As with justification, sanctification comes from Latin. Latin was the language of the western Church, so it’s natural that Latin words would become official church words. And, as with justification, English had its own words, which the chart shows:
Sanctification and holiness are used throughout the Scriptures. I use both but I prefer holiness.
Sanctification / holiness is a big theme in the Bible. So big I could write a book on it, but then there already is one – the Bible! So I will just touch the top of the mountain.
Essentially, sanctification means set apart. Things can be sanctified, such as the temple, the sacrifices, the anointing oil etc. People can be sanctified as well: the Levites were holy, that is, they were set apart for the work of the priesthood. But with people, while the basic meaning is still set apart, there is a moral aspect as well. The opposite of sanctified is not unsanctified, it is unclean, defiled. Things can become unclean when improperly used, but people become defiled by their behavior.
Sanctification involves a negative and a positive. It means to be set apart from sin and evil; it also means to be full of goodness and righteousness. God is holy. The Apostle John described this as God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. He has no sin and cannot tempt you to sin; he is also good, righteous, love. This is the moral aspect of holiness when it comes to people: separation from sin and the world; devotion to Christ, full of love, goodness, righteousness.
The New Testament uses sanctification two ways. The first is what I call salvation sanctification.
1 Corinthians 1:1-2 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
They were sanctified in Christ Jesus, that is, by their faith in Christ Jesus they were set apart from the rest of the people in Corinth: they used to be Corinthians, now they were Christians; they used to be Greeks, people of the world, now they were people of the kingdom, people of the age to come.
Because they are sanctified, they are saints. We often stumble over the word saints, after all there is Saint Patrick, Saint Brigid of Kildare, Saint George of England, Saint Augustine - obviously saints are those who were really good at being Christians and who did great things for Christ. While this is common, it is not biblical. Every believer has been sanctified in Christ Jesus and is thereby a saint, a set apart one. I believe in Jesus, I’m a saint. If you believe in Jesus, you’re a saint. May not be anything special or great about us, but we are saints. One interesting note, saint is never singular in the Bible, as in Saint Paul, it is always plural, saints.
We are sanctified by faith in Christ, by the offering of his body on the cross, by God the Father, through the truth, by the blood of the covenant, through the Spirit. Oh yeah, by our association and affiliation with Jesus Christ we are sanctified – Christ Jesus himself is our sanctification!
But there is more to sanctification, there is a deeper work, a personal work.
1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
God is holy, we are to be holy like him. Be ye holy in all manner of conversation, all of your behavior. The rest of 1 Peter explains how to be holy in all manner of conversation.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Holiness is being changed from glory to glory. This is transformation. As we behold the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same image.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Perfecting holiness? I have been sanctified by faith in Christ. Christ is my sanctification. How do I perfect holiness? Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. That's how. See how sanctification is more than being set apart?
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Love and holiness are knit together: increase and abound in love, your heart established unblameable in holiness. Holiness is not merely being set apart, it a matter of the heart. This is what Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, expecting God to do it. Surely we can pray this for ourselves.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-7
1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
Sanctification is concerned with how we live: how ye ought to walk / abstain from fornication / not in the lust of concupiscence / uncleanness. We have two words of comfort and encouragement in this: ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, this is the Word of God; this is the will of God, even your sanctification. It is God’s will that we live a life that is pleasing to him, He has called us to holiness. His grace is sufficient for this!
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Wholly sanctified? Preserved blameless? Faithful is he who calls you, who will also do it.
We were in Adam, lost, undone, condemned, but when we believed in Jesus we were set apart from the old creation and made new in Christ. We used to be Adam-ites, now we are Christ-ites or Christians. That is sanctification. And as I mentioned, there is more. We can grow in grace, we can go from glory to glory, we can perfect holiness, through the word of God and by the Holy Spirit. Oh the riches of the salvation of God!
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