The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum ...The people miscalled Antinomians ?

Carol,

Do you ever have sinful thoughts? Do you have any sinful habits? Do you ever struggle with sin at all? Well, sanctification falls in the category of "already is" and "not yet" in its reality.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

Are you telling us that you are not putting off the old man and putting on the new man daily? Are you saying that we don't have to deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily? Is there no more room for progress in your life where you can say, "I no longer am vulnerable to that particular sin any more." Do people see you as holy?

A person who is justified by the application of the work of Jesus Christ is declared holy judicially, but he is not rendered fully holy in thought, word and deed at the same moment. He continues to struggle against the remains of sin in his soul. But in that struggle, there is a progression in holiness. The believer grows more and more into conformity with the image of Christ. Sin lessens in his life and spiritual life is seen to increase, evidenced by the fruits of the Spirit.

The Process of Sanctification

The believer must be encouraged in this life as he struggles with the remaining influences of sin and his own imperfections. God has provided many lessons in his word to help us in this battle.

By Christ's atonement the condemnation of sin is removed, the bondage to sin as our master is removed and a new principle of spiritual life is infused. However the believer, prior to the resurrection, is not yet set free from the power of sin and the failings of his imperfect soul.

This process of sanctification is detailed by the Apostle Paul in Romans chapters six, seven and eight. There, and in a few other passages in his epistles, he sets forth the struggle and the promises that ensure our ultimate victory in Christ. A thorough exegetical review of these texts is essential to the understanding of the work of sanctification. (Particularly Romans 7:13-25, Galatians 5:16-26 and Ephesians 4:22-24. To that we add the entire First Epistle of John.)

The work of Sanctification

A person who is justified by the application of the work of Jesus Christ is declared holy judicially, but he is not rendered fully holy in thought, word and deed at that same moment. He continues to struggle against the remains of sin in his soul. But in that struggle, there is a progression in holiness. The believer grows more and more into conformity with the image of Christ. Sin lessens in his life and spiritual life is seen to increase, evidenced by the fruits of the Spirit.

The word "to sanctify" means to set something apart in a special way. Either by designating it for special use, or by actually making it purified from moral pollution.

In the sense of mere designation without actual purification, Jesus said he was sanctified by the Father and sent into the world (John 10:36). Certainly Jesus did not have to be made holy or purified. Yet he was set forth to a special holy task by his incarnation. In Matthew 23:17 Jesus speaks of the Temple sanctifying the gold. The gold was not made morally pure, nor did the Temple remove any of its natural impurities.

When we speak of the sanctification of the believer, the word is used in the second sense of actual moral transformation. We are not merely set apart as special by designation, we are also changed to become more and more holy.

Sanctification has its origin in the decree of God. Before all events relating to created things, God knew certain persons as his own. He predestined them to be sanctified, conformed to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29). The judicial foundation making that conformity possible for fallen persons is the work of Jesus Christ in making atonement for his people. The work of Christ is applied when the sinner is justified and new life is infused into the dead soul. This new life shows itself and grows until the person if finally glorified in Christ at the resurrection to glory.

While regeneration is an immediately complete act of imparting life to those justified, sanctification is a process that continues all through the believer's life. Justification changes his legal standing before God. Sanctification is the change that takes place as the enlivened soul takes on more and more the life which is imparted. Some progress in sanctification at a faster rate than others. But all will reach perfection only when their life here is over.

Sanctification is a work of God upon the believer. Aside from his grace to both impart life and to sustain it, we would neither be able to be, nor desire to be, holy. (1 Thessalonians 23-24, Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 13:20-21). The whole Trinity is at work to purify us morally. The Father has decreed it. The Son secured its legal grounds, gave his word and sent the Holy Spirit by which the church is sanctified to himself (Ephesians 5:25-27; Titus 2:14). The application by the indwelling Holy Spirit is the primarily work that realizes that sanctification in the soul (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 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. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.

Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

If you want to read more of this excellent study you'll find it here.

Wes