Basic Training: Sanctification
Feb 23, 2008 in Basic Training
“Sanctification” is a word that is used frequently in the church and often in the bible. To “sanctify” something is to set it apart for a Holy use. A good example of Old Testament sanctification is the anointing oil and incense used in the temple.
Exodus 30:31 says, “And say to the people of Israel, ‘This will always be my holy anointing oil. It must never be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you must never make any of it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. Anyone who blends scented oil like it or puts any of it on someone who is not a priest will be cut off from the community .”
God gave the children of Israel a special formula for anointing oil. Then, he commanded them not to use if for common purposes. The oil was special. It was set apart for God’s use.
In a similar way, God expects his children to be set apart for his use. That is, He expects us to be holy, without sin, and set apart to the purposes that He has established for our lives. He will not be accepting of Christians who try to live half way between the world and the word. He will not tolerate those who do not continually strive for holiness.
Revelation 3:15-16 says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”
This verse talks about “fence riders” who are neither firmly in the camp of God, or firmly in the camp of the world. These are people who claim to be “Christians” but make no effort to live a holy life. The Lord, in the end, will spit them out of his mouth. You don’t want to be that guy.
Hebrews 13:12 says, “And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.”
From this scripture we begin to see that Jesus has made us holy through his blood. This process is called “justification.” We’ll cover the subject more in depth at a later date. For now, it’s just important that you know that one of the things that happens when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior is that he will impart into you a supernatural desire to live a Holy life. You’ve probably noticed it. You feel bad when you don’t do the right things. You feel good when you do. This is God gently calling you to set yourself apart from sin and unholy things, and live for the purpose for which He has called you.
The Following Jesus blog gives us a cool look at the idea of sanctification with this quote: ” But what is the work of sanctification? What does it practically mean to be “set apart”? Sanctification can be described as an inward spiritual process whereby God brings about holiness and change in the life of a Christian by means of the Holy Spirit.”
Once we make a commitment to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins to point out areas of our life where we could be more holy. This is a progression where by we are constantly being perfected through the Spirit. This process is called “conviction.” It means exactly what it sounds like. The Spirit is literally telling us that we are guilty of something.
The appropriate response when you are “convicted” of sin by the Holy Spirit is to repent. To repent literally means to turn away from sin and to dedicate one’s self to the amendment of one’s life.
Here are some other cool scriptures about sanctification. As always, read them and leave a comment so we can see how well you understand what you’ve read.
Hebrews 10:10
Romans 15:16
1 Peter 1:2
Acts 20:32
Check out the other Basic Training articles: