Sanctification

The scriptures use this word in many ways; first, we see that we are sanctified in God's sight, but we also notice here on earth that we still sin and make mistakes. Sanctification is a process of God growing and changing us to look more like Jesus.

The quiet flutter of butterfly wings is the sound of transformation, the sound of something new emerging. In Christ, we are made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). But what happens next? How do we “fly”? How do we become more like Jesus (1 John 4:17)?

Our first taste of sanctification is to be made right in God’s sight, which is justification. We read in 1 Corinthians 6:11: “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” Before Christ, we were under the law; now, we are under the Covenant of Grace. In other words, we are justified, made right with God, by Christ’s work on the cross. God’s undeserved provision and work on man’s behalf is enough for our salvation. In Hebrews, the author talks about how Jesus came to be the ultimate sacrifice and fulfill what thousands upon thousands of animal sacrifices could not. Hebrews 10:10 says, “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” These verses discuss sanctification as our dedication and purification at our moment of salvation. 

After justification, we are sanctified moment-by-moment and day-by-day. 

Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17:17-19).

In the above passage, Jesus is setting himself apart for the work of the cross, which is the will of His Father. We too are set apart for the work of the Father (His will, His purpose, His use), set apart unto godliness and holiness.

The word sanctify in John 17:17-19 is the Greek word hagiazo and means “to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow”; “to separate from profane things and dedicate to God”; “to purify” by expiation and by soul renewal. We have been set apart and purified for His purposes. We have been dedicated to Christ’s work and service.

Despite being dedicated and surrendered to Christ’s work and service, we make many mistakes here on earth, even after having been saved. These are opportunities for God to work with us and help us to grow as born-again believers (see John 3). Romans 8:29 is a beautiful picture of sanctification. Gradually, we are being “conformed to the image of His Son”. Sanctification is God working IN us and THROUGH us. Jude writes, “To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you” (Jude 1:1). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all involved in our sanctification. He does not save us to leave us. Know that you are not alone in this.

Fellowship with the Father is a sweet and precious part of sanctification, so let’s look at how essential His grace is as a part of our sanctification.

Salvation by God’s grace is our first taste of His grace. The psalmist proclaims, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).  Sanctifying grace transforms, grows, matures, and develops us. God’s grace is the driving force of sanctification.

Titus 2:11-14: “11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

This passage says that grace TEACHES us to deny worldly things. God, in all His grace, teaches us, trains us, and disciplines us. He transforms us from ungodly people to godly people. This is something that HE does, not something that we can do of our own will and flesh. And day-by-day, His grace rescues us from failure and defeat, bondage of sin, the grip of fear, you name it.

We have been gifted:

Salvation THROUGH Christ.

Salvation FROM sin, death, and hell.

Salvation UNTO what is better and more beautiful, which is Christ and eternity.

We have come:

From hell to heaven.

From sin to righteousness.

From living for self to living for Christ alone.

Jesus describes this giving up of self in Matthew 16:24-26, which says, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” The sanctification process involves denying oneself daily. We realize that we still sin, but God’s grace is for forgiveness at salvation AND for new mercies each day. In John 13, Jesus washes his disciples feet. When He gets to Peter, Peter refuses to have his feet cleaned; to which Jesus says that Peter cannot belong to Him if He does not have his feet washed. Peter emphatically changes his mind and responds by telling Jesus to wash all of him. Yet, Jesus said that he had already been cleaned, it was only his feet that had to be washed. He was saying that Peter had already been forgiven. He was already clean (the way we are purified when we accept Christ for the first time), but He still needed to wash Peter’s feet. We still make mistakes and need God’s forgiveness, a regular cleansing of our feet. This is part of sanctification, to go back to God’s grace for forgiveness and to surrender oneself to Him.

This grace and forgiveness is not to be mistaken as an approval for us to indulge in the world. Romans 6:15 says, “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” In other words, God DOES give us grace and forgiveness when we sin, but that is not liberty to continue in sin (Romans 6:1-4). If a child lies, cheats, or steals, and the wife says, “Your dad will take care of it every time, don’t worry,” What is that saying? There is no true repentance, turning away from sin. We should still harbor a sense of responsibility. The New Testament writers liken our new life in Christ to being a servant of Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin, but to Christ, which, at the same time, is freedom (Romans 6:17-18). God’s grace is not for walking in the flesh. That is carnality. We are to walk in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). Grace is for growing, not for drifting. The author of Hebrews warns against this: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away” (Hebrews 2:1). 

God’s grace will produce results if we live by it. In talking to Timothy, Paul pleads, “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus [...] You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:1-3). Timothy is likened to a soldier made strong by the grace of Christ. Is this justifying grace or sanctifying grace? It is sanctifying. Timothy had already been saved through faith in the gracious gift of God in Christ. In fact, he had been pastoring a church for about six years now! Yet, Paul still reminds Timothy that he needs grace every single day and entreats him: “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good things which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us” (2 Timothy 1:13-14).

Let me ask you: Do you feel weak in your Christian walk? Are you struggling to hold fast in your commitment?

If yes, may you pray for more of God’s beautiful grace in your heart. Paul had a “thorn in the flesh,” which he pleaded with God to take away. He asked three times for its removal. Yet God responded: “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:9). He goes on to say that now he boasts in his weakness: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). 

We have to ask ourselves if we are captivated by God’s grace! I do wonder if there is someone out there feeling discouraged in their walk with Christ. You realize that you are being sanctified, but it feels like 3 steps forward and 4 steps back. You may feel defeated, discouraged, dejected, beaten down by the enemy and by life’s evils and constant temptations. If you have a moment, read 2 Corinthians 4:7-15. Know that sanctification is not up to us. We are walking with a God who is the lifter of our heads (Psalm 3:3). 

And to those of you who maybe have a relationship with Christ and are in the sanctification process but have become lackadaisical and are feeling unstable. Know that everything is an overflow of what’s in the heart. Jesus taught that from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). David prayed for the Lord to change his heart: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). And the writer of Proverbs warns “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” Of course, we can seek human help for things in life that are deeply affecting us. But know that, in the end, psychological theory cannot make man what God intended Him to be. Self-help turns our eyes to ourselves rather than to our Creator. Man cannot see the heart, but God changes the heart. If we need more godliness in our talk and walk, we need more godliness filling our hearts. Our heart must be established by grace. 

What does evidence of sanctification look like?

Our lives here on earth are to reflect heaven and a holy God. We are to think of the things of heaven rather than the things of earth (Colossians 3:2). Hebrews 13:9 warns “Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.” Ceremonial food and traditional practices do not make people righteous. What spiritual food are you taking in? If Jesus is the Bread of Life, are you eating of Him? Are you feasting on the Word of God. The more you taste of it, the more you want it! Taste and see! And then, bear fruit. Jesus says we can identify believers by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). Some of these tangible sights of God’s work in our lives are born out of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Ask God to show you fruit that He is bearing, or, if you liken yourself to a dying branch, ask for His renewal, for the Gardener to help revive your spirit.

Hebrews 13:9 said to not be carried about by strange doctrines: What are these false doctrines today?

False doctrines are fed to us from all sides! The news, social media, friends, family, books, politics, all are funneling opinions, thoughts, and arguments into our mind space, many which seem to look or sound reasonable on the outside. Yet, what does Scripture say? Search the Word and find out for yourself the truth (Acts 17:11). Within the setting of “church,” one must watch out for doctrines that are experiential and overly emotional. For example, the “Toronto blessing” is a so-called holy laughter, which is actually unholy. To gather together and fall under uncontrollable laughter is nowhere in Scripture. The prosperity “gospel” is another false doctrine. Jesus preaches that in this world we will have trouble, and we will actually be hated (John 16:33; John 15:19)! He does not promise money, wealth, or power. Jesus Himself had none of these things on Earth, even though He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Also, legalism can creep into the Church, which is a teaching that adds works to the Gospel. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons teach false doctrine as they claim the Bible as one of their holy books, yet they stray from its teaching and trust in what earthly “prophets” have said. We must be vigilant in reading the Word as that is the truth that can be trusted.

In summary, God is the source of everything, and man is the source of nothing. But does this mean we do nothing in the sanctification process. No. We are fully involved, not in ways understood by man’s natural wisdom, but in living surrendered to Christ. We are to grow in grace, have our hearts established by grace, be strong in grace, and be discipled by His grace. If we are not careful, we manufacture a life FOR God and find ourselves in bondange to law and legalism. God is the master builder (1 Corinthians 3:9-15). A saw cannot build a house without the Carpenter, which is Christ. “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4). 

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18