The doctrine of sanctification means that those who are saved are not only declared righteous in Christ (justification) but are also made progressively holy in their lives. Sanctification has three aspects: positional (set apart at salvation), progressive (growing in holiness), and final (completed at death or Christ’s return). This article focuses on the progressive, experiential sanctification.
1. Sanctification Is the Will of God for Every Believer
God’s express will for every Christian is their sanctification. This is not optional but mandatory. To reject holiness is to reject the purpose for which God saved His people.
2. Sanctification Is a Work of God the Spirit
Sanctification is not achieved by human effort alone. The Holy Spirit is the agent who produces holiness in the believer. He works through the Word, prayer, trial, and fellowship. Yet the believer is also commanded to actively pursue holiness.
3. Sanctification Is by the Truth of God’s Word
Jesus prayed that the Father would sanctify believers through His truth, and He declared that God’s Word is truth. The Scriptures are the primary instrument the Spirit uses to cleanse and transform the believer.
4. Sanctification Requires the Mortification of Sin
The believer still possesses a remnant of indwelling sin. Therefore, he is commanded to put to death (mortify) the deeds of the body by the Spirit. This is not optional; those who live according to the flesh will die spiritually.
5. Sanctification Requires the Pursuit of Holiness
Holiness is not passive. Believers are commanded to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.
6. Sanctification Is a Progressive Work, Not Instantaneous
Unlike justification, which is a finished declaration at the moment of faith, sanctification is a process. The believer grows from one degree of grace to another, being transformed into the image of Christ. This transformation continues until death.
7. Sanctification Is Inseparable from Justification
Those whom God justifies, He also sanctifies. A professing Christian who lives in unrepentant sin gives evidence that he was never truly justified. Faith that saves is a faith that purifies the heart.
8. Sanctification Will Be Completed in Glory
The work of sanctification will be finished at the coming of Christ. Believers will be fully conformed to His image, completely free from the presence of sin. This hope motivates present purification.
Conclusion
Sanctification is the gracious and necessary work of God by which believers are progressively made holy. It is the believer’s responsibility to strive for holiness, yet all true effort flows from and depends upon the Spirit’s power. Where there is no sanctification, there is no salvation.