Sanctification

Perfect Holiness

3. Death

Growing
Unconditional Grace
in
2. Christian Life
Holiness

1. Conversion
Slaves
to
Sin Non - Christian
Chart courtesy of Wayne Grudem - Systematic Theology
 Legalistic view of Sanctification

Justification Christian Life Glorification

based on Grace based on works based on Grace

Biblical view of Sanctification

Justification Christian Life Glorification

based on Grace based on Grace based on Grace
 Salvation by Grace

Even those of us who have tasted the radical saving grace of God
find it intuitively difficult not to put conditions on grace– "don't take
it too far; keep it balanced."
The truth is, however, that a "yes grace but" posture is the kind of
posture that perpetuates slavery in our lives and in the church. Grace
is radically unbalanced. It has no "but": it's unconditional,
uncontrollable, unpredictable, and undomesticated.
Doug Wilson recently wrote, "Grace is wild. Grace unsettles
everything. Grace overflows the banks. Grace messes up your hair.
Grace is not tame. In fact, unless we are making the devout nervous,
we are not preaching grace as we ought."
 Legalistic view of Sanctification
I obey and therefore I am approved of by God

Biblical view of Sanctification

I am approved of by God therefore I obey
 Differences between Justification and Sanctification

(1.) Justification is an immediate act of God whereas sanctification is

a progressive work.

(2.) Justification is a forensic act, God acting as judge, declaring

justice satisfied so far as the believing sinner is concerned, whereas
sanctification is an effect due to the divine efficiency.

(3.) Justification changes, or declares to be changed, the relation of the

sinner to the justice of God; sanctification involves a change of
character.
 Differences between Justification and Sanctification

(4.) Justification is objective, and sanctification is subjective.

(5.) Justification is founded on what Christ has done for us;

sanctification is the effect of what He does in us.

(6.) Justification is complete and the same in all, while

sanctification is progressive, and is more complete in some than in
others.
 Sanctification is not by works/law/rules, resolutions or
anything to do with the flesh but rather it happens by faith and the
Spirit.

 Sanctification is a gracious and super natural work of God the

Spirit

 Sanctification is not entirely passive so in sanctification there

is something that we must do. The thing we must do is to exercise
faith

 Sanctifying faith is a faith that breaks the power of sin due to

our union with Christ

 The negative side of sanctification is the killing of the flesh

 The positive side of sanctification is to be transformed by the

Spirit into the image of Christ
 Observations regarding sanctification

 Sanctification is not by works/law/rules, resolutions or anything

to do with the flesh but rather it happens by faith and the Spirit.

Romans 7:5
For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were
aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to
bear fruit for death.

The law does not restrain sin but rather arouses our sinful passions.
The law is not itself responsible for sin but it is the sinful flesh.

But rather the law comes along and stirs up the sinful flesh.
Romans 8:3
teaches us that the Law could not produce righteousness in us.
God had to provide another way and He did so in the Son.
It is through Christ and through the Spirit that we are sanctified.

Galatians 3:1-3
“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose
eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the
only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit
by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so
foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected
by the flesh?”
Colossians 2:20-23
“If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the
world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit
yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not
touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use) — in
accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These
are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in
self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the
body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

You see this with all the other world religions. If you do certain
things and be consistent in your own self discipline then you can
overcome sin. These things may cover up sin for awhile but it
does not solve the problem.
Galatians 5:22-26
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things
there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with
its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not
become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”
 Sanctification is a gracious and super natural work of God the
Spirit

2 Thessalonians Chapter 2:13

“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.”

1 Peter 1:2
“according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the
sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled
with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest
measure.”
A common error with this doctrine is to think that justification is
God's part and sanctification is our part.

Justification is the work of God's free grace for us

Sanctification is the work of God's free grace in us.

Romans 8:4
“so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do
not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

This means that it is God Himself that is doing it and not us.
 Legalistic view of Sanctification

Justification Christian Life Glorification

based on Grace based on works based on Grace

Biblical view of Sanctification

Justification Christian Life Glorification

based on Grace based on Grace based on Grace
1 Thessalonians 5:23
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and
may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without
blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

It is God who is the One that is sanctifying us.This shows a

finished sanctification at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Romans 8:29-30)

Hebrews 13:20-21
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great
Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant,
even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will,
working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus
Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
 Sanctification is a gracious and super natural work of God the
Spirit

Philippians 1:6
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good
work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

He begins the good work at conversion and now we can be assured

that He will perfect that which He started.

Philippians 2:13
“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for
His good pleasure.”

Why are there two separate verbs in this sentence?

to will
to work
It is not enough just to cause us to work so that we do the good
things, He also wants to change our desires. So God is at work in
us to will (making us want to do that which is good) and to do
what is good.

This is why the Law is unsuccessful because it simply can not

change your heart. All it can do is to threaten you and say if you
don't obey then you are under a curse.
 Sanctification is not entirely passive so in sanctification there
is something that we must do. The thing we must do is to exercise
faith.

Now we are familiar with faith when it comes to our justification.

We have been saying all along that we are justified by grace alone
through faith alone in Christ alone.

The same faith that justifies us is the same faith that we need in
order to be sanctified.

Acts 26:18
“to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light
and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have
been sanctified by faith in Me.’”
2 Thessalonians 2:13
“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”

The first mistake we make in sanctification is we start to work on

our sanctification.

Isn't it ironic that as we see the various sins in our life we

immediately and almost naturally start to think well what can I do
to stop this and overcome this so I can be better. And we suddenly
have a Christian self-help program that bypasses the most
important step of faith.
1 Corinthians 1:30
“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us
wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and
redemption,”

Galatians 2:20
““I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and egave Himself
up for me.”

Colossians 1:23
“if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and
steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that
you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under
heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
Colossians 2:6-7
“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in
Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him
and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and
overflowing with gratitude.”

Faith is like a muscle. The more you use it the more you will be
able to grab hold of Christ.

Prayer is an ordained means that God uses for us to strengthen our

faith.
 Sanctifying faith is a faith that breaks the power of sin due to
our union with Christ

Romans 6:1-11 - This is foundational for our understanding of

what union with Christ means.
Notice the context:
In Chapter 5:12-21Paul has just been talking about the two
Adams:
In the first section Paul has been talking about the first Adam of
whom we were all plunged into death and sin
In the second Adam we have been reckoned as righteous and are
now given eternal life.

You can see that these correspond to the two ages

The first age is under the headship of Adam and under the curse
of the law
The second age is under the headship of Christ which is eternal
life
We have been transferred from one age or one realm to the other
one. We have gone from the age of being cursed into the age of
eternal life.

2 Corinthians 5:14-17
“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one
died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who
live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and
rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no
one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ
according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things
passed away; behold, new things have come.”
Colossians 3:3-4
“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be
revealed with Him in glory.”

Ephesians 2:4-6
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with
which He loved us, even when we were dead in our
transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you
have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with
Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

There are two aspect to our sanctification

- One is the killing of the flesh
- two is the rising up to new life
 The negative side of sanctification is the killing of the flesh

Romans 6:6
“knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order
that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no
longer be slaves to sin;”

Romans 8:12-13
“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live
according to the flesh for if you are living according to the flesh,
you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds
of the body, you will live.”

Galatians 5:24
“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires.”
Ephesians 4:22
“that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the
old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of
deceit,”

Colossians 3:5 and 3:8

“Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which
amounts to idolatry. But now you also, put them all aside: anger,
wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.”

The key is to resist these fleshly desires first by knowing that they
have already been dealt with on the cross by Christ. You have
died to these things as you are in union with Him. (God’s word)

Second it happens by the Spirit. Romans 8:13

One kills sin by faith in the death of Christ and by the power of the
Holy Spirit.

It does not happen by you trying to go out there and make those
things stop that are sinful.

It happens by prayer and faith as you meditate upon the cross of

Christ that the Spirit starts to work that killing power of sin in your
heart.

It does not mean that these desires completely go away but there is
a deadening of those desires so that you aren't so eager to have the
flesh satisfied.
 The positive side of sanctification is to be transformed by the
Spirit into the image of Christ

Romans 8:4
“so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do
not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 8:9-11
“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit
of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the
body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of
righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will
also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells
in you.”
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a
mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same
image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

So how does this work where the soul is gradually transformed into
the image of Christ?
1. The soul is lead to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
2. The soul by this act of faith become united with Christ, we are in
Him by faith and the consequences of this union are:
- participation in His merits, His perfect righteousness is imputed to
the believer,
- the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for where the Spirit is there
Christ is also
3. The indwelling of the Spirit, thus secured by union with Christ,
becomes the source of a new spiritual life, which constantly
increases in power, until everything uncongenial with it is expelled
by its power.
The primary work of the Spirit is to open spiritual eyes to the glory
of Christ. - Charles Hodge (Systematic Theology)

Everything we need in regard to our sanctification whether it is:

 victory over sin
 empowerment to obey the word of God
 the powerful work of the Spirit within us

All these things are found in Christ.

Christ is the storehouse, He is the treasury of our sanctification and

He is the fountain of the springs of living water
You can not get these benefits apart from Christ. If you try to
obey on your own you will fail. But if you go to Christ by faith
then you will receive everything you need for power in order to
grow in holiness.