To understand the truth about a person being sanctified we need to first understand what the word ‘HOLY’ is defined as. What does the Bible mean when it uses the English translated word ‘HOLY’. This is a matter of great importance in interpreting passages about a believer and how they are SANCTIFIED. Is sanctification a life long process, where we are moment by moment becoming more and more Holy? Or does a believer’s sanctification happen in an instant, from the very moment that they believe on Christ and His finished work on the cross, having in the past, PAID the just penalty for all our sins?
When we look up the English translated word SANCTIFY in the New Testament in the Greek , what do we find as the definition of the word? What we find is Strongs G37:
G37: ἁγιάζω hagiázō, hag-ee-ad’-zo; from G40; to make holy.
( Strongs Concordance)
So, the word Sanctify literally means to MAKE HOLY. So we see that how we define the English translated word HOLY matters much in seeing the truth about being sanctified as believers. So, when we further look into this in Greek, we are pushed to look into the word ‘Holy’ which is, as G37 tells us, G40:
G40: ἅγιος hágios, hag’-ee-os; from ἅγος hágos (an awful thing) (compare G53, G2282); sacred (physically, pure, MORALLY BLAMELESS or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):—(most) holy (one, thing), SAINT.
(Strongs Concordance)
In essence, the meaning is ‘most holy thing, a saint’.
Let us first look at this word Holy as it is used whenever the ‘Holy Spirit’ or ‘Holy Ghost’ is mentioned.
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the HOLY Ghost.”
(Matthew 1:18 KJV)
The Holy Ghost is GOD right? So how Holy and set apart is God from all of His creation? Hugely set apart! He is the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end. The one and only God of all that exists! So when the word HOLY in ‘Holy Spirit’ is used in the Bible, it is basically saying that God is completely SET APART from all of His creation. He is the almighty God who always existed and always will. Now, THAT is definitely a set apart being! Yes? The word HOLY in the name ‘Holy Spirit’ is Strongs G40 in Greek.
You see this word HOLY is used by many in so many different ways by believers today that it has become a pivotal part of how they believe about Salvation and justification with God. This is something we must get right! To be Holy is basically to be PERFECT and SET APART. Understanding this as the proper definition of the English translated word for HOLY, we now return to the word SANCTIFY (G37) in the New Testament because it references the very same word ‘HOLY” in the ‘Holy Spirit’, which is G40.
Apostle Paul used this word SANCTIFY many times in his ministry such as,
“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.” (Romans 15:16 KJV)
“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.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 KJV)
This last quoted Scripture from 1 Cor. 6 is a real eye opener. Sanctified by what? It states by the SPIRIT OF OUR GOD and when you look that phrase up in the Greek, it literally means the HOLY SPIRIT.
The word ‘sanctified’ is G37 and again, it is not defined as believers striving to become more sanctified by living more holy lives, as if we can even do that in our own efforts. Yes, of course a believer is to live right outwardly in love towards others and in good works. But regarding this word SANCTIFY that is not we see as the meaning. The word Sanctify literally means ‘TO MAKE HOLY’. Does that mean we have to make ourselves Holy to be sanctified by God? Not according to Scripture!
“And THE VERY GOD OF PEACE SANCTIFY YOU WHOLLY; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be PRESERVED BLAMELESS unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV)
In this verse, it is GOD who is making the believer HOLY. And it is God who keeps us in this state of being called ‘HOLY’. It is not our work; it is God’s work to make a person HOLY! That is in fact how we are saved is it not? Apostle Paul taught so,
“For BY GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:9-10 KJV)
The writer of Hebrews also states so,
“Wherefore Jesus also, THAT HE MIGHT SANCTIFY the people WITH HIS OWN BLOOD, suffered without the gate.” (Hebrews 13:12 KJV)
Do we read, in any of these verses, that a person is sanctified by our works and right living? NO! A person is sanctified by God through belief in Jesus the Christ (God in the flesh, who is God!)
“But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, BECAUSE GOD HATH from the beginning chosen you to salvation THROUGH SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT and belief of the truth:” (2 Thessalonians 2:13 KJV)
Again, we see that it is GOD who is setting a believer apart and making them Holy, which is the very definition of the word sanctification (G37), ‘TO MAKE HOLY’.
“But of him ARE YE IN CHRIST JESUS, who of God IS MADE UNTO US wisdom, and righteousness, and SANCTIFICATION, and redemption:”
(1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV)
Small but powerful verse! In 1 Corinthians 1, we see that many were kinda arguing who is greater among them,
“Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.” (1 Cor. 1:12-15 KJV)
Even though Paul had been given such wisdom by God to preach the good news of the grace of God through Christ crucified, Paul in no way wanted to be known like this! Paul tells that not to do this. In fact, Paul lists his weakness and boasts of that instead, stating in verse 27, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” and in verse 29 that “no flesh should glory” in God’s presence. Paul is telling them, we are weak, but then we are strong because it is the Lord God that sanctifies us and sets us apart as a HOLY being. That is why Paul says “But of him are YE IN CHRIST” in verse 30. He is telling these believers that they may be saved because of Paul’s preaching but that he was only a conduit chosen by Christ to preach and that it is ALL GOD’s work making us saved , set apart and HOLY beings by belief in Christ crucified, died and risen, having paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) !
Today we see churches actually calling their church ‘The Corinthians’, such as “Corinthian Baptist Church” as only an example name. Now I use this only as an example of many many church names that use the word ‘Corinthian’ in their name. Yet, in the Bible the Corinthians were one of the worst examples of a group of believers in how they were living outwardly! So much so, that Paul says they have even exceeded the sins of unbelieving Gentiles!
“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.” (1 Corinthians 5 KJV)
So wicked, that Paul mentions fornication, where a son had sex with his father’s wife, and yet the church has done nothing about it! And mentions there are more sins that he cannot mention that are not even seen by gentile unbelievers!
Paul’s writings to the church at Corinth is actually a REBUKE to the way this body of BELIEVERS is living! Notice that Paul writes to them from the beginning and addresses them as eternally saved believers, even though they were committing such wickedness.
“Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 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, both their’s and our’s: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who SHALL also confirm you UNTO THE END, that YE MAY BE BLAMELESS in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. GOD IS FAITHFUL, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:1-9 KJV)
Paul says that these Corinthian church members, ARE SANCTIFIED, as in are ALREADY sanctified. Not that, after Paul tells them to stop living outwardly so wrong that THEN they will be sanctified. NO. They are ALREADY sanctified, “in Crist Jesus”. And there is no one in IN CHRIST who has not been saved by BELIEF on Christ and HIS finished work on the cross. When a person accepts the GIFT of Salvation by God’s grace, Jesus Christ crucified, their Spirit of Man DIED with Christ on the cross, was buried with Christ and rose again WITH CHRIST in the Spirit. Many believing Christians, do not know that in the Spirit, they are ALREADY RISEN WITH CHRIST and IN CHRIST, right now, COMPLETE IN CHRIST! Read Colossians 2 and it will surely bless you my fellow believers in Christ!
Sanctification is not a lifelong pursuit. It is not us working to be more Holy. The truth is by Scripture that at the very moment of belief on Christ, WE WERE SANCTIFIED, WE WERE completely forgiven all our sins in our life (future sins too), WE WERE MADE BY GOD the righteousness of God, IN CHRIST.
You, my brother or sister in Christ, have been COMPLETELY and UTTERLY changed at the CORE of your being, in your Spirit, and made a NEW CREATION. A complete change in our core being from an UNRIGHTEOUS nature to a RIGHTEOUS nature.
There has been a change in you! Your feelings about it have NOTHING to do with this truth either!
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW. AND ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD, who hath reconciled us to himself BY JESUS CHRIST, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, NOT IMPUTING their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 KJV)
There WAS (past tense) a HUGE EXCHANGE made when a person believes on Christ and His blood sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) All believers from all of time, were placed on that cross with Christ and the “wages of sin”, which is DEATH (Romans 6:23), happened. The full penalty for sin was PAID IN FULL, a debt we could not repay. BUT ALSO, and this is what many believers today may not know, when Jesus paid for our sins, He also gave us HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! Jesus knew no sin and yet God imputed our sins to Christ and then imputed Christ’s righteousness to us!
NOW THAT IS SANCTIFICATION! THAT IS GOD SETTING US APART FOR HIMSELF!
