Definitive Sanctification

Sanctification Defined

To be sanctified is to be set apart from common use to God

Definitive Sanctification

Positional Sanctification

Progressive SanctifcationDefinitive Sanctification

Definitive Sanctification, sometimes called declarative or positional sanctification, is where we become God’s people set a part from the World. Put differently, Sam Waldron writes that it is “that basic and radical change that takes place in a sinner’s moral and ethical condition when he is united to Christ in effectual calling and regeneration” (208)

Christians are often referred to as saints or holy ones (; ; ; ; ; ; )

Christians are often referred to as those who have been made holy (; ; ; ; )

It is a moral and ethical change of our heart and conduct. This change is a work of the Spirit (; ; ; )

It brings about an entirely news spiritual condition (, ; )

Consider

focus on justification by faith in Jesus. If justification and salvation as a whole is by God’s gracious work a question is expected. Paul anticipates it in , answers it in , and expounds on it in .

Question:

Answer: . The answer is no because we are dead to sin.

Exposition of being dead to sin

We died to sin by way of our union with Jesus (, , )

To die to sin is to die to its reign

Christ died to sin so it is not to become sinless ()

Sin is viewed as a slave master (; , , , ), Christ dethroned the our slave master of sin by removing our guilt () and defeating its consequences (, ).

Our death to sin happened at conversion (, )

Our death to sin results in a new life of holy and righteous living (, , ; ). In other words, it initiates a life in which we progressively become more like Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Progressive Sanctification

Application: Consider yourself accurately and be who you are.