SANCTIFICATION - What does it mean & How is it accomplished?

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VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,967
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#1
SANCTIFICATION - What does it mean to be sanctifed, & How is it accomplished? Most of us Christians have heard the word most of our Christian lives; but can we explain it and teach it to others (discipling). Some confuse Sanctification with Salvation, but I am pretty sure they are separate processes.

John 17:19 (NASB)
[SUP]19 [/SUP] "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

Hebrews 10:14 (ESV)
[SUP]14 [/SUP] For by a single offering he has perfected {Saved} for all time those who are being sanctified.
 
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J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#2
Sanctification is the process of growth of a Christian, progressing in righteousness to be more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, by seeking all truth, obedience to the whole gospel and under the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. I've always seen sanctification as progressing in maturity, becoming more righteous and further from the old man, which was dead in sin.
 

sacraig67

Senior Member
Aug 17, 2014
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#3
The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms defines sanctification this way "the process or result of God's continuing work in Christian believers through the power of the Holy Spirit"
 

Joidevivre

Senior Member
Jul 15, 2014
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#4
Sanctification (qadesh) in the scriptures means to be set apart. . To sanctify something simply means to “set apart.” In Christ you have been set apart from the world to be His temple - to be a vessel for His use - to glorify Him. We have also been set apart for the Holy Spirit to begin His work of conforming us to the image of Christ.

In this regard, we either choose to partner with Him through our choices to walk by the scriptures and His guidance, or to continue to live out our lives the way we want to from our feelings and not His direction. That is why you see so much growth in some Christians and not so much in others.

When Jesus
prayed “Sanctify them in the truth” - John 17:17, he also said that the truth would set us free. Free from believing lies so that our thinking and behavior no longer comes from that place. The truth SETS US APART from the world’s perspective on things which bombard us day in and day out.
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#5
Something to add concerning "How is it accomplished?" is to emphasize it is only accomplished by having the Holy Spirit, an authentic salvation experience, as we can't even properly understand scripture truths without Spiritual eyes and ears,

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
 

sacraig67

Senior Member
Aug 17, 2014
455
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#6
Sanctification is accomplished by the Holy Spirit working in our lives bringing us closer to God. Not by our own understanding but letting the Holy Spirit teach and guide us in our study of the Word of God. Teaching us how to be Holy in the eyes of God. This work will never be totally complete until we see the Glory of God in heaven.
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,967
4,585
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#7
Very good answers everybody. The only thing I can add to it, is Sanctification begins with this verse:

Romans 5:5 (NKJV)
[SUP]5 [/SUP] Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

That is the moment we were saved (born again), and from that LOVE of GOD that the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts spawns everything else:

A mourning over sinfulness, confessing it to HIM, and an ongoing lifestyle of confessing each new sin we discover.

A deserve to receive and submit to HIM as LORD, which means MASTER.

A hunger to understand and study HIS WORD.

A Desire to Serve HIM.

A JOY & PEACE beyond understanding.

A Continuous lifestyle of striving to Walk in Obediance.

A deeper, spiritual understanding of Bible Verses, than we have ever known before.

A spiritual maturing, that molds us to be more and more like Christ for the rest of our lives.

A longing to go Home to be with HIM, YET a commitment to continue to reach out and snatch a few as from the fire itself.

It is all because HE saved us and poured out HIS love in our Hearts.

And one day, perhaps soon, HE is going to call us out of our old dwelling place Earth, to go to the Wedding of the Lamb in Heaven: http://christianchat.com/bible-disc...ng-out-bride-go-wedding-lamb.html#post1604022
 
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J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#8
A mourning over sinfulness
Yes, a thousand times! This is one point where easy believism sprouts as a weed, a failure to truly repent.

Matthews 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

This is obviously not referring to people being blessed who mourn at a funeral or are having sorrow over their team losing or a bad hair day, which the evil can mourn.

Also,

Luke 18:13-14 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
 
O

oldthennew

Guest
#9
what wonderful posts,

looks like some are having 'church' up in here!!!
;)
 

sacraig67

Senior Member
Aug 17, 2014
455
8
0
#10
Sanctification is an amazing subject when you think about it. How God uses the Holy Spirit to teach us an help us grow in Holiness. How even though we might mess up and repent the things he teaches us through those bad choices we make. And no matter how much we learn there is so much more He can teach us.
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,967
4,585
113
#11
Forgive me for my typo in my Post #7, That second thing that I mentioned the LOVE for GOD spawns, should have read as follows: A desire to receive and submit to HIM as LORD, which means MASTER. Forgive me Lord, I deserve none of it, but by your GRACE, I was saved.
 

Joidevivre

Senior Member
Jul 15, 2014
3,838
271
83
#12
The Greek word sanctification is ONLY defined from the Strong's Concordance as "Set Apart". It begins when we repent and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. And this is done by:

1. Being sanctified (set apart) by Christ's blood - Heb. 13:12 HIS BLOOD
2. Being sanctified (set apart) by the truth - John 17:17 HIS TRUTH
3. By The Father, the God of Peace, Himself - I Thess. 5:23 (He is faithful to keep your soul and body blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ- vs. 24) THE FATHER HIMSELF
4. Being sanctified by Christ cleansing us by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself without spot or wrinkle or blemish - Eph. 5:26 BY CHRIST AND HIS WORD,

We don't sanctify ourselves. But we are told to sanctify HIM in our hearts - I Peter 3:15. In other words set Him apart from all else, honoring Him in everything we do.

This is all what sanctification means under the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, people had to sanctify themselves through sacrifices and rituals. We are now under the New Covenant that Christ died for - "Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood...." Heb. 12:24 The blood of Jesus sanctifies us (sets us apart). He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Heb. 13:12.

For years I did nothing about the fact that I was spiritually sanctified. It was when I began to sanctify Him in my heart (live for him) that I was changed layer by layer. I don't call it sanctification - I call it restoration, renewal, spiritual growth, a greater desire to love and serve and a greater desire to surrender to His purposes.
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,967
4,585
113
#13
It is starting to look like those who are not born again yet, shy away from the subject of Sanctification. I think I will stay here awhile and enjoy the fellowship of like minded Believers.
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#14
Forgive me for my typo in my Post #7, That second thing that I mentioned the LOVE for GOD spawns, should have read as follows: A desire to receive and submit to HIM as LORD, which means MASTER. Forgive me Lord, I deserve none of it, but by your GRACE, I was saved.
Fear not, my friend. I don't believe you've committed the unpardonable typo.
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#15
It is starting to look like those who are not born again yet, shy away from the subject of Sanctification. I think I will stay here awhile and enjoy the fellowship of like minded Believers.
Many need to resolve how many angels fit on the head of a pin, first, and back that up with a Dead Sea scroll.
 
Oct 31, 2011
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#16
I love the way the posters have pointed to the growth possible when the Lord sets us apart for Him! But I would like to point out the way God worked at the sort of nuts and bolts of the work God did when he sanctified the Hebrews to use for His purposes, while all the posts about the spiritual side of this is fresh in your minds and must be front and center.

While I am pointing to the physical, please everybody!, remember that the physical without the spiritual is nothing at all, but because we live in a body with arms and legs, sometimes involving our entire body helps out spiritual.

Before we were given the Holy Spirit to guide and help us, here are things the Lord gave the Hebrews. He had them mark the bodies of the males with actual cutting of their flesh physically and spiritually, both. It meant wiping away the fleshly things that impedes the spiritual growth, it was a mark of this setting apart. It was a terrible thing to have the mark of being set apart and not the spiritual follow through, as we are told was done by people in church in Smyrna in Rev.

The Hebrews were told to eat only meat from animals that did not eat garbage, even though we are told that God doesn't see what goes in the mouth, but what is in the mind. It was used to show them not to mix and eat with the partying of the idol worshippers around them, and as a symbol of being sanctified in their hearts and minds. We are to let the Holy Spirit guide us to the spiritual of this, even though we can bypass the physical symbol.

We are told to have elders in our churches whose work is to see that our churches are sanctified.

Scripture is filled with examples like this we are to learn from.
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,967
4,585
113
#17
The Greek word sanctification is ONLY defined from the Strong's Concordance as "Set Apart". It begins when we repent and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. And this is done by:

1. Being sanctified (set apart) by Christ's blood - Heb. 13:12 HIS BLOOD
2. Being sanctified (set apart) by the truth - John 17:17 HIS TRUTH
3. By The Father, the God of Peace, Himself - I Thess. 5:23 (He is faithful to keep your soul and body blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ- vs. 24) THE FATHER HIMSELF
4. Being sanctified by Christ cleansing us by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself without spot or wrinkle or blemish - Eph. 5:26 BY CHRIST AND HIS WORD,

We don't sanctify ourselves. But we are told to sanctify HIM in our hearts - I Peter 3:15. In other words set Him apart from all else, honoring Him in everything we do.

This is all what sanctification means under the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, people had to sanctify themselves through sacrifices and rituals. We are now under the New Covenant that Christ died for - "Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood...." Heb. 12:24 The blood of Jesus sanctifies us (sets us apart). He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Heb. 13:12.

For years I did nothing about the fact that I was spiritually sanctified. It was when I began to sanctify Him in my heart (live for him) that I was changed layer by layer. I don't call it sanctification - I call it restoration, renewal, spiritual growth, a greater desire to love and serve and a greater desire to surrender to His purposes.
><>t<><

Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)
6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I think I can prove that it is when we receive Him as LORD, (meaning Master); that is when HE becomes our Savior.



John 1:12-13 (HCSB)
[SUP]12 [/SUP] But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name,
[SUP]13 [/SUP] who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. {born again}
Colossians 2:6 (NIV)
[SUP]6 [/SUP] So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,


Romans 10:9 (NASB)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] that if you confess {something ALREADY true about yourself, not just profess} with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;


John 14:15 (HCSB)
[SUP]15 [/SUP] “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.


That is submission to HIS Lordship if I ever heard it.
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#18
The Hebrews were told to eat only meat from animals that did not eat garbage, even though we are told that God doesn't see what goes in the mouth, but what is in the mind. It was used to show them not to mix and eat with the partying of the idol worshippers around them, and as a symbol of being sanctified in their hearts and minds. We are to let the Holy Spirit guide us to the spiritual of this, even though we can bypass the physical symbol.
The entire Old Testament is really a pointer to Jesus Christ, a shadow of things to come, lessons of the requirement of blood sacrifice for sin, what sin is, how God hates all sin and hypocrisy, the consequences of sin, a very long time to prove the law will only condemn before a completely holy God, that failed mankind desperately needed a remedy to wash away the stain of sin that cannot stand in God's presence. And this done with such very bold metaphors of Jesus Christ, the blood on the door posts, even in the sign of a cross, of Passover, Abraham instructed to sacrifice his beloved son, Issac, but then the Lord providing a ram for the sacrifice, instead. As if not to mention the many prophecies of the Savior Lord as well as the coming King.

Matthew 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
 

sacraig67

Senior Member
Aug 17, 2014
455
8
0
#19
><>t<><

Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)
6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I think I can prove that it is when we receive Him as LORD, (meaning Master); that is when HE becomes our Savior.



John 1:12-13 (HCSB)
[SUP]12 [/SUP] But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name,
[SUP]13 [/SUP] who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. {born again}
Colossians 2:6 (NIV)
[SUP]6 [/SUP] So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,


Romans 10:9 (NASB)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] that if you confess {something ALREADY true about yourself, not just profess} with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;


John 14:15 (HCSB)
[SUP]15 [/SUP] “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.


That is submission to HIS Lordship if I ever heard it.
You are correct brother for how can sanctification begin unless we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord an Savior.
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#20
That is submission to HIS Lordship if I ever heard it.
That Jesus Christ is the Lord means He is, quite simply, a lord, above us, Jesus Christ the supreme LORD of all creation, even, bigger than, say, an English lord. As our Lord, He is our Master, our King scripture clearly reveals, even King of Kings, we subjects of His to be obedient, if we are to call Him our Lord. There is no such thing as our Savior who is not also our Lord, scripture spells out. So, nobody can have the Savior and not the Lord, without dishonoring God and making Him a liar, assenting to only one part of the truth, disregarding the rest. It would be like the live-in butler, who will only accepts the room and board, but dismisses everything else required of his English lord. Methinks that butler would get fired.