Sanctification

Sanctification & Spiritual Disciplines

Session 1: Background to Sanctification

I. Introduction: Justification as Precursor to Sanctification

A. We must always remember that the FOUNDATION of our RELATIONSHIP with GOD = GRACE…NOT WORKS...

ALL FRUIT = EVIDENCE of PAST SALVATION/JUSTIFICATION

TURN & READ: B. Matthew 13:1-9,,20-23 ESV That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”. . . 18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

PARABLE of the SOWER SHOWS,, VARIETY of RESPONSES—REPRESENTED in DIFFERENT WAYS:

i. SOME FALL on PATH: SATAN SNATCHES the word away (v19).

ii. SOME FALL on ROCKY GROUND: They have NO ROOT && FALL AWAY DURING TRIALS (v20-21)

iii. SOME FALL on THORNS: The SEEDLING = CHOKED…CARES of WORLD & DECEITFULNESS of RICHES.. (v22).

iv. SOME FALL on GOOD SOIL: THEY BEAR FRUIT, 100, 60, or 30 fold (v23).

1. Conclusion: GOOD SOIL = THOSE WHO RESPOND to GOSPEL W/ FAITH

2. The PRECURSOR of ALL FRUITFULNESS in CHRISTIAN LIFE… = SOMEONE is FIRST GOOD SOIL. THEY’VE BEEN BORN-AGAIN…THEY’VE RECEIVED the WORD W/ GLADNESS....

C.BRIEF REMINDER: BEFORE SANCTIFICATION,, COMES JUSTIFICATION.

Question for consideration: And HOW DO WE DEFINE JUSTIFICATION?

JUSTIFICATION = LEGAL VERDICT… ONE’S SINS = NO LONER COUNTED AGAINST THEM.---DECLARED RIGHTEOUS.

CHRIST PAID PENALTY

CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS = IMPUTED THROUGH FAITH...

“NOT GUILTY” in HEAVEN’S COURTROOM

TURN & READ: a. Romans 3:21-26 ESV But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

i. JUSTIFICATION = FREE GIFT BY GRACE

JUSTIFICATION ISN’T ONGOING…IT’S ONCE & DONE.

PRESENT IMPLICATION, BUT the ACTION = PAST TENSE.

***BEGIN GRAPH:

· STICK PERSON

· BAR: RIGHTEOUSNESS of CHRIST/STANDARD of GOD

· HOLINESS & TIME SIDEBARS

· JUSTIFICATION (GREEN): DOTTED LINE GOING UP

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II. Sanctification: What is it?

Question for consideration: What is sanctification?

Word Studies

A. Nominal form: HAGIASMOS

· BDAG defines as, “personal dedication to the interests of the deity, holiness, consecration, sanctification; the use in a moral sense for a process or, more often, its result (the state of being made holy)”[1]

· “Ἁγιασμός has its decisive role in NT parenesis, and often appears with a prep. to characterize the comprehensive goal of the new conduct of those who believe”[2](emphasis added).

B. Verbal form: HAGIAZO

Defined by BDAG (Greek Lexicon)

① set aside someth. or make it suitable for ritual purposes, consecrate, dedicate of things

② include a pers. in the inner circle of what is holy, in both cultic and moral associations of the word, consecrate, dedicate, sanctify”

③ to treat as holy, reverence

④ to eliminate that which is incompatible with holiness, purify[3]

DEFINITIONS 2 & 4 MOST READILY APPLY to OUR USAGE...

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C. BOTH WORDS COME FROM ROOT: HAGIOS MEANING HOLY or HOLY ONE...

GOD = the HOLY ONE… HE DEFINES WHAT HOLINESS IS…HE is HOLY

SAME WORD = USED for “HOLY” SPIRIT

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c. ***NOTE.... ENGLISH WORD “SAINTS in N.T. = “HAGIOI” = HOLY ONES...

AMAZING to CONSIDER THIS IS WHO WE ARE!

62/62 TIMES “SAINTS” is FOUND in ESV… “HOLY ONES”

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Conclusion:

A. SANCTIFICATION = ENTIRELY RELATED to ISSUE of HOLINESS...

DESCRIBES HOW GOD SETS APART FOR HIMSELF a PEOPLE WHO ARE HOLY…AND GOD WORKS in US TO BECOME MORE HOLY & MORAL PEOPLE...

B. ROBERT LETHAM makes a HELPFUL NOTE on the CONTRAST BETWEEN JUSTIFICATION & SANCTIFICATION:

He writes, “Justification affects our legal status, while sanctification affects our moral condition. With justification, righteousness is imputed to us, whereas in sanctification righteousness is imparted or infused. Justification gives us a just basis for the right to eternal life, while sanctification prepares us for eternal life by conforming us to the image of Christ.”[4]

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III. Sanctification: An Ongoing Work

Question for consideration: Is sanctification a past, present, or future reality?

ANSWER: “YES”

Scholars describe sanctification in its various aspects as:

1. Definitive sanctification

a. “Definitive(or initial) sanctification is the Holy Spirit’s work of setting us apart as holy unto Christ, constituting us as saints.”[5]

b. @ THIS TIME SIN’S POWER = BROKEN...

ROBERT LETHAM: “while this is a definitive breach, it is not an absolute one.”[6]

2. Progressive sanctification

a. “Progressive sanctification is the Spirit’s work of enabling us to grow in practical holiness. This is what is most commonly connoted by the term sanctification in theology.”[7]

PRIMARY FOCUS of OUR STUDY NEXT COUPLE MONTHS...

3. Final sanctification

a. “Final sanctification is the Spirit’s work of conforming us to Christ’s image at his return, at which point Christ will ‘present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless’ (Eph 5:27).”[8]

**ADD to ILLUSTRATION: SANCTIFICATION--DEFINITIVE, PROGRESSIVE, & FINAL

Biblical Examples of Definitive Sanctification:

MIGHT BE SURPRISING, BUT MOST USAGES of SANCTIFICATION in N.T. = PAST TENSE… “DEFINITIVE SANCTIFICATION”

TURN & READ: B. 1 Cor. 1:2-3 ESV “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (emphasis added).

a. THIS PASSAGE HITS BOTH:

THEY ARE SANCTIFIED...

THEY ARE CALLED to BE SAINTS (HOLY ONES).

TURN & READ: C. 1 Cor. 6:9-11 ESV “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 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” (emphasis added).

CONSIDER AMAZING GRACE of GOD....THAT CHRISTIANS in CORINTH = SANCTIFIED && CALLED to BE SAINTS...

i. THINK ABOUT HOW WE ARE CALLED SAINTS…HOLY ONES…HOW AWESOME is THIS!!

TURN & READ: 1. 1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (emphasis added).

b. See also: Acts 20:32; 26:18; Rom. 15:16; Heb. 2:11; 10:10; Heb. 13:12; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2...

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Biblical Examples of Progressive Sanctification:

TURN & READ: A. Hebrews 10:10-14 ESV “And by that will [God’s will] we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

o AUTHOR of HEBREWS POINTS OUT:

SANCTIFICATION = ACCOMPLISHED

&& SANCTIFICATION = IN PROCESS!

BOTH SANCTIFIED && BEING SANCTIFIED...

TURN & READ: B. 1 Thess. 5:23 ESV “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

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IV. Sanctification: A Cooperative Work

A. A. SALVATION = WHOLLY a WORK of GOD...

SANCTIFICATION— REQUIRES OUR COOPERATION...

>>> WE AREN’T CONFORMED KICKING & SCREAMING INTO IMAGE of CHRIST.... <<<

TAKES a HOLY GOD to MAKE US HOLY…BUT WE STILL HAVE to COMPLY...

BECAUSE WE’RE INVOLVED…SANCTIFICATION NEVER GOES in a STRAIGHT LINE!

HIGHS & LOWS...

DAYS of TRIUMPH & DAYS of FAILURE...

***SEE GRAPH

***STRUGGLES KEEP us HUMBLE & DEPENDENT UPON GOD.

BUT BE ENCOURAGED...WE’RE STILL SO FAR AHEAD of WHERE WE BEGAN...

TURN & READ: B. Philippians 2:12-13 ESV Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

THIS VERSE DOESN’T USE the WORD SANCTIFICATION…BUT it SUMS UP the DOCTRINE SUCCINCTLY...

DOESN’T SAY: WORK FOR SALVATION… BUT WORK OUT SALVATION...

SANCTIFICATION = PROGRESSIVE OUTWARD WORKING of INWARD REALITY...

MANIFESTING the HOLINESS THAT WAS GIVEN to US as a FREE GIFT...

ii. POWER & DESIRE COMES FROM GOD…BUT WE HAVE to STILL DO IT...

I’M a RUNNER…I HAVE DESIRE to RUN…I HAVE ABILITY to RUN…BUT I STILL HAVE to ACTUALLY GET OUT of BED & GO...

1. FRUIT of THE SPIRIT = YOU CONTROLLING YOU… && IT’S an EVIDENCE of HOLY SPIRIT!

TURN & READ: 1 Cor. 15:9-11 ESV “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”

a. PAUL = WORKING HARDER THAN EVERYONE

b. BUT TRUTHFULLY,, IT WAS GOD’S GRACE AT WORK in PAUL

c. SO WHO’S DOING the WORK..... GOD or PAUL?...... ANSWER: YES.

TURN & READ: D. Romans 6:19 ESV “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”

ACTIVELY RESISTING SIN & ACTIVELY PRESENTING OUR MEMBERS as SLAVES of RIGHTEOUSNESS LEADING to SANCTIFICATION/PERSONAL GROWTH in HOLINESS

TURN & READ: E. 1 Thess. 4:7 ESV “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”

SANCTIFICATION && GOD’S WILL....SUMMED UP as ABSTAINING FROM SEXUAL SIN!

THIS = GROWTH in HOLINESS & DOING GOD’S WILL...

TURN & READ: F. Hebrews 12:14 ESV “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness [Sanctification] without which no one will see the Lord.”

a. COMMANDED… “STRIVE” for PEACE & HOLINESS....

HOLINESS HERE = SAME GREEK WORD as SANCTIFICATION

IT REQUIRES WORK!

i. See also: 2 Tim. 2:20-26, esp. v21)

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V. The Goal of Sanctification: Christlikeness

A. WHILE NOT a TON of VERSES USE “SANCTIFICATION” PROGRESSIVELY..... THE N.T. is FILLED W/ TEACHING THAT SHOWS WE’RE CALLED to GROW,, WHICH = SANCTIFICATION.

TURN & READ 1 PET. 1:15-16

1 Peter 1:15–16 ESV

15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

C. Within the N.T. LETTERS, we see COUNTLESS ADMONITIONS to LIVE a CERTAIN WAY… SPECIFICALLY to WALK WORTHY (CALLING,, GOD)

(Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:12).

TURN & READ: D. Romans 8:28-20 ESV “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

a. BEFORE TIME....CHRISTIANS WERE SET APART in GOD’S MIND W/ PURPOSE to BECOME LIKE JESUS....

>>> THIS is THE GOAL of THE CHRISTIAN LIFE <<<

EVENTUALLY in RESURRECTED/PERFECT STATE…BUT FOR NOW in IMAGE-BEARING && OBEDIENCE...

E. && AT THE END,, WE’LL BE UNITED to CHRIST WHEN HE COMES…

& WE’LL BE GLORIFIED,, FINAL SANCTIFICATION

***CONCLUDE ILLUSTRATION

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VI. Takeaways:

1. SANCTIFICATION is PRECEDED by JUSTIFICATION by GRACE ALONE THROUGH FAITH ALONE in CHRIST ALONE....

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2. SANCTIFICATION= WORK WHEREBY WE’RE CONTINUALLY SET APART & MADE HOLY....

SANCTIFY = VERB “TO HOLY” SOMETHING...

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3. SANCTIFICATION = WORK of GOD’S GRACE THAT REQUIRES OUR COOPERATION… WE HAVE to OBEY to GROW.

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4. SANCTIFICATION = BOTH PAST TENSE & PRESENT TENSE REALITY...

WE’VE BEEN SANCTIFIED .... WE’RE SAINTS *(HOLY ONES)

WE’RE BEING SANCTIFIED

WE WILL BE SANCTIFIED

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5. The GOAL of SANCTIFICATION = CHRISTLIKENESS....

HE = THE MODEL FOR OBEDIENCE.... HE’S the STANDARD…

HE’S the HOLY ONE THAT WE FOLLOW...

[1]Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 10). University of Chicago Press. [2]Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. (1990–). In Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament(Vol. 1, p. 17). Eerdmans. [3]Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., pp. 9-10). University of Chicago Press. [4]Letham, R. (2019). Systematic Theology (p. 736). Crossway. [5]Morgan, C. W., & Peterson, R. A. (2020). Christian theology: the biblical story and our faith(p. 372). B&H Academic. [6]Letham, R. (2019). Systematic Theology (p. 735). Crossway. [7]Morgan, C. W., & Peterson, R. A. (2020). Christian theology: the biblical story and our faith(p. 372). B&H Academic. [8]Morgan, C. W., & Peterson, R. A. (2020). Christian theology: the biblical story and our faith(pp. 372–373). B&H Academic.