Sanctified!

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NIV)

“Saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost!” It was not unusual in the churches I grew up in to hear people begin a testimony with that declaration. Is sanctified a word that has, for the most part, disappeared from our vocabulary? How many people know what it means? Is it still necessary?

The dictionary tells us that to be sanctified is to be set apart for a sacred purpose or religious use, to be free from sin, to impart or impute sacredness. Theologians will argue for various states of sanctification: initial, instantaneous, or progressive.

These definitions are essential, but what does it mean for us in our everyday lives? Through the years, churches and various other groups have defined what it looks like to be sanctified. Accordingly, sanctified people behave in specific ways, go or don’t go to many places, and even dress to a community standard.

To some people, sanctification looks a whole lot like legalism. A set of rules to follow. Sanctification is much more than “fake it until you make it.” Jesus rebuked those who valued outward appearance above inward purity. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Matthew 23:27 (NLT)

Sanctification is not optional. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord, Hebrews 12:14 (LSB). This text indicates that it is our responsibility to pursue not only peace with all people but sanctification.

Is It Profitable?

You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:23–24 (NLT)

Let’s examine the actions of two hypothetical people. Outwardly, they are very similar. They both attend church regularly and give a whole tithe and additional offerings. They are hospitable to strangers and do not engage in lewd or obscene conversation. Despite the favorable outward comparison, inwardly, they are polar opposites.

The first individual is a rule follower. They have received instructions telling them that “Christians” do and don’t do certain things. Inwardly, this first hypothetical person struggles with impure thoughts, and they might even be “un-cheerful” in their giving, but they persist because that is what they should be doing. They do not have the peace that passes understanding, and they are fearful of being exposed as a hypocrite.

Our second hypothetical individual has been transformed from the inside out. Their eyes and their heart are fixed on Jesus. The words of the hymn described them nicely: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” The second individual does not serve out of obligation or legalism but has learned to do what is profitable and beneficial. They trusted God would take care of the things that concern them as they turned their concern toward others.

Sanctified by the Truth

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. John 17:17–19 (NIV)

There is a sense in which God sees us as already sanctified. Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians by addressing it to those “sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people.” He then spends much of the rest of the letter in an effort to correct “un-sanctified” behavior. God calls us his saints even when we are “un-saintly.”

I will not dispute the concept of complete sanctification, but in my experience, it has always been a struggle. There may be someone who is entirely sanctified, but I have not met such a person. I wonder how they relate to the Scripture: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8 (NIV). Maybe there is an exemption for the entirely sanctified!

In the great prayer that Jesus prayed for his disciples, he asked the Father, “sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” We cannot sanctify ourselves, nor can we be sanctified by the things we do or say. But as we immerse ourselves in God’s word, his truth, the sanctification of Jesus will take hold in our lives.

To Be Like Jesus

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (NIV)

We must never view sanctification as an obligation or duty. To be sanctified is to be like Jesus. Jesus takes away our heart of stone and gives us a heart to know him. Jesus cleanses and purifies us. It is a mistake to hide behind sanctified-looking actions. Sanctification begins in the heart, and in turn, our desires come in alignment to conform to the will of Christ. Recall the words of the song:

To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus!
My desire – to be like Him!
All thru life’s journey from earth to glory,
My desire – to be like Him.

Jesus is sanctified and holy. We must make it our desire to be sanctified and holy, but we cannot do it without help. God declared to Moses: “You must sanctify yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. You must be sure to obey my statutes. I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” Leviticus 20:7–8 (NET)

Steve Ekeroth

Photo by Samad Deldar: