This is part 5 of a 6-part series. View the entire series here.
Make them holy by Your truth; teach them Your Word, which is truth. Just as You sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by Your truth. – John 17:17-19 NLT
What Is Sanctification?
Sanctification is the process of being refined and made more holy. The standard of holiness is established by God and outlined in His Word, the Bible. Sanctification will lead us closer to understanding, accepting, and abiding by this standard. The goal is to model the character and nature of God, understanding this won’t be completed until we experience resurrected life when Jesus establishes His eternal kingdom in the new heaven and earth.
We do not go through sanctification to be accepted by God. Our acceptance is made possible through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and is received by believing the Gospel. Sanctification can only happen after we have been saved and receive the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the picture of a fully sanctified life. He is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and perfectly demonstrates a holy, righteous lifestyle that is obedient to the Father and empowered by the Spirit. As Christians, sanctification leads us to more closely follow in His footsteps (Ephesians 5:2; 1 Peter 2:21).
How Does Sanctification Work?
Sanctification cannot happen on our own, as it is more than modifying behavior. Sanctification is a spiritual process wherein our hearts must be changed before the action follows. God wants us to be holistically holy––mind, body, and soul. This is how sanctification differs from the rule-following of legalism. Sanctification addresses the sin of the heart before forming the works of the hands. Legalism only addresses the external works that were a stand-in for true righteousness from God.
According to the Bible, only God can make us holy (Exodus 31:13b). This happens in distinct, yet interconnected, ways. First, we must learn to hear God’s voice. This starts with Bible reading and extends into prayer. What we learn from the Bible instructs us in what is holy, and prayer begins to align our desires to pursue holiness. Second, we must yield to the Holy Spirit who lives in us (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Lastly, we need to continue to build our faith––one that is put into practice (James 2:14-26). Without faith that God will finish what He started in us, we may face the temptation to give up or backslide when progress isn’t being made or our old desires creep back into our lives.
What Is the Purpose of Sanctification?
Sanctification should be viewed as a blessing more than an obligation. It is a gift from God that He should want us to enjoy a more abundant life centered on His goodness and holiness. Sanctification allows us to not only benefit from experiencing God’s perfect character, it gives us the divine privilege of adopting it as our own.
Sanctification is not a means to control us or a pathway to the strict adherence of a set of rules. Sanctification is a platform to showcase the glory of God in and through our lives. Consider Jesus’ encouragement in the Sermon on the Mount:
“You are the light of the world––like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT).
Staying in line with this metaphor, sanctification removes the “baskets” in our lives and causes our lights to shine brighter. “Baskets” are the qualities and traits that are contradictory to God’s and that hinder our ability to reflect Him to the world. The more we abide in Jesus and follow His commands, our “lights” will shine brighter for others to see––leading to the praise of the Father.
It’s a truly moving sentiment that God would make sanctification both about His glory and our enjoyment of Him. It’s a common misunderstanding of the Christian faith that after we’re saved, we have to give up all of the pleasures of life. God wants to remove worldly pleasures that are a danger to us and replace them with the joys of heavenly riches that can only be experienced by modeling the ways of God (1 Timothy 6:19).
Does Sanctification Mean I Will Be Perfect One Day?
Sanctification will never be completed on this side of eternity. Only when we are given our resurrected and glorified bodies in the new heaven and earth will the process be complete. Contrary to what the Bible teaches, some believe in what is called perfectionism, which teaches that it is possible to attain “complete sanctification” (i.e. perfection) by complete obedience to God. However, the Scripture never indicates such a possibility and oftentimes contradicts this notion (see Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 2:1, 7:15-20, 1 John 1:10).
Until then, we can have hope that the Spirit will cause us to bear more and more good fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23) as we look forward to attaining perfection in heaven (Philippians 3:12-14). We won’t be perfect, but we will be perfected. In other words, we know the goal is heaven, but we can still make progress here on earth. Some days may be harder than others. There may be times where you backslide, and days where you want to throw in the towel altogether.
It’s in these times we must hold onto the promise of Philippians 1:6: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (NLT). Sanctification is a supernatural endeavor, one that requires perseverance, obedience, and patience. But the work has started, and God will be faithful to finish it.
