Positional Sanctification

Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1:14.

“Sanctification” is a technical theological term for the believer who has been set apart through the baptism of the Spirit at the moment of conversion in order to serve God exclusively and is accomplished in three stages: (1) Positional (2) Experiential (3) Perfective.

All three stages of sanctification refer to the process of conforming the believer into the image of Jesus Christ, which is the Father’s plan from eternity past (Romans 8:28-30).

Sanctification is all about the believer experiencing the holiness or perfect character of God in his life through his thoughts, words and actions.

It demands holiness from the believer.

Sanctification demands that the believer live by the power of the Spirit and the Word through the process of fellowship.

It demands that the believer appropriate by faith their position in Christ.

He cannot experience fellowship with God without experiencing the holiness of God.

If God is holy and He is, then the believer must be holy as well.

In fact, every believer is commanded in Scripture to be as holy as God (1 Peter 1:14-16).

Fellowship means being in the presence of God and being in the presence of God means that one is holy as God.

God is holy and because He is holy the believer must be as holy as God in order to come into His presence.

Therefore, fellowship with God demands that the believer approach God with reverence.

This is accomplished by acknowledging any known sin to the Father in order to be restored to fellowship and maintaining that fellowship by obedience to the Spirit’s teaching which is found in the Word of God.

It demands that the believer be honest with God since God is light and can reveal the hidden motives and thoughts of the believer as well as knowing all his actions (1 John 1:5-10).

The term “holiness” refers to the absolute perfection of the character of God, expressing His purity of character or moral perfection and excellence, thus making God totally separate from sin and sinners.

He is totally separate from sin and sinners unless a way can be found to constitute them holy and that way has been provided based upon the merits of the impeccable Person and Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.

The presence of evil, sin and injustice is totally absent in the character of God, thus God does not tolerate evil or sin because it is contrary to His character, i.e. His inherent moral qualities, ethical standards and principles.

1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” (NASU)

“Positional sanctification” is the direct result of the baptism of the Spirit.

It results in the believer’s “entrance” into the plan of God for the church age resulting in eternal security as well as two categories of positional truth (1 Cor. 1:2, 30; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 Thess. 5:23; Eph. 5:26-27; Heb. 2:11; 10:10; Acts 20:32; 26:18; Rom. 6:3, 8; 2 Thess. 2:13).

The believer’s “sanctification” is directly related to the baptism of the Spirit since it results in positional sanctification and the potential to experience sanctification in time and the guarantee of the completion of sanctification at the resurrection of the church.

During the dispensation of the church age when a sinner exercises faith alone in Christ alone, the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit places that person in a eternal union with Christ.

The Spirit at conversion identifies the believer positionally with Christ in His crucifixion, death, resurrection and session.

This results in making the believer a permanent member of the royal family of God, a new spiritual species and eternally secure (Mark 16:16; John 7:37-39; 14:20; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21).

This is called the “baptism of the Spirit.”

To be identified with Christ means that the Holy Spirit has made the justified sinner identical and united with the Lord Jesus Christ and also means that the Spirit ascribes to the believer the qualities and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This does not mean that the believer becomes the second person of the Trinity, but rather it means that God views the believer as having been crucified, died and buried with Christ two thousand years ago as well as raised and seated with Him.

The baptism of the Spirit results in positional sanctification and the potential to experience sanctification in time and the guarantee of the completion of sanctification at the resurrection of the church.

This ministry of the Spirit never took place before the day of Pentecost in June of 32 A.D. and will not take place after the rapture of the church.

The completion of the royal family of God at the rapture will mark the end of the baptism of the Spirit.

The baptism of the Spirit distinguishes the church age from other dispensations.

There was no church before the baptism of the Spirit.

By positional, I mean that God views the believer as crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ since at the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit placed the believer in union with Christ.

This identifies the believer with Christ’s crucifixion (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20), His death (Romans 6:2, 7-8; Colossians 2:20; 3:3), His burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12), His resurrection (Romans 6:5; Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:10-11; Colossians 2:12; 3:1) and His session (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1).

“Retroactive” positional truth is the church age believer’s identification with Christ in His death and burial (Romans 6:3-11; Colossians 2:12).

In other words, when Christ, died God considers the believer to have died with Him.

“Current” positional truth is the church age believer’s identification with Christ in His resurrection, ascension and session (See Ephesians 2:4-6; Colossians 3:1-4).

In other words, when Christ was raised and seated at the right hand of the Father, the Father considers the believer to have been raised and seated with Christ as well.

“Positional sanctification”: (1) What God has done for the church age believer. (2) His viewpoint of the church age believer. (3) Sets up the potential to experience sanctification in time. (4) Provides the believer with the guarantee of receiving a resurrection body.