Discipleship: Sanctification
According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, to sanctify is “to set apart or observe [something] as holy” or “to purify or free from sin.”1 These definitions reflect the fact that the Bible uses the word “holy” in two main ways: 1) a special status, that is, set apart for God’s use, and 2) moral behavior—thoughts and actions appropriate to a holy status; thoughts and actions in keeping with what God wants.2
We cannot sanctify ourselves. God is the one who sanctifies his people. He sets them apart for his use, and he is the one who produces holy behavior in our lives. There is little controversy that God sets people apart for his use. But there is controversy regarding the divine-human interaction involved in sanctified behavior.
The questions include: How active a role should Christians take in sanctification? To what extent should Christians expect that their thoughts and actions will be conformed to the divine standard? How should pastors exhort their congregations?
We will present the following points:
- Sanctification is a result of the grace of God.
- Christians should try to bring their thoughts and actions into conformity with the will of God.
- Sanctification is a progressive growth in responsiveness to God’s will.
The first step in sanctification
From the beginning, God created humanity for a holy purpose: eternal life with God. Humans rejected this purpose, became sinful, and were alienated from God (Ephesians 4:18). God takes the first step in restoring us to a good relationship. He helps us understand and turn toward him.
Christians are set apart, “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:2). “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 10:10, 29; 12:12). “God chose you…for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
We are set apart for eternal life with God, and that includes a change in the way we think and live. We are “sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2). God declares us holy and righteous, and we are “born again” by the Spirit. A new life begins to develop in us, and we are told to live in a holy and righteous way. That leads to the next step.
Behavioral sanctification
Since the Holy One has called us, we should live in a holy way. “As he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15-16). “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). We are called to participate in God’s life now (2 Peter 1:4). If we do not want to live God’s way in this life, why would we want it in the future?
“This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from [sin]; that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). We are told to “pursue…holiness” (Hebrews 12:14).
God starts the work in us, and gives us commands. We should do something, even as God continues working in us. Is this a 50-50 partnership, where we each do half the work? Or is it a 90-10 arrangement where God does most of the work? It’s probably not possible to put numbers on it. Whatever good is done, God gets the credit, and whatever bad is done, we get the blame, and Christ covers all our sins.
We are saved so that we might produce good works and good fruit (Ephesians 2:8-10; Galatians 5:22-23). The good works are not a cause of salvation, but a result of it – when God declares us holy, we should respond by living in a holy way. Good works are evidence that a person’s faith is genuine (James 2:18). Paul speaks of the “obedience of faith” and says that faith expresses itself in love (Romans 1:5; Galatians 5:6).
Lifelong growth
When people come to faith in Christ, they are not perfect in thoughts or behavior. They are saints and members of God’s family, but they have many sins in their lives. The numerous commands in the New Testament indicate that we need guidance on how to live. The Holy Spirit changes us, but does not overpower us; holy living does not develop automatically. Each Christian must make decisions whether to do right or wrong, even as Christ is working in us to change our desires.
The “old self” may be dead, but Christians must also put it off (Romans 6:6-7; Ephesians 4:22). We must continue to kill the deeds of the flesh, the leftovers of the old self (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5). Though we have died to sin, sin continues to be in us, and we should not let it rule (Romans 6:11-13). We need to shape our thoughts, emotions and decisions to be more like Christ. “Pursue…the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
We are commanded to love God with all of our being (Matthew 22:37). Due to the weakness of our flesh and the remnants of the old self, we are unable to do this perfectly. Growth is always possible. If a person has Christian love, he or she will try to learn how to express it in better ways, with fewer mistakes.
The apostle Paul said his behavior was “pure, upright, and blameless” (1 Thessalonians 2:10). But he did not claim to be perfect. Rather, he pressed on toward his goal, and he told others not to think that they had reached their goal (Philippians 3:12-15). All Christians need to grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18).
When Christ returns, we will be freed from all sin and given a glorified body like Christ’s (Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2). Because of this hope, Christians “purify themselves,” putting away wrong behaviors (1 John 3:3).
The New Testament contains many commands, and it is right to preach them. However, they should not be separated from God’s grace and love, because it is only in the context of God’s grace that we can obey God correctly. Our behavior should be motivated by love, and in our union with Christ and the Holy Spirit, the source of love. We exhort people to respond to God’s grace.
Christians are to live holy lives because God has declared them to be holy, chosen for a holy purpose: a never-ending life of love, joy and peace with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and each other.
Endnotes
1 R.E. Allen, ed. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, 8th ed. (Oxford: Oxford, 1990), 1067.
2 In the Old Testament, God is holy, his name is holy, and he is the Holy One (about 100 occurrences altogether). In the New Testament, “holy” is applied to Jesus more often than to the Father (about 14 times versus three times), but much more often to the Spirit (90 verses). The Old Testament refers to holy people (Nazirites, priests, and the nation) about 35 times, usually in reference to status; the New Testament refers to holy people about 50 times.
The Old Testament refers to holy places about 110 times; the New Testament only 17 times. The Old Testament refers to holy things about 70 times; the New Testament only three times, as metaphors for holy people. The Old Testament refers to holy times in 19 verses; the New Testament never calls time holy. In reference to places, things and time, holiness refers to a designated status, not a moral behavior. In both Testaments, God is holy, and holiness comes from him, but the way his holiness affects people is different. The New Testament emphasis on holiness concerns people and their behavior, not a special status for things and places and times.
Author: Michael Morrison, updated 2025
