by the word of God so that we may be cleansed. This is a matter of daily progress and cannot be accomplished all at once. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, which He performs day by day in our living, according to the truth.
Some say that sanctification is a sudden matter and that we can be sanctified instantly. This is impossible. There are indeed sudden experiences of victory over sins. We do have sudden experiences of victory over sins, but we cannot call this sanctification. Sanctification means to be separated unto God. Instant victory over sins is deliverance. An erroneous interpretation will produce an erroneous result.
“For they disciplined for a few days as it seemed good to them; but He, for what is profitable that we might partake of His holiness” (Heb. 12:10). Discipline is another way for us to bear the fruit of sanctification. When we go astray, God will guide us back to the path of holiness by His discipline so that we may be partakers of His holiness and may belong wholly to Him.
Finally, let us see that the fruit of sanctification is not only a matter of our conduct but also a matter of our experience of drawing near to God and fellowshipping with Him. “Pursue…sanctification, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Although positionally we are holy and can boldly enter into the Holy of Holies to have intimate fellowship with God, if we do not sincerely and faithfully stand on the position of sanctification at all times, we may feel that we cannot touch God. Therefore, we must follow and pursue after holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
“And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it” (1 Thes. 5:23-24).
