Part 18 of 22 –
The
Twofold Nature of Sanctification
Salvation does not
first require one to “surrender to,” “submit to,” “yield to,”
“dedicate (oneself) to,” or “make Jesus Lord of one’s life.” We
are only “saved by grace through faith…apart from works.” The
aforementioned terminologies do not apply to our initial
salvation; but they are representative of the “sanctified life” that the
believer should eventually come to some time after salvation.
To attempt such a commitment
before salvation would only be by a fruitless work of self-effort. Paul calls
such effort “dead works” (Heb 6:1), which are useless acts of “the
flesh.” Circumcision of the physical flesh never changed any Jew
inwardly; these willful works of commitment also offer no profit (Gal
5:2) for an unsaved person. Romans 3:20 …by the deeds
of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight…
All these terms are better
applied to the stage of Christian life called “sanctification,” which
comes to a believer some time subsequent to their first expression of
“saving faith.” Therefore, these terms would better be seen as evidence of
salvation.
Such phrases as “make a
commitment to” and “becomes a disciple of” are ambiguous
terms because they may or may not refer to ones proper reliance upon Christ,
depending on how they are defined. E.g., some may erroneously make their
commitment to “be good” or be a “disciple of Jesus” or some religious
leader. Some may erroneously make a commitment to try to “imitate”
or “follow Jesus of
Nazareth
”; what Jesus did and what Jesus said. This of course is exactly
contrary to what Paul wrote; “…henceforth know we Him (Jesus
of
Nazareth
) no longer” according to Jesus’ earthly ministry (2Cor
5:16). You see, real sanctification does not hinge upon Jesus’ earthly
ministry to
Israel
; it does depend upon the work of the crucified Christ, now resurrected
as the “Spirit of life in Christ” and within the believer. If one
is saved and then tries to work out their sanctification by their own
self-effort, by trying to “imitate Jesus of Nazareth” – they obviously
don’t yet understand the work of the Christ’s cross, Christ’s
resurrection life, or the work of the Father in overseeing their
sanctification.
We need to properly
understand sanctification in the believer’s daily living. I believe many
would be thrilled if they properly understood the genuine Bible doctrine of
“sanctification.” Sanctification is not a negative matter
such as “Don’t do this” and “Don’t do that.” Rather, it is the
positive truth that …God desires union with us, and He desires our
affection for Him. He desires “us” as a sacred and separated
possession, much as a bridegroom considers his bride his very own in a special
and sacred way.
Believers are counted
righteous by God immediately upon trusting Christ as savior because of their faith
in Christ alone (Rom 4:5). But the Lord then desires that we actually “become
the righteousness of God” in our daily living. This righteousness
can only be established as we, as a self-soul, learn to abide in union with
Christ in our spirit.
2 Corinthians
5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin; that we might be made (Greek, ginomai, progressively
become) the righteousness of God in him.
The word “made”
here is the Greek “ginomai,” which is the “prolongation
and middle voice form of a primary verb.” This simply means, actually “becoming
the righteousness of God…through Christ” is a prolonged process.
Since none of us is righteous in our living when we are first saved, this
requires the Father’s further continuing work to transform our soul and
thereby our living. This is God’s work of sanctification in the life of the
believer.
Vine’s Expository
Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words define “sanctification” as
follows.
“Sanctification”
refers to;
a) Separation
unto God (1 Cor.
1:30; 2 Thess.
2:13; 1 Pet.
1:2).
b) The
course of life befitting those so separated (1 Thess.
4:3, 4, 7;
Rom.
6:19, 22;
1 Tim.
2:15; Heb.
12:14).
Sanctification is that relationship with God into which men enter
by faith in Christ, (Acts
26:18; 1 Cor.
6:11), and to which their sole claim is the death of Christ, (Eph.
5:25, 26: Col.
1:22; Heb.
10:10, 29;
Heb.
13:12)
Sanctification is also used in New Testament of the separation of the believer
from evil things and ways. This sanctification is God’s will for the
believer, 1 Thess.
4:3, and His purpose in calling him by the gospel, 1 Thess.
4:7; it must be learned from God, 1 Thess.
4:4, as He teaches it by His Word, John
17:17, 19;
cp. Psa.
17:4; Psa.
119:9, and it must be pursued by the believer, earnestly and
undeviatingly, 1 Tim.
2:15; Heb.
12:14.
Sanctification is also used of the holy character, hagiōsynē,
1 Thess.
3:13. This is not vicarious, i.e., it cannot be transferred or imputed, it
is an individual possession, built up, little by little, as the result of obedience
to the Word of God, and of following the example of Christ (Matt.
11:29; John
13:15; Eph.
4:20; Phil.
2:5-8), in the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom.
8:13; Eph.
3:16).
Actually, Biblical “sanctification” is a
dual truth because ALL BELIEVERS are ALREADY SANCTIFIED
and yet ALL BELIEVERS are BEING SANCTIFIED.
1)
All believers are ALREADY SANCTIFIED by God who separated
us unto Him and established our immutable righteous standing
before God, “in Christ.” This sanctification and right
standing was counted to us and appropriated by us the moment we believed unto
salvation. We thus stand, having been placed or immersed into Christ’s “body”
(1Cor 12:13a).
Actually, every true
believer in Christ was already sanctified or separated unto God by the
prevalent operation of the Holy Spirit working in their lives even before
salvation. Thus Paul wrote: “...God hath FROM THE BEGINNING
chosen you to salvation through SANCTIFICATION OF (BY) THE SPIRIT...”
(2 Thes. 2: 13). Sanctification is initiated and accomplished
by the work of the Lord’s Spirit. “Elect according to the FOREKNOWLEDGE
of God the Father, through SANCTIFICATION OF (BY) THE SPIRIT...”
(1Pet. 1:2). By His foreknowledge, God knew who
would say yes to receive His love and grace; He sanctified these ones by the
work of the Spirit even before they were saved.
This initial sanctification is a work of
God that has nothing to do with our conduct or any work of ours. God has done
it all. Upon simply believing to be saved, this endowed sanctification is ours
once and for all. Thus Paul could write to even the immature and carnal
Corinthian believers to say: “Ye are (already) sanctified”
(1 Cor. 6:11; cf. Acts 20:32; 26:18), i.e., “God has set you
apart for Himself.” This first phase of sanctification is based
solely upon God’s prevalent grace and the redemptive cross-work of Christ in
our behalf. “WE ARE (already) SANCTIFIED through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.” (Heb.
10:10). All a person needs to do is to trust in Christ to receive
God’s freely given love and grace, and salvation; responding to God’s endowed
sanctification.
2)
Yet, All believers are BEING SANCTIFIED in
their practical daily living as they progress and grow in their union with
Christ, as they come to express Christ’s indwelling life and will.
1 Corinthians 1:30 But
of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made (ginomai,
is progressively being made) unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
The Lord would have us to grow and
respond in appreciation of the realized fact of His love, grace, and cross,
and begin to conduct ourselves accordingly; consecrating ourselves ever more
completely to Him. This change in conduct is the practical and progressive
outworking of the imbued or instilled sanctification we received at the moment
of salvation. “For this is the will of God, even your
sanctification” (I Thes. 4:3). Hence we read Paul’s
benediction: “The very God of peace sanctify you WHOLLY
(COMPLETELY) …your whole spirit, soul, and body
…” (I Thes. 5:23). Paul’s exhortation to Timothy was to be “a
vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet (fit) for
the Master’s use” (2 Tim. 2:21).
As we’ve seen, beyond
God’s unconditional acceptance and justification of believers “in
Christ” and “the free gift” of salvation from judgment, there
is the matter of “sanctification.” Sanctification is both by
God’s initial sanctification and His continuing work in the renewal
of the believer’s soul; working to separate the believer entirely unto
Himself.
