Sanctification is said to be past, present, and future....?

Sanctification: ‘Sanctification is that continuous operation of the Holy Spirit, by which the Holy disposition imparted in regeneration, is maintained and strengthened.^’1 An individual once a decision to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior was made, a newness of life was conferred upon him and has a legal status before God, as His adopted child. This is past sanctification which is called justification. The present Sanctification is a process in which one’s moral condition is brought in conformity with a believer’s new status. So, Sanctification is a continuing work of God in the life of a believer, bringing the individual to holiness, “bearing an actual likeness to God.”

Greek verb, to sanctify, ‘hagazio and noun ‘hagios’ means holy or saint.

Justification is an instantaneous occurrence completed once an individual accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but sanctification is a process requiring an entire life time for completion. There are degrees of sanctification, but not of justification.  Justification is an objective work affecting our standing before God, and our relationship with God. Whereas sanctification is a subjective work affecting our inner person and our spiritual growth. Future hope and final process of sanctification is termed glorification. This is the point we look beyond this life to the world to come, which takes place when the Christian passes into the presence of the Lord.

1.         Holiness refers to the state of being separate, set apart from the ordinary, and dedicated to a particular purpose; 1 Pet 2:9. In the Old Testament, Holy Place and the Holy of Holies; Aaron’s garments and the Sabbath day; Priest and Levites are set apart for the Lord;  Exo: 13:2. In the New Testament “A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.” 1 Pet: 2:9; 1 Cori: 1:2. This is a past tense of Sanctification and all believers have already been sanctified.

2.         To live lives of holiness, purity, and goodness. Sanctification is a moral goodness or spiritual worth; Eph: 4:1. Matt: 5:43-45a. A life of lowliness, meekness, patience, and forbearance are moral attributes reflecting such a status.² This is a present tense aspect of Sanctification, where believers are progressively sanctified in the present practice.

As stated in 1 Thess 5:23, Sanctification is a supernatural work done by God, not something we do ourselves. This is a future tense aspect of Sanctification and it is a special, volitional work done by the Holy Spirit (Eph: 5:26; Tit: 2:14; Heb: 13:20-21). In Gal: 5, Paul speaks of the life in the Spirit; “Walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.”(V: 16); “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”(V: 25). Paul also lists a group of qualities which he collectively designated as “the fruit of the Spirit”- “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control ;”(V: 22-23). It is the Spirit of God, bearing witness we are children of God; Rom: 8:14; Phil: 2:12-13; Rom: 12:1-2; and works in a believer bringing about likeness to Christ. This divine work in a believer is a progressive work; Phil: 1:6; 1 Cori: 1:18. Here Paul uses a ‘present participle’ which clearly conveys the idea of an ongoing activity. This activity is the continuation and completion of the new life began in regeneration is evident in Phil: 1:6; and also in Col: 3:9-10. The aim of this work is likeness to the image of Christ Himself; Rom: 8:29.

Whether one is Armenian (the perfectionists: they believe it is possible for a believer to come to a state of not sinning and some arrive at that point) or Calvinists (non-perfectionists: believe in progressive sanctification) our aim should be to love God and please Him and become more like Him. It is clear that in our continued walk in the Christian life, our sanctification is dependent on our union with Him. Jesus asked us to abide in Him so that we bear much fruit; John 15. This is a key verse for a believer’s whole Christian life, fruit bearing (Jn: 15: 5), prayer (Jn: 15:7), and full joy (Jn: 15: 11) depends on this. “ Gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Phil: 3:8-11b. Becoming like Christ is closely connected with willingness in His sufferings; Rom: 8:17; and Union with Christ is a two way commitment.

The principal means of the believer’s sanctification is union with Christ. We are united to Christ in his death and resurrection in which He, as its first fruit, inaugurated the new creation. The Age to come presses in to this Age in such a way as to bring kingdom benefits to those united to Him. We do not grow in our sanctification when we are overly focused on our own spirituality. It comes as we gaze on the beauty and excellency of Christ. We are united to Him in such a way that His death is viewed as our death and His resurrection ours; Rom 6:1-11. The identification is complete in Christ, who is our life! We must, therefore, never separate the Benefactor (Jesus Christ) from benefits of redemption, including our sanctification.³

There is trust and confidence in Jesus rather than fear and secretiveness; and there is a relationship of friendship; Jn: 15. Just like Jesus had a perfect relationship with His Father, every believer can enjoy this relationship with Jesus Christ; Matt: 6:25-34; 10:28-31; Luk: 11:1-13. We see Christian life is based on our union and friendship with Christ. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments” Jn: 14:15, and “You are My friends if you do what I command you” Jn: 15:14.  Legalism is the slavish following of the law thinking one can earn by merit, and it is completely ineffectual because it ignores the fact that we never out grow the need for divine grace and the essence of that law is love.   

 

End notes:

1. A. H. Strong. Systematic Theology. New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co, 1907, p. 869.

2. www.reformationtheology.com/.../sanctification_via_union_with.php

3. Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1998 - 1312 page.
 5. 3. Ibid. 4. Horst Seebass, "Holy, Consecrate, Sanctify, Saints, Devout," in The New International Dictionary of     New Testament Theology, ed. Colin Brown (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), vol. 2, p. 230.

Bibliography:

1. Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983-85, p. 947-1002.

2. R.T. Kendall. Understanding Theology, Developing a Healthy Church in the 21^st Century, 1996, p. 357-364.

3. Jay E. Adams. A Theology of Christian Counseling, More than Redemption. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979, p.249-275.

4. Louis Berkhof. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996, p. 423-450.

5.  Robert P Lightner. Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1986, p.527-544.

6. Charles Ryrie. Basic Theology. Chicago: Moody Press, 1986, 1999, p.374-377.

7.  A. H. Strong. Systematic Theology. New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co, 1907, p. 869-881.

 8.  Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, p. 736-761; 840-850. 

9. Steven W. Waterhouse. Not By Bread Alone, An Outlined Guide To Bible Doctrine. Amarillo: Westcliffe Press, 2007, p.188-191. 

10. John Theodore Muller, Th.D. Christian Dogmatics, A handbook of Doctrinal Theology for Pastors, Teachers, and Laymen.  St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p.384-386.