Jesus as Our Sanctifier

Introduction: Romans chapters 6, 7 and 8 theologically describe the process of sanctification. Beginning with our death to sin and union to God and ending with our victorious life in Christ Jesus. (Expand)

What is Sanctification?

Sanctification — the act of becoming more personally dedicated to God; especially by becoming more distinct, devoted, or morally pure.

An easier way of thinking about sanctification is: Set Apart

1 Corinthians 6:11 NASB95

11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

There’s that idea of being justified again. We are declared righteous by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is sanctification important?

If there is no sanctification there is no change. The work of the Holy Spirit brings about the change in our lives that is necessary to remove us from the kingdom of darkness and place us in the kingdom of Light. The greater the sanctification the farther from sin we grow. The greater the sanctification the closer to Christ Jesus we grow.

There are three levels of sanctification:

Positional, Progressive, Final

Positional

When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we receive positional sanctification in Him. He purchased us with His blood - His Spirit in us sanctifies us.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 NASB95

13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Sanctification separates us from sin.

Then we are dedicated to God.

Romans 6:19–23 NASB95

19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Progressive

Becoming like Christ. Love like Christ. Act like Christ. Think like Christ.

But how does progressive sanctification take place?

A. B. Simpson used the term a Crisis of Faith.

Romans 7:22–25 NASB95

22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

When we come to the end of ourselves, ashamed of the things we do and we want to change. We want to stop sinning and stop presenting our members to unrighteousness.

At this point we must Surrender to Christ Jesus. We must turn it over to Him. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit in us will we be able to break the bondage to the sin and tear down the stronghold which threatens to tear us apart.

Final

We will be made like Christ when we are removed from the presence of sin.

1 John 3:2–3 NASB95

2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

When He returns or when we go home to be with Him we will be like Him. This is the point where our mortality is shed and our immortality is taken on. There is no sin in heaven so we are removed from it and made like Christ Jesus.

That’s enough book learning. Let’s look at this idea in a practical way - using rocks.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 NASB95

23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.