DOCTRINE OF
SANCTIFICATION

DEFINITION: to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate,to purify or free from sin: sanctify your hearts.

The need for sanctification is the universal sinness of humankind and the enslavement to evil can only be broken because of the Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ.

God has provided the means of sanctification for it is His will that human beings be set apart for Him

. Having been born again, a new heart and a new spirit within, believers are further sanctified. Lust, pride, greed and any selfish wants are more and more weakened. The Holy spirit deadens the desire for evil in the human heart.

Sanctification is for the whole person and is a progressive battle with the flesh and the spirit. The spirit overcomes for saints to grow in grace and holiness, with the awe and love of God.

Sanctification is the process of becoming consecrated to God. The work of holiness is done through The Holy Spirit. Believers are made holy, 'set apart ' to be clean in the right relationship to God. God wills that His people should reflect His holiness. There is a need for sanctification, renewal and growth because of the sinfulness of humanity. When a believer accepts Christ as their Saviour, the process of sanctification is initiated. It is a renewing work which help believers become equipped for ministry. It is also an active pursuit of righteousness which involves obedience and self-denial inspired by God's Word.

There is an instant sanctification as well as a progressive sanctification.

The results of sanctification are, becoming by nature in the likeness of Christ, blameless in the sight of God, this is not perfection. The renewing work of The Holy Spirit enables believers to live holy lives, do good works, dedicated to the service of God. The Holy Spirit purifies by the renewal of the mind from sin nature to holiness, as well as the conviction of wrongdoing and of judgement.Believers are to be sanctified and this special inner work of The Holy Spirit enables disciples of Christ to be set apart and made holy.

Sanctification works separation, dedication, purification, consecration for service, an ongoing process and involves the priestly ministry of believers. Without purification no man can see God. God sets believers apart for Himself from evil, to be dedicated to His service for helpful activity that is required for the fulfilment of His purposes. All of the Godhead is involved in the process by the means of The Atoning Work of Christ on The Cross.

God The Father equips believers - sanctified by His Word.
God The Son earned sanctification for His disciples - sanctified by His blood.
God The Holy Spirit produces fruit as believers grow in maturity - Sanctified by His power.

It is God's desire for dedicated believers of Christ, to be set apart. Christians corporately are a spiritual household, a holy priesthood, a holy nation, who are to live a certain way in the communities of the world environment. The Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control. The 'works of the flesh' destroys a community of its own kind.

Sanctification is consecration. The consecrated believer presents spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. When sanctification is at work within believers, the more the will of an individual desires to do the will of God. Believers purpose to be more useful as servants of God and more responsive to the prompting of The Holy Spirit.

To be right with God, the need to have a clear conscience before God is paramount, including the motive to be of use in The Kingdom of God. There is increased effectiveness on the lives of others by The Holy Spirit, a want to avoid displeasing God in any way and also preferring heavenly eternal treasure.

There is a desire for a more involved and closer walk with God through each day. If a believer neglects to obey God, passiveness and laziness is the result. Instead of trusting and depending upon God, pride and overconfidence begins to rule and sanctification is affected.

God has provided the means of sanctification for it is His will that human beings be set apart for Him

Sanctification's separation of holiness is unique from any pagan culture. It is the separation from sin and evil and set apart unto God and His ways. As believers become more Christlike, it is the gift of eternal life that will be spent with their Lord and Saviour that becomes the source of true joy.

The Work of Christ was in order to make His church holy and it is the reason that individual members are called saints. Holiness is the intended character in the life of a believer. The need for holiness of believers is that they are God's living temple. All believers are living stones carefully joined together with Christ as parts of a beautiful constantly growing living temple. Once believers were less than nothing, but now they are God's very own.

Growth and maturity effects emotions and a holy character must be pursued, it cannot be transferred, it becomes a possession as a result of obedience, prompted by inner workings of The Holy Spirit which is a gradual developement and following the example of the type of life led by Jesus.

Sanctification is a state into which God has called in His grace, sinful men and women and there is a distinct change in the lifestyle of a believer.

Every believer is sanctified in Christ. Corinthians 1:2. Man's role is to gain a good knowledge of scripture for personal need. Because believers are sanctified in Christ, made holy and righteous, set apart by His atoning blood, they are enabled to be holy in their living by the power of The Holy Spirit.

The moment a person becomes born-again they are sanctified, separated from sin and set apart to God. This is regenerational and is instantaneous.

It is still necessary for a progressive work to be done throughout a believer's life. The work of sanctification is on-going until complete.

God's Name is to be treated as hallowed.

Days and seasons are set apart unto God, houses and fields can be sanctified, personal property or furniture. People and things are dedicated to God for His use for He is holy. Since God is holy and exists in a realm of holiness, all that pertains to Him must become sanctified. This includes not only people and objects of time and space. Certain times are set apart especially for God.

Holiness is closely associated with obedience, salvation and justification which is the legal aspect.

Sanctification is concerned with both moral and spiritual obligations. The individual's commitment is for continual holy living and yielding to God's higher standards and principles.

The provision of the benefit of sanctification was made at The Cross where both sin and self were dealt with. Sanctification speaks of being dead to sin.

Sanctification carries out the righteousness in the life of the believer what had been declared legally. This process continues throughout a believer's life, making them more free from the bondage of sin and more Christlike in nature, although no one will be perfect in this life.

God has provided the means by which believers may grow and mature spiritually.

Any human effort cannot experience sanctification. Sanctification does not eradicate sinful nature, nor do rules, rituals or self-discipline bring about a sanctified life. A person can only become sanctified to God by being part of His people.

Rebellion is an obstruction to The Holy Spirit's inner work. This takes form in self- indulgence, greed, giving in to temptation and surrendering to sinful desires which takes a person away from God.

The power of the spiritual life in a disciple of Christ helps diminish the habit pattern to sin. Moral change is noticeable as initial steps are taken that break the ruling power of the desire of sin. Christians are continually being renewed after the image of Christ, in thought, word and deed.

The role a believer has, in sanctification, is to ask forgiveness of sin on a daily basis. Sanctification never stops increasing in a dedicated Christian's life from defiling spirit, soul and body, and desiring to know and obey God's Word.

Sin remains in the heart of a person even though he/she is a Christian. At death the soul is perfected to be able to enter into the presence of God in heaven. Believer's bodies will not be perfected until the return of Christ and new spiritual resurrected bodies are received.

Sanctification is never completed in this life.

SCRIPTURES
John 17: 17, Acts 26: 18, Romans 15:16, Timothy 2:15, Hebrews 12:14
QUESTIONS
1] Who is the agent for renewal and sanctification? 2] Did Jesus separate disciples behaviour from that of the world?
3] What is sanctification? 4] What part does a believer play in the process of sanctification?

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