God sanctifies the believer in
Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:23). The Holy Spirit is the
divine agent of our sanctification. We cooperate
with Him in our progressive sanctification, but we
do not sanctify ourselves (Rom. 15:16; 2 Thess.
2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 Cor. 6:11).
One of the greatest mysteries
in the Christian’s life is his sanctification. We
have been sanctified; we are being sanctified and we
shall be sanctified. We have been set apart to God,
and we are progressively cleansed from the
defilement of sin and more and more “transformed”
after the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).
It is impossible for us to
diagnose the secret workings of the Holy Spirit even
though we must realize our complete dependence upon
Him.
We must cooperate
with His activity in our lives and realize at the
same time that we must not rely upon our own
strength of determination or purpose. We have been
and are being saved by grace. We are progressively
sanctified by grace through faith. True Biblical
sanctification stresses a sense of humility and
repentance which is the work of the Holy Spirit.
The sanctifying process is
dependent upon the death and resurrection of Christ.
The power of the resurrection is available to the
Christian through the work of the Holy Spirit. The
Spirit of the risen Christ lives in us. The apostle
Paul describes this process in Second Corinthians
3:17-18. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all,
with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the
same image from glory to glory, just as from the
Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
The Holy Spirit progressively
transforms us to the image of Christ. He takes the
things of Christ and shows them to the believer who
beholds “as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (cf. John
16:14, 16; 14:16, 17).
The word “sanctify” means “to
set apart,” to devote, to consecrate to God, to
recognize as holy, and as belonging to God. In the
New Testament sanctification has to do with
whole-hearted surrender to an intimate personal
fellowship with God and the rule of the Holy Spirit.
Believers are not left to live
the Christian life in their own strength and
creativity. The Holy Spirit dwells in them and
enables them to live on a standard they could never
attain by themselves. The Holy Spirit has made His
permanent home in the believer.
The work of the Holy Spirit is
to make holy the Christian’s life. The prevailing
characteristic of every regenerate person is the
pursuit of holiness.
This is not mechanical or
magical, but is wrought out by God’s Spirit in daily
fellowship with the believer as he makes himself
available to his indwelling Guest. It is a
progressive growth in holiness that grows in
capacity, in character and the stature of the full
maturity in Christ.
The Holy Spirit does not work
on us; He lives and works in and through us. The
Holy Spirit is at work in us as we make ourselves
available to Him to renew our minds so we can work
at our full capacity.
The Holy Spirit is the
controlling and directing agent in every regenerate
person. The believer’s sanctification is the “will
of God,” and the Holy Spirit uses various means to
sanctify us (1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Pet. 1:2). We are
sanctified by our vital union with Christ. In deed,
we are “sanctified in Christ” and Christ is our
sanctification (1 Cor. 1:2, 30). The Holy Spirit
uses the Word of God (John 17:17; 1 Tim. 4:5), the
blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:13; 13:12), and "By
his will we have been made holy through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews
10:10, NET). We are sanctified by the choices we
make (2 Tim. 2:21, 22), and faith in Christ (Acts
26:18).
The regenerate person is
“spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:14, 15; Rom. 7:22; 1 John 3:9;
5:18; 1:8; 2:1; 5:16; 4:1-4). The Scripture is not
saying the Christian is sinless, but a new principle
is set into motion. “Sin is dethroned in every
person who is effectually called and regenerated.”
The effectual calling unites us to Christ (1 Cor.
1:9), and if we are united to Christ we are united
to Him in virtue of His death and the power of His
resurrection. We are “dead to sin,” the old man has
been crucified, the body of sin has been destroyed,
and sin no longer has dominion over us (Rom. 6:2-4,
14).
Victory is ours once for all by
union with Christ (Rom. 6:14; 1 John 3:9; 5:4, 18).
That union is through the efficacy of His death and
resurrection.
Christians are to present their
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God
(Rom. 12:1; 2 Cor. 6:17; 7:1; Gal. 5:16). The root
idea of sanctification is to set apart unto a holy
purpose.
We are constantly dependent
upon the Holy Spirit as the supernatural agent of
our sanctification who progressively works within
the conscious life of the believer. The believer is
not passive in this process.
Because God is at work in us we
also work. We are admonished to “work out your
salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who
works in you both to will and to do His good
pleasure” (Philippians 2:12, 13). This working out
of salvation on our part is the result of God at
work in us. He causes the willing and the doing.
That is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Cf.
Romans 12:1-3, 9-21; 13:8-14; 2 Corinthians 7:1;
Galatians 5:13-26; Ephesians 4:17-32; Philippians
3:10-17; 4:4-9; Colossians 3:1-17; 1 Thessalonians
5:8-22; Hebrews 12:14-16; James 1:19-27; 2:14-26;
3:14-18; 1 John 2:15-17, etc.
The believer is to be vitally
active in the process of spiritual growth because of
the high goal of being predestined to be conformed
to the image so God’s Son.
Sanctification involves the
whole person at the core of his personality; it is
the consecration of our heart, mind, will, and
purpose. We “are renewed after the image of God in
knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.”
1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23;
Romans 15:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; 1
Corinthians 1:2, 30; 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18;
John 16:14, 16; 14:16, 17; 17:17; 1 Timothy 4:5;
Hebrews 9:13; 13:12; 10:10; 12:14; 2 Timothy 2:21,
22; Acts 26:18 1 John 3:9; 5:4, 19; Philippians
2:12; Romans 12:1-2
1. Sanctification involves the
whole person—body, mind, will.
2. We are renewed after the
image of God in knowledge, righteousness and
holiness.
3. Because God is at work in us
we work. The Holy Spirit is the divine agent in our
sanctification.
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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