Is sanctification an event, a process, or both?

[Complete_In_Him]

Hello Sister Complete_In_Him, would you help me find that scripture, the location for the statement above?

Hello, sure, Acts 26:18.

We are set apart to an inheritance, vocation, position in the household of God. If God says, and He does, that we are "complete" in Him, how much more can the completed work be? are we now "made perfect" by the flesh? The flesh is not part of the salvation equation, nor the focus of our edification, it is the "spirit of holiness" that the word builds up "unto a perfect man" unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Acts 20:32
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Acts 26:18
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Romans 15:16
That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 1:2
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord

 

[seed_time_harvest]

I would unless it is described as a one time event, that I can not agree with because Paul described salvation as that of running a race.

It is a ever moving forward process to bring one away from the past sinful old self to bringing them to the new person we are in being more and more like Him in His righteousness !!!

Paul shows it is a very active process and not one of a sit back we don't have to do nothing type as peddled around today !!!

1st Corinthians 6:9-11
King James Version(KJV)

9.) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10.)Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11.) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the LORD JESUS, and by the Spirit of our GOD.

This Is talking about the event.

But there Is also renewing the mind....process of sanctification. Romans 12:1-2

 

[Gr8grace]

Do you hold that sanctification is an event, a process, or both? Please explain and use scriptures to support your position.

There are 3 aspects of sanctification.

Positional sanctification~~ We are set apart for God. We have eternal life through the Son, we are in Christ, whether a "bad" or "good" believer we are all saints.
1 John 5:11 (NASB95)
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.


Romans 8:1 (NASB95)
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.


1 Corinthians 1:30 (NASB95)
30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,


1 Corinthians 1:2 (NASB95)
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:



Experiential sanctification~~maybe we will/maybe we won't. This comes from being positive or negative to His word. This puts the distinction between "bad" and "Good" believers. or babes who are negative to His word and babes who advance in His word. Bible doctrine, walking in the Spirit and utilizing His Problem solving devices advances the believer in the Spiritual life or their experiential sanctification.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB95)
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.


Ephesians 5:26 (NASB95)
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,


John 17:17 (NASB95)
17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.


Ultimate sanctification~~After death we are rewarded according to our DIVINE good and receive glorified bodies. Some will receive a new title and their new title pronounced to God and receive reign,rank, crowns, uniform of glory, the right to the tree of life, parties in the garden of God and more.

1 Corinthians 1:8 (NASB95)
8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Ephesians 1:4 (NASB95)
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

Rom 14:12~~New American Standard Bible
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

1 Cor 3:15~~New American Standard Bible
If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

 

[PeterJens]

Sanctification

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Rom 12:2

How many times do you need to be washed? All the time.

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Cor 1:21-22


There is a sense in which be repeatedly going round the cycle and choosing to walk in the Spirit transforms us into His likeness. It is by obedience that we become, through forgiving we learn what forgiveness is, by loving we know what it is to be loved, by giving we know what it is to receive, in praying in secret what it is to be prayed for. Without the action, so much is never learnt.

Our goal is to walk in righteousness, but we need to learn so much to understand what this really means.

Do you hold that sanctification is an event, a process, or both? Please explain and use scriptures to support your position.

 

[seed_time_harvest]

A poll would have been informative IMO.

 

[mailmandan]

A poll would have been informative IMO.

Good idea. I've seen certain people include a poll in their thread before but I have never done it and am not sure how to do it. I guess it's too late to include it in this thread.

 

[mailmandan]

I'm hearing some very good answers in this thread!

I see positional sanctification in which we are made holy in standing before God "positionally in Christ," 1 Corinthians 6:11 - Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 1:2 - To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus.. Yet I also see what some refer to as "experiential" or "progressive" sanctification in which the reality of that holiness becomes more and more evident in our actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, and motives.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, - For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain (present tense) from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. Hebrews 10:14 - For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

So becoming washed, sanctified and justified in Christ is a one time event, yet abstaining from sexual immorality and becoming more holy in our behavior is not a one time event. Here is how I see it. The believer possess a positional, judicial standing of righteousness in Christ and, second, a remaining need for practical, progressive holiness in our behavior that is ongoing. We will reach ultimate or final sanctification when we receive our glorified bodies.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Both

1st there is positional sanctification, Or being united with him forever (also known as perfection, or eternal life). (eph 1, John 3, Jhn 6, and many many others)

Then there is conditional sanctification, Where we grow in Christ from being babes in Christ to mature adults in Christ.

one verse which states it all is this one.

Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected forever (positional sanctification) those who are being sanctified (conditional sanctification).

 

[seed_time_harvest]

Sanctification

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Rom 12:2

How many times do you need to be washed? All the time.

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Cor 1:21-22


There is a sense in which be repeatedly going round the cycle and choosing to walk in the Spirit transforms us into His likeness. It is by obedience that we become, through forgiving we learn what forgiveness is, by loving we know what it is to be loved, by giving we know what it is to receive, in praying in secret what it is to be prayed for. Without the action, so much is never learnt.

Our goal is to walk in righteousness, but we need to learn so much to understand what this really means.

So are you for conditional sanctification, but not positional sanctification?

 

[eternally-gratefull]

So are you for conditional sanctification, but not positional sanctification?

their positional sanctification is dependent on their conditional sanctification.

 

[seed_time_harvest]

their positional sanctification is dependent on their conditional sanctification.

I See what you mean.They believe In works salvation too.

 

[resurrection33]

Do you hold that sanctification is an event, a process, or both? Please explain and use scriptures to support your position.

I don't think anyone ever repented of all their sin all at once. Therefore it must me a process or a series of events, right? Maybe a process IS a series of events.

 

[Marcelo]

When God called me I dropped a bunch of bad habits and dumped my 3 girlfriends all at once. My sanctification happened over a period of 3 months and then I got baptized. Of course, I'm not happy with my degree of holiness because it its the minimum required from a Christian. I continue praying that God will sanctify me completely.

The issue of sanctification is really important because without it no one will see the Lord.

 

[Ahwatukee]

When God called me I dropped a bunch of bad habits and dumped my 3 girlfriends all at once. My sanctification happened over a period of 3 months and then I got baptized. Of course, I'm not happy with my degree of holiness because it its the minimum required from a Christian. I continue praying that God will sanctify me completely.

The issue of sanctification is really important because without it no one will see the Lord.

Hello Marcelo,

If I may, sanctification is the on-going process of being made holy through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are being transformed into Christ's image as we go from faith to faith. Therefore, as long as you continue in your walk with Christ you are being sanctified (being made holy). The idea is that, as we continue in faith, first to last, we are displacing the old nature with the characteristics of Christ's nature. It is a life-long process.

Hagiazo: I make holy, treat as holy, set apart as holy, sanctify, hallow, purify

HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 37 hagiázō (from 40 /hágios, "holy") – to regard as special (sacred), i.e. holy ("set apart"), sanctify.

(hagios). [37 (hagiázō) means "to make holy, consecrate, sanctify; to dedicate, separate"

 

[NarrowRoadDisciple]

Hello Marcelo,

If I may, sanctification is the on-going process of being made holy through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are being transformed into Christ's image as we go from faith to faith. Therefore, as long as you continue in your walk with Christ you are being sanctified (being made holy). The idea is that, as we continue in faith, first to last, we are displacing the old nature with the characteristics of Christ's nature. It is a life-long process.

Hagiazo: I make holy, treat as holy, set apart as holy, sanctify, hallow, purify

HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 37 hagiázō (from 40 /hágios, "holy") – to regard as special (sacred), i.e. holy ("set apart"), sanctify.

(hagios). [37 (hagiázō) means "to make holy, consecrate, sanctify; to dedicate, separate"

Exactly.
Sanctification is a lifelong process that begins after justification. It is our race of faith which Paul mentions and we run so as to win the prize. The end result of Sanctification is Glorification.

 

[Marcelo]

Hello Marcelo,

If I may, sanctification is the on-going process of being made holy through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are being transformed into Christ's image as we go from faith to faith. Therefore, as long as you continue in your walk with Christ you are being sanctified (being made holy). The idea is that, as we continue in faith, first to last, we are displacing the old nature with the characteristics of Christ's nature. It is a life-long process.

Hagiazo: I make holy, treat as holy, set apart as holy, sanctify, hallow, purify

HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 37 hagiázō (from 40 /hágios, "holy") – to regard as special (sacred), i.e. holy ("set apart"), sanctify.

(hagios). [37 (hagiázō) means "to make holy, consecrate, sanctify; to dedicate, separate"

Hello, Ahwatukee, thanks for your input!
I must reword my statement: "a great part of my sanctification happened over ..." instead of "my sanctification happened over...".
I've been on a spiritual plateau for the last 10 years. I feel my church is not focusing on the essentials of Christianity: love, faith, solidarity, forgiveness, tolerance, patience, meekness, etc.

 

[MsSuzanna]

It is a process. There! Hows that for short and sweet

 

[mailmandan]

I don't think anyone ever repented of all their sin all at once. Therefore it must me a process or a series of events, right? Maybe a process IS a series of events.

Sorry that I missed this post from December. When we repent unto salvation we change our mind and place our faith in Christ for salvation. This does not mean that we become sinless, without fault or defect, flawless afterwards. The believer possess a positional, judicial standing of righteousness in Christ and, second, a remaining need for practical, progressive holiness in our behavior that is ongoing. We will reach ultimate or final sanctification when we receive our glorified bodies.

 

[p_rehbein]

An Article to Consider:


Sanctification - Definition and Meaning, Bible...



Excerpt:

Human beings ultimately cannot sanctify themselves. The Triune God sanctifies. The Father sanctifies ( 1 Cor 1:30 ) by the Spirit ( 2 Thess 2:13 ; 1 Peter 1:2 ) and in the name of Christ ( 1 Cor 6:11 ). Yet Christian faith is not merely passive. Paul calls for active trust and obedience when he says, "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" ( 2 Cor 7:1 ). No one may presume on God's grace in sanctification. Peter reminds believers to be diligent in making their calling and election sure ( 2 Peter 1:10 ).

 

[Grace777x70]

I love John 13:1-10 and how we need our daily walk cleansed by the washing of the water of the word. I watched a talk on this subject and it had an illustration of us being like a gold bar which had mud on it helped me to understand some things.

The gold bar still had it’s real value in it even though it had mud on it. Gold in the Bible speaks of God’s righteousness which of course we know He gave to us – we became the righteousness of God in Christ.

It goes on to show how the washing of the water of God’s word about righteousness and grace cleans off the mud from the gold bar which represents us.

2 Corinthians 7:1 always confused me a bit when it says to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. How can we cleanse defilement in our spirit when we are righteous because of our new creation in Christ?

I see this verse as us believing who we are in Christ now as the verse before in 2 Corinthians 6:18 says we are sons to our Father. The verses before verse 18 talk about being “separate” from the world – like what partnership does righteousness have with lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness..etc. ( verses 14-16 )

Cleansing the defilement from our flesh is obvious but of the spirit confused me. I think this verse is referring to how we view ourselves when defilement comes as when we viewed the mud on the gold bar. This defilement distorts our view mentally of our true selves ( the word spirit has been used in the N. T. to convey our thinking or mindset ) which we are in Christ because we are His righteousness now.

In context with the previous chapter ( 2 Cor. 6:14-18 ) the Lord is talking about not letting the influences and way of thinking and living from the world be our way to live now. These contaminate us by changing the way we think and view who we are in the Lord. Thinking and living from the life of Christ that is already in us is "cleansing ourselves " as Paul says in 2 Cor. 7:1.

When we believe ( through the washing of the word of righteousness or hearing the word of Christ ) – we view who we really are in Christ. In this “beholding” of ourselves in Christ as in a mirror – we “become” or manifest outwardly who we really are.

Perfecting holiness in the fear of God means to me = fulfilling or accomplishing ( meaning for perfecting in greek ) our “otherness ” ( which holy really means “other” ) or separateness outwardly in the fear of God. ( Fear of God to me is realizing the awesomeness of God in His goodness and nature and being in awe and reference of Him )