Hundredfold Ministries, Int'l

Several years ago I encountered a young man who was a new Christian just beginning his life-long journey of sanctification. The Holy Spirit was stripping away his outward sins, which were many! He came up to me with a big smile on his face, radiating the joy of the Lord. "Brother Murphy, let me tell you what Jesus has done for me!" "Tell me," I replied. He joyfully told me, "Before I was saved I smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day and drank 6 liters of beer a day. Now, glory to God, I'm completely delivered from cigarettes and I'm down to 2 liters of beer a day!" I laughed and rejoiced with him. I understood clearly that the sanctification process was happening in this brother's life.

What exactly is sanctification? Here is my broad definition: sanctification is the process by which God makes a Christian holy and conformed to the image of Jesus.

OLD TESTAMENT

To Sanctify as a Ritual in the Old Testament Sense

The noun "sanctification" does not appear in the Old Testament, but one of the synonyms for sanctification is the word "holy."⁽¹⁾ (Other words from the same root which apply to this concept in the Old Testament include "hallow" "holiness," and "consecrate.") In the Old Testament sense, to make something holy or sanctified meant to separate it from the world and consecrate it to God. Often in the Old Testament God Himself would tell someone to sanctify an object or person. Usually some kind of ritual was involved resulting in the object or person being set apart and dedicated to God. This included objects that were used in worship, but it also included such things as days, seasons, or places. During Moses' time the tent of meeting, the altar, and all that touched it were considered sanctified. (See Ex 13, Num 3,8.) The feasts and holy days were also considered sanctified, that is, set apart from the ordinary business as belonging to God.

The entire nation of Israel was sanctified when God acknowledged it and received it as His own. That is why, even today, we can call ourselves, as Christians, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex 9:5,6, Rev 1:6)

Notice that in this sense the object or person being sanctified had to do nothing. Indeed, the object or the person was passive in the act, simply allowing another to declare it or him holy or sanctified. In this Old Testament sense, once sanctification of a person or object was declared, God had a right and claim on that thing or person.

Today, it is also in this passive sense that an unbelieving husband or wife is "sanctified" by the very fact that he or she is married to a Christian. Paul so states, "For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband." (1 Cor 7:14a) Paul goes on to say that by this ritualistic or setting aside sense of sanctification that the children of such a marriage are not unclean, but rather they are holy. (1 Cor 7:14b)

The Work of Sanctification in the Old Testament Sense

So far we have discussed sanctification in the Old Testament as a passive act which happened to a person or object. He or she (or it) was set aside for God. But in the words of the prophets of the Old Testament we begin to see the concept of sanctification as involving acts on the part of the person being sanctified. We see an ethical aspect of sanctification in the declarations of the prophets. They were constantly calling out the sins of the Israelites. They were constantly calling for repentance from the people and urging them to begin anew to walk in the holy ways of God. Some examples of this call to a holy or sanctified way of life in Old Testament Scripture are:

I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. . . . (Lev 11:44 NIV)

Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy. (Lev 20:7-8 NIV)

The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. . . . (1 Sam 26:23 NIV)

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:14-15 NIV)

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:24 NIV)

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. (Psalm 24:3-4 NIV)

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hos 6:6 NIV)

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Mic 6:8 NIV)

NEW TESTAMENT

It is when we get to the New Testament that the transition which includes the call to personal sanctification through our own effort is fully developed. It is in the New Testament that we find that the concept of sanctification has become an active process by which the life is made holy.⁽²⁾ Note however that the New Testament writings continue the concept that every Christian, when he or she is born again, is also set apart or sanctified as in the Old Testament sense.

Indeed we have an example of both kinds of sanctification in John's gospel when he lays out the call by Jesus to the disciples. His very call on their lives caused them to be sanctified or set apart. Yet Jesus prayed to the Father for His disciples, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." (Jn17:17 NIV)

Paul's writings are filled with this dual concept of sanctification. We see it in his letter to the believers at Corinth when he greets them as saints and then rebuke them as carnal, full of jealously and strife. Indeed, Paul urges his readers, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." (Phil 1:27 NIV. See also 1 Thes 2:12.) Paul continually urges his readers to yield their lives to Christ, leaving behind the carnal passions and surrendering to the rule of the new Spirit of Christ in them.

Personal Relationship with God

It is only when we grasp the full meaning of entering into a personal relationship with Christ in the New Testament sense that we can come into a complete understanding of the call on every Christian to lead a sanctified life. This personal relationship begins the moment we take Jesus into our hearts and lives and are born again. The Christian's surrender is not to an outer authority but to an inner, living fellowship with Christ. "This is not a negative concept, but a positive and vital surrender which enables us to have the Holy Spirit indwell us so we can grow in loving trust and obedient service to Christ. The sanctified life, then, is the life so fully surrendered to fellowship with Christ day by day that inner spirit and outward expression are His Spirit. The sanctified life is thus a life of personal fellowship lived out with the Father in the Spirit of Christ in loving trust and obedient service."⁽³⁾ The sanctified life is one which is so fully surrendered to Christ that both our inner spirit and our outward actions are ruled by the Holy Spirit.

Sanctification is God's Gift to the Believer

The good news is that even in the Lord's call and, indeed, demand that we live a sanctified life, it is still God's gift to us that enables us to achieve any success at all in this process. "Sanctification is the making holy of life, not by our act, but by God's deed and by God's gift. If holiness represents the state of heart and life in conformity with God's will, then sanctification is the deed or process by which that state is wrought. And this deed we are to consider now as the work of God."⁽⁴⁾ This fellowship is first of all God's gift to us. It is our job to embrace that gift, the fruit of which is holiness. As Paul wrote, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Phil 2:12,13 NIV, emphasis added.)

We become sanctified in this ethical sense only as we allow Jesus to become LORD of our lives, not just our Savior. Paul's writings continually reflect his intense awareness that each of us must combine a moral earnestness with an absolute dependence upon God. All Christian living meant for him clean, pure, right living, combined with his total awareness of his absolute dependence of God.

The Process of Sanctification

When a believer first becomes a Christian, he has no knowledge of God's purpose and goal for him. He hasn't a clue. In fact, he or she thinks that he is the central focus of this great salvation . . . "Jesus is my Savior. Jesus died for me." What, then, did God have in mind? What was His purpose for man and his rebirth?

We know from Scripture that God, before the beginning of the world, took great pleasure in His perfect Son, Jesus. God the Father wanted to multiply that pleasure by having a family of sons and daughters, just like Jesus. So He created man and placed him here on earth. God's purpose was (and is) for man to walk in obedience, to know God and His ways, thereby becoming like His loving Son, Jesus.

In order for man truly to be a son of God, he has to want to be His son. So God gave man a free will. Man, in the form of Adam, had the choice of serving God or himself. We know from Genesis that man chose to reject God and serve himself, thus introducing sin into the world. As a result of sin, instead of man becoming God-centered, he became self-centered and continues so today. The various attractions of self are central in his life. Some attractions satisfy his fleshly nature . . . carnal comfort, carnal gratification and so forth. On a higher level (yet still apart from God) some pursue soulish ambitions such as a quest for knowledge or emotional satisfaction.

God, in His incredible love and mercy, sent His only Son, Jesus, to make a way out for man. God, in His great faithfulness, "at just the right time, when we still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom 5:6 NIV) Jesus came to redeem, or save man from sin, thereby opening the way for the continuation of the process of conforming man to Jesus' image.

Justification

Justification is the process by which God declares the believer sinless. It is a state in which God the Father chooses to view us in our finished state, rather than our factual state, that of being born again, but still struggling with sin. Christ's death and God's subsequent view of us as fully holy is what we refer to as the doctrine of justification. Let's look at some justification Scriptures:

Through him [Jesus] everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. (Act 13:39 NIV)

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Rom 3:23,24 NIV)

. . . he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Rom 3:26 NIV)

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. (Rom 3:28 NIV)

Justification is an extremely important doctrine to the new believer. Soon after he chooses Christ as his Savior, the devil comes to him and begins to point out all of the foul sin that is still in his life. Then the devil begins to question his salvation . . . "Are you sure you were saved? You weren't really saved, that was just an emotional experience. You are still as rotten as you were before. . . ." But these taunting accusations don't work for the devil if the new believer understands justification.

Here is the way God planned it. He has predestined us to be conformed to the image of Jesus as the goal. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son." (Rom 8:29a NIV) Sanctification is the means of our conformity. Justification is our covering and protection from self and the devil while the process is taking place. Thus, it is very necessary to view predestination, justification and sanctification as all part of God's eternal plan for each of us.

Sanctification

Let's go back to my definition of sanctification as the process by which a Christian is made holy and conformed to the image of Jesus.

The Apostle Peter refers to this idea of sanctification in the opening remarks of his first letter:

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's elect, strangers in the world . . . who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. (1 Pet 1:1,2 NIV, emphasis added.)

The Apostle Paul writes with the same sense of meaning to the Thessalonian church:

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thes 5:23, NIV, emphasis added.)

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Eph 1:4 NIV)

Paul clearly states that "those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son" (Rom 8:29 NIV)

The question now becomes: How does this process of sanctification work in an individual's life? I divide this sanctifying work in a Christian's life into two categories: 1) the removal of sin, and 2) the conforming of the believer to the image of Jesus.

1. The Removal of Sin

Very soon after rebirth, the new Christian learns that he or she is not living in a sinless state. Yes, Jesus has forgiven past sins. And, as we "walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 Jn 1:7 NIV) This is God's provision for progressively cleansing us of sin. But we quickly learn that there is something deep inside us that seems to draw us back into sin again and again.

Here is where the Holy Spirit comes onto the scene. The Holy Spirit is standing there, looking at us with a bucket of soapy water in one hand and a large scrub brush in the other. He says, "I know Father sees you as sinless and clean. It's my job to make that a reality!" Usually He starts with:

a. Overt or Obvious Sin

People begin as new Christians with what I call outward sin. These sins are the ones that others can easily see. Such sins may include drunkenness, foul language, lying, cheating, fornication, stealing, infidelity, and the like. Usually these are the sins that the Holy Spirit begins to deal with first.

As the believer reads his Bible, or through preaching, teaching and fellowship with other Christians, he or she comes under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He clearly sees his sin. Guilt settles over him because of these outward sins.

He quickly learns that his confession and repentance from sin removes the guilt. The joy of his salvation returns. He has turned from that sin. He is free of it. Then the Holy Spirit begins the conviction process all over again on another overt sin. The whole process is repeated again and again until the overt sin is gone.

This brings me to a very important observation. Remember the story I told at the beginning about the young man who had given up cigarettes and was down from 6 to 2 liters of beer a day? Many Christians would harshly judge that young man because he still drank 2 liters of beer a day. Sitting in the Pharisee's seat they would criticize and condemn him.

Let me give what I believe to be the biblical view of judging any Christian in similar circumstances. It is not where a person is in relation to sin, but rather, which way is he or she going? Is he sitting still in his pursuit of God, doing nothing to rid himself of sin? Is he backsliding and returning to the old life-styles again? If so, he is in need of instruction, admonition or rebuke. But, if he is walking in the knowledge he has, trying to learn the ways of God, attending church services, yet still struggling with sin, he is to be encouraged and counseled, not condemned.

+10 HOLINESS
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Figure 1

In Figure 1 the negative numbers below the "0" line (-) represent the degree of sin. The positive numbers (+) above the line represent the degree of sanctification or righteousness the person has attained. For example, if a person is at -6 when he receives Jesus as Savior, he has much sin to overcome just to reach "0"! But, if another person is at -3 at the point of salvation, there are fewer sin patterns in his life to overcome.

Jesus taught the principle of the degree of sin in Luke 7:36-47. He visited a Pharisee's house. During His visit a very sinful woman came and washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and then anointed his feet with alabaster. When the Pharisee began in his heart to judge Jesus for his lack of discernment as to whom the woman was, Jesus spoke this parable to him:

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." (Lk 7:41-47 NIV)

Yes, the woman had overt sin. Everyone in her village could see her sin, but the Pharisee had covert, or hidden sin.

b. Covert or Hidden Sin

Moses said to God, "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence." (Ps 90:8 NIV, emphasis added.) Often as a Christian allows God to strip away the outward, or overt sin, he begins to think, "I'm really getting my life together. The sins that plagued me for so long are gone! . . . In fact I'm getting righteous! I'm becoming holy!"

This self-righteous view of oneself is based on the idea that overcoming outward sins is the end. No, it is only the beginning of dealing with inward, or hidden sins. These sins are deceptive because we are usually unaware of them! We are literally blind to their existence. In Figure 1, a person may have no outward sins at all, and yet be at a -3 or -4 position and actually believes himself to be at a +3 or +4! This is because sin is deceitful. Scripture tells us, "Encourage one another daily . . . so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." (Heb 3:13 NIV)

All of us, in varying degrees, have such hidden sins in our lives. They are almost always centered in our thought life. For example, when I look at another Christian and unconsciously think I am better than he or she is, I am sinning! When we entertain unrighteous thoughts in our minds, such as lust, greed, pride, anger, bitterness, revenge, and so forth, we are sinning. When we are jealous of other believers' accomplishments or recognition, we are sinning.

The list of these hidden sins is perhaps endless. Tragically, because of the deceitfulness of sin, we are often unable to easily identify them. Or worse yet, we know they are there but refuse to repent and turn from them. If we are willing, the Holy Spirit can and will reveal them to us. David's prayer in Psalm 51 shows us the right way.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; (v 6 NIV)
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(v 10 NIV)

Let me conclude this Part I of our teaching on sanctification by quoting again from Harris Franklin Rall. "We may sum up as follows: The word "sanctify" is used with two broad meanings: (1) The first is to devote, to consecrate to God, to recognize as holy, that is, belonging to God. The New Testament deepens this into a whole-hearted surrender to the fellowship of God and to the rule of His Spirit. [2] This sanctification . . . is wrought out by God's Spirit in a daily fellowship to which man gives himself in trust and obedience, receiving with open heart, living out in obedient life. It is not negative, the mere separation from sin, but the progressive hallowing of a life that grows constantly in capacity, as in character, into the stature of full manhood as it is in Christ."⁽⁵⁾

In Part II we will examine more closely how God accomplishes this life-long work of sanctification in us.

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1. Much of the information in this teaching has been taken from the late Harris Franklin Rall, a contributing writer for The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, in his excellent article on Sanctification. Vol. IV, pages 2681 - 2685. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI.
2. Ibid, page 2683.
3. Ibid, page 2683.
4. Ibid, page 2683.
5. Ibid, page 2685.