SANCTIFICATION.

SANCTIFICATION ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE
By David W. Cloud

The following study is from the Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity, copyright 1994. This 500-page hardcover Bible Encyclopedia is available from Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org. $29.95 + $4 S/H.

SANCTIFICATION. "Sanctify," "holy," and "saint" are translated from the same Greek words. They mean to be set apart for special service. In the Bible many things other than people are said to be sanctified--the Tabernacle furniture (Ex. 40:10,11,13); a mountain (Ex. 19:23); food (1 Ti. 4:5). It is even possible for a believer to sanctify God in his heart (1 Pe. 3:15). Thus, to sanctify, or to make holy, does not mean to purify or to make sinless, but to set apart something for God and for His service.

In relation to the Christian, sanctification or holiness refers to being set apart to God from sin. There are three distinctly different aspects of this sanctification: past, present, and future. Every Christian can say, "I have been sanctified; I am being sanctified; I will yet be sanctified."

PAST SANCTIFICATION means the believer is already positionally set apart in Christ (Ac. 20:32; 1 Co. 1:2; 1:30; 6:9-11; He. 10:10,14). At the new birth, every believer is eternally sanctified in Christ, is brought from the power of the devil into the family of God (Jn. 1:14; Ga. 4:4-6), from the devil's kingdom into Christ's kingdom (Col. 1:12,13); from the old creation into the new creation (2 Co. 5:17). This sanctification is an eternal reality, and is based on a new spiritual position the Christian has in Jesus Christ. The Corinthian believers were far from sinless, yet they were called saints and were said to have been sanctified (1 Co. 1:2,30). In this sense, the Christian can say, "I AM sanctified in Christ."

PRESENT SANCTIFICATION is the process by which the Holy Spirit gradually changes the believer's life to give victory over sin. This is practical sanctification. This is Christian growth, putting away sin and putting on godliness (Ro. 6:19,22; 1 Th. 4:3,4; 1 Pe. 1:14-16). This present process of sanctification never ends in this life (1 Jn. 1:8-10). The Christian must resist sin until he is taken from this world at death or at the return of Christ. In this sense, the Christian can say, "I AM BEING sanctified by God's power."

FUTURE SANCTIFICATION is the perfection the believer will enjoy at the resurrection (1 Th. 5:23). At Christ's coming, every believer will receive a new body that will have no sin. The Christian will no longer have to resist sin within or to grow toward perfection. His sanctification will be complete. He will be wholly and forever set apart to God from sin. In this sense, the Christian WILL BE sanctified at Christ's return.

We must be careful not to confuse these different aspects of sanctification or holiness.[See Eternal Security, Grace, Gospel, Holy, Integrity, Justification, Saint, Seventh-day Adventism, Upright.]