Sanctification means to be made holy; set apart. It is purity before God. We cannot fully comprehend sanctification unless we understand what holy means. God is wholly holy. There is no other like him. And he has called those who follow Jesus to be holy; set apart from the unbelieving. “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16 | ESV). The Book of Leviticus contains instructions to the Jewish priesthood for ritual and moral purity.
While Christians have been freed from ritual purity obligations, as a nation of priests, we remain obligated to live lives that set us apart from those who do not know Jesus. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9 | NIV). Christians may remain in the world, but should not be of it. D.L. Moody explained it like this, “Christians should live in the world, but not be filled with it. A ship lives in the water; but if the water gets into the ship, she goes to the bottom. So Christians may live in the world; but if the world gets into them, they sink.”
Holiness is exemplified by love for God, love for others, morality, integrity, philanthropy and humility. Christians become sanctified through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, but once we have been cleansed of sin by the blood of Jesus, the onus is on us to live lives that glorify him through following his example and obeying his commands. “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12 | NIV).
Sanctification is not one and done. It is a life-long process. The best illustration of this is jewelers rouge, which is used to polish gold. As the jeweler gently rubs it over scratches and imperfections, the gold eventually appears flawless. So it is with sanctification. Trials, tribulation and striving for Christ-likeness are the jewelers rouge that eventually allows us to reflect his image.
We grow in holiness following conversion. Disciples are expected to become transformed into the likeness of Christ, rather than conform to societal norms. It is a matter of becoming and that takes time. Even the apostle Paul confessed he wasn’t there yet. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12 | NIV). It is ok to be a silent witness for Christ by humbly living peacefully, being good citizens and neighbors, but we must not be secret witnesses.
Secret witnesses are those who cannot be distinguished from the general population. Silent witnesses are always ready to share the hope that they have in Christ; hope that is reflected in what they do and say. Secret witnesses are constrained by their ungodly lifestyle and are silent about their faith because everyone knows they are not walking the talk. D.L. Moody said, “Where one man reads the Bible, a hundred read you and me.”
Sanctification is evidence of complete justification. Justification is God’s pardon. Sanctification is an expression of gratitude expressed in glorifying him with our lives. The order matters. Sanctification cannot substitute for justification. Think of it like this, true justification produces willing submission and submission results in sanctification. Christians are doers, not talkers. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10 | NIV). We strive to live and act like Jesus because we are saved, not in order to be saved. Sanctification is justification at work. “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18 | ESV).
Sanctification is not the product of white-knuckle determination. It is listening to and following the prompting of the Holy Spirit. We listen. We follow, but we still sin. And the closer we get to God, the more aware we become of our sin. Things that we would not have considered sin early in our walk with Jesus now lead us to repentance. The apostle John reminds us plainly, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9| NIV).