Set Apart… Biblical Foundations of Sanctification :: By Alexander Major

(Set Apart By God and For God: Biblical Foundations of Sanctification)

Introduction

Sanctification is a central doctrine within salvation and shows how God sets believers apart for Himself. Justification declares a sinner righteous through faith in Christ, while sanctification describes the believer’s growth in holiness. Scripture presents sanctification as a completed reality at salvation, an ongoing process throughout the Christian life, and a future certainty when believers are glorified. This essay will examine these three aspects of sanctification as well as the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing about this work.

Three Aspects of Sanctification

Positional Sanctification

The Bible presents three aspects of sanctification. The first is positional, or definitive, sanctification. This refers to the believer’s standing in Christ, established at the moment of faith. It is not dependent on spiritual maturity, good works, or biblical knowledge; rather, it is true of all believers.

For example, 1 Corinthians 6:11 declares, “And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” Here, the verbs “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified” are all in the past tense, showing that the believer’s new position is already accomplished.

Progressive Sanctification

Progressive sanctification refers to the believer’s ongoing conformity to Christ. Ryrie defines it as “the present experiential or progressive work of continuing to be set apart during the whole of our Christian lives.”³ It is lifelong, requiring active participation on the believer’s part (enabled by the Spirit) to deny self and follow Christ.

Though every believer experiences this process, growth varies. Romans 6:11 exhorts believers: “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Based on this new reality, Paul urges them to resist sin and live in holiness.

Two truths about progressive sanctification are especially important:

1. Every believer is commanded to pursue holiness (1 Thess 4:3–8; 1 Pet 1:16). God is not pleased with stagnation.
2. Progressive sanctification is a process, not an instant change. It will never reach perfection in this life, but the believer should sin less and become more like Christ in thought and action.

Charles Hodge explains this tension:

“Perfect sanctification is not attainable in this life (1 Kings 8:46; Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; James 3:2; 1 John 1:8). See Paul’s account of himself in Rom. 7:14–25; Phil. 3:12–14; and 1 Tim. 1:15; also the confessions of David (Ps. 19:12–13; 51), of Moses (90:8), of Job (42:5–6), and of Daniel (9:3–20). The more holy a man is, the more humble, self-renouncing, and sensitive to every sin he becomes, and the more closely he clings to Christ… Believers find that their life is a constant warfare… And it has been notoriously the fact that the best Christians have been those least prone to claim perfection for themselves.”⁴

Ultimate Sanctification

Ultimate sanctification refers to the believer’s glorification, when all believers will be perfectly set apart for God in heaven. Paul describes this in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This perfect sanctification will be realized at death or at Christ’s return, when believers are transformed in an instant. The author of Hebrews exhorts: “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). Thus, future sanctification motivates present holiness.

Paul Tanner clarifies that Hebrews 12:14 does not mean salvation comes from achieving a certain level of holiness: “Simple faith in Christ and His atoning work is the sole basis by which people go to heaven, not the extent of their sanctification.”⁵ Yet, once believers recognize that Christianity involves both future hope and present obedience, they can fully pursue sanctification today.

The Agent of Sanctification

Though all three members of the Trinity are involved in sanctification, the Holy Spirit is the most prominent agent in the believer’s transformation.

Romans 8:13 says, “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” It is the Spirit who enables believers to grow in holiness and experience victory over sin. As they follow the Spirit’s leading, they manifest the reality of being children of God (Rom 8:14). This new life is no longer marked by slavery to sin or characterized by fear.⁶ Similarly, 1 Peter 1:2 refers to “the sanctifying work of the Spirit” as something all believers experience.

Conclusion

Sanctification is a divine work that encompasses the believer’s entire spiritual journey. At salvation, every Christian is positionally sanctified, set apart by God as His own. Throughout life, the Spirit leads believers in progressive sanctification, gradually conforming them to the image of Christ. At Christ’s return or upon death, ultimate sanctification will be realized in glorification, when all believers are made perfectly holy in God’s presence. Sanctification is at the heart of salvation itself, demonstrating how God’s holiness is made manifest in the lives of His people.

References

1. Mangum, Doug. “Sanctification.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry et al. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.
2. Murray, John. “Sanctification.” In Basics of the Faith: An Evangelical Introduction to Christian Doctrine, edited by Carl F. H. Henry, 291. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019.
3. Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth. Chicago: Moody Press, 1999.
4. Easton, M. G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893.
5. Tanner, J. Paul. “The Epistle to the Hebrews.” In The Grace New Testament Commentary, edited by Robert N. Wilkin, 1083–1120. Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2010.
6. Runge, Steven E. High Definition Commentary: Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014

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