Sanctification

[1 Pet 1:15 “you also be holy in your conduct”. Our sanctified identity is holy, but our conduct needs to act that way. God washes us, but we need to conduct ourselves in holy living. Peter lays out why we should live holy lives - we do this knowing we were ransomed with the precious blood of Christ (v.18-19). This is our motivation - that Christ shed his blood for us and we are now his.]

The purpose of Sanctification is for us to be ready to do his works (“every good work”)

2 Timothy 2:21 ESV

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

The next few verses literally prove my point - after Positional Sanctification, the work of Progressive Sanctification takes place

After being “set apart as holy,” we are now useful servants who work for the “master of the house”

2 Timothy 2:21–24 ESV

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,

2 Peter 1:8 ESV

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These godly qualities should be increasing (over time). Sin is never taught to us in the Bible to be “decreasing”

What is Sanctification?

Let’s talk about Sanctification

I want to clear up some pre-conceptions about it - what it is, and what it is not

I realize I might get some push-back on this subject

What I have to say may go against some very-well respected, heavy hitting, well-known preachers

I have a deep respect for most of these preachers

I want to take a biblical look at Sanctification - and not just parrot what others have said about it

This is one of those subjects in the church - when it’s preached, it’s preached from a traditional aspect

It’s rarely taught with Bible verses that actually correspond to the actual point they’re making

I’m not trying to condemn anyone - or say that everyone is wrong

I’m suggesting that the church might have become a bit sloppy in its assessment of this subject

And that maybe the full picture of Sanctification is not always presented

We’re taught that at salvation, we’re

Regenerated to a new life

Justified - God now sees us righteous on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus

And then we have a lifelong growth of Sanctification, where we become better and better as a Christian

But is that really true? Is it the full story?

Here’s what I have observed when I hear preachers on this subject - this is what’s implied

Sanctification is progressive

It is the gradual separation of sin in the believer’s life

It’s a cooperation of man’s responsibility and God’s responsibility - as we are continually set apart to live a holy life

It means we continually die to sin every day

As we grow as Christians, we sin less and less

Let me give two definitions - two quotes:

John MacArthur: “Sanctification is the progressive disconnect in the life of a believer from sin toward righteousness.”

Westminster Shorter Catechism: “Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.”

I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with all of these notions

What I would say is that the notion of Sanctification as a gradual progression to stop sinning is one dimensional

There is more than Christians sinning less

Even the notion of “Progressive Sanctification” - is one dimensional

But it’s become a catchphrase in the church

Sanctification Is Not Progressive

Sanctification is not progressive

I should say - there is an aspect which is progressive - I’ll get to that later

But God call us, regenerates us, justifies us, and sanctifies us at the moment of salvation

So that there is no confusion - I want to point out:

I don’t believe that true Christians live perfect, sinless lives

1 John 1:8 ESV

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Sin is a struggle

Christians are tempted

Christians consequently do fall into sin

We won’t completely be like Jesus until we see him face-to-face in Heaven

But Sanctification happens once in the life of a Christian

Sanctification changes our identity

1 Corinthians 6:10–11 ESV

nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

You’re not one of them anymore - because you’ve already been washed and sanctified and justified - in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

This is your new identity you now carry

By the way - whenever you see the list of sinners in the NT -

sexually immoral

idolaters

adulterers

When the Bible makes this list - it never assigns them to Christians...

Here are some more verses that show sanctification happened in the past

Paul, quoting Jesus:

Acts 26:17–18 ESV

delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

There is not a single verse that uses the phrase “Progressive Sanctification”

But that is a catchphrase in the church

Oswald Sanders: "The older I get, the more deeply I am aware of how sinful I am."

That realization is the result of a Christian who is progressing through their sanctification

It’s not about becoming more aware of how sinless and perfect you are

True sanctification is humility before a Holy God