For several weeks, “Theology 101” has given attention to the doctrine of justification. We took note that justification is a truth about God’s work of redemption of sinners that occurs totally at the time of personal faith in Christ’s redeeming work on the cross. At the very moment of one’s trust in the Savior, God credits Christ’s perfect righteousness to the believer’s account for both time and eternity.
We turn now to another aspect of divine salvation, which the Bible describes as sanctification. This term refers to an ongoing work of God in a believer’s life that aims at progressively transforming a forgiven sinner into a good and upright person. This work of God stretches across the entirety of the Christian life but is not totally completed until one’s death and subsequent presence in heaven.
Sanctification may be thought of as the process by which believers cooperate with God’s means of producing holiness or godliness in the life of a sinner who has chosen to respond in repentance and faith to the saving work of Christ and the ongoing sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.
‘Set apart’
At its heart, the term “sanctify” conveys the idea of being set apart. This work of God in a Christian’s life is a lifelong work. Although it is God’s work, we must cooperate with Him in its implementation. We cannot ever honestly testify concerning our Christian growth, “Look what I have done.” Rather, our testimony says, “Look what God is doing as I cooperate with Him.” The Bible admonishes, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). As this growth takes place, we must always acknowledge the last phrase of the verse, which says, “To Him be glory both now and forever!”
This work of God is not completed prior to a Christian’s death and the eternal reception into God’s heavenly presence. Until that time, Christians are not fully pure and holy in thought, word or deed. Rather, we find ourselves having to deal continually with sinful tendencies and moral imperfections. In total honesty, all Christians must agree with the declaration of 1 John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Thus, the meaning of sanctification teaches us that all Christians are a work in process and therefore must deal continually with sinful tendencies and failures even though our final destinies are secure in light of the truth of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
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