Your thoughts on Sanctification?

I just thought I would pose a question and see everyone’s thoughts on their perspective of sanctification. Can we reach it? Can we attain it? Should we be living in it? Does anyone believe that we’re so full of sin that we won’t attain sanctification? Is it just a way of life that believers are also sinners? I don’t ask these questions because I don’t understand sanctification… I would just like to see everyone’s view on it, especially if Scripture is Truth, and what it says should be a way of life for the Christian…

Can we reach it? Can we attain it? Should we be living in it?

First we need to ask "what is it?" :-D

That will make our responses differ. Many people have different ideas of what it means.

So, let's ask that question, too. "What is sanctification?"

:-)

Well, it's been asked twice, what is sanctification? No one has answered the question yet, maybe because they are afraid of getting the answer wrong?

1 Thess 4v3 says 'For this is the will of God, your santification, that you should abstain from sexual immorality'.

I'm not answering the question either!

Just wanted to give a scripture to start the ball rolling.

But it does point to cleanliness in body, to begin with.

God bless.

Sanctification is a work that the Holy Spirit does in conjunction with man.

It is the process of a man becoming holy.

It is not to be confused with righteousness, as we are already righteous through Christ. It is in simpler terms the process of mortifying the flesh, and walking in the Spirit.

There, I answered the question, gosh, a little backbone could work wonders. :roll: :roll: :roll:
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Now that that is done, the actuall question can be answered...Can we atain it?

[b][color=CC0000]I Peter 1:16

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. [/color][/b]

I do not believe that we are commanded to do things that we cannot do. Therefore, I believe it is completely atainable.

Whether anyone is perfectly holy, I do not believe anyone except the Lord is such. I believe that throughout eternity we will still be becoming more like Jesus, which in it's truest sense is sanctification.

So to some degree yes, but we can never be exactly like Him, so sort of no. If all this makes sense.

I believe sanctification plainly means seperated to God. I really don't see this being a life long process. I believe it happens at conversion.

The greek word for sancitifcation is the same as the word for holy. We know that without holiness no man....

Yes, I do recall now, that this question has been asked before. Not to long ago, I think, too. So, why are we 'afraid' to answer this question? I was reading the same Scripture this morning:

1 Thess 4v3 says 'For this is the will of God, your santification, that you should abstain from sexual immorality'.

I also read:

Galations 5:13 - 13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Titus 1:15-16 15To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. [b]16They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.[/b] They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

19Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.

1 Thess. 5:16-24 23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. [b]May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [/b]24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

2 Thess. 1:5-10 5All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. [b]8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [/b]9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power [b]10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.[/b] This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

1 Thess. 2:10-12 [b]10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. [/b]11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Galations 5:16-18 [b] 16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. [/b]

I guess the question to pose after this verse is - Do we, as Christians live by the Spirit? If we lived by the Spirit, then would it not be possible to be sanctified?

Galations 5:19-26 19[b]The acts of the sinful nature are obvious[/b]: sexual immorality, [b]impurity[/b] and debauchery; 20[b]idolatry[/b] and witchcraft; hatred, [b]discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,[/b] factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. [b]I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. [/b]

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [b]24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. [/b] 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

The words I highlighted in the above Scripture ([b]to do with the sinful nature[/b]), I did because those are "the most common" amongst Christians.

I have known these Scriptures for years, but I can't say that I have been like Christ in putting sin to death.

So, any thoughts?

PreachParsly wrote:
I believe sanctification plainly means seperated to God. I really don't see this being a life long process. [b]I believe it happens at conversion. [/b]

The greek word for sancitifcation is the same as the word for holy. We know that without holiness no man....

Agreed... It should happen at conversion, but does it? If we look at Christianity today, is sanctified living apart of one's faith (or belief system) and way of living?

I do not believe that we are commanded to do things that we cannot do. Therefore, I believe it is completely atainable.

Amen. This is exactly right!

It should happen at conversion, but does it? If we look at Christianity today, is snactified living apart of one's faith (or belief system) and way of living?

The way I see it, it's part of the "package" we call "conversion."

1Cr 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Cr 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

PreachParsly wrote:

It should happen at conversion, but does it? If we look at Christianity today, is snactified living apart of one's faith (or belief system) and way of living?

The way I see it, it's part of the "package" we call "conversion."

1Cr 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Cr 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

So, I guess the next question to pose is... Do we then have a false conversion?

I mean, if we don't live a sanctified life, having put sin to DEATH in our "conversion" are we truly converted?

This may be a first...but I agree with BenWilliams!!!! :-P

Sanctification is a work that the Holy Spirit does in conjunction with man.

It is the process of a man becoming holy.

It is not to be confused with righteousness, as we are already righteous through Christ. It is in simpler terms the process of mortifying the flesh, and walking in the Spirit.

Sanctification begins at conversion, it is the process that begin at conversion done in conjunction with the Holy Spirit to stop sinning.

Justification means that our sins are not held against us any longer, sanctification is the actual work in which we actually strive to stop sinning.

sanctification is the actual work in which we actually strive to stop sinning.

Is it? Or is sanctification the END OF SIN? I'm not asking this to create dissention, but is your definition Scriptural? It seems like Scripture indicates:
Romans 6:8-14
[b]8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.[/b] 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

[b]11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.[/b] 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. [b]14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.[/b]

If we became born again, does that not mean that we are a new creation, putting off the old ways of sin? If this is true, in that we died to our past ways of wickedness, doesn't "putting to death" mean that the life of the sinful nature then becomes snuffed out... it's dead, done, gone?

:-D I'm just thinking out loud with everyone. I'm not hear to create adversity.... (EDIT: I mean dissention, not adversity!)

If we became born again, does that not mean that we are a new creation, putting off the old ways of sin? If this is true, in that we died to our past ways of wickedness, doesn't "putting to death" mean that the life of the sinful nature then becomes snuffed out... it's dead, done, gone?

If this is true do we consider impure thoughts to be an attack from the devil or is it a part of are sin nature that will not completely die until we are transformed in his image? I like to believe in entire sanctification but this has got to be a process of cleansing the mind from our old sinful self that we lived in before being born again. Just my thoughts in my experience in my walk with Christ. The same here just thinking outloud.

Brother Craig

I mean, if we don't live a sanctified life, having put sin to DEATH in our "conversion" are we truly converted?

When we are born again, we are dead to sin.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:
[b]Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. [/b]

If we look at sancitification from the begining, maybe we can see if it is a process or not.

Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Here is something my pastor always says, "You can't get any more holy than the blood!"

G37
ἁγιάζω
hagiazō
Thayer Definition:
1) to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow
2) to separate from profane things and dedicate to God
2a) consecrate things to God
2b) dedicate people to God
3) to purify
3a) to cleanse externally
3b) to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin
3c) to purify internally by renewing of the soul

(1Th 5:23)
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.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Jos 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

Eze 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

Eze 36:23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

Eze 38:23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

hmmhmm wrote:
G37
ἁγιάζω
hagiazō
Thayer Definition:
1) to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow
2) to separate from profane things and dedicate to God
2a) consecrate things to God
2b) dedicate people to God
3) to purify
3a) to cleanse externally
3b) to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin
3c) to purify internally by renewing of the soul

(1Th 5:23)
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.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Jos 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

Eze 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

Eze 36:23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

Eze 38:23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Excellent Scripture hmmmhmm... so what are your thoughts considering the Scripture you shared? Is sanctification a process, or should it be an immediate taking place unto true conversion?

Jay Wrote:

This may be a first...but I agree with BenWilliams!!!!

Well y'know Jay, I'm not completely insane...yet! ;-)
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So far, all I have seen in this discussion from the opposing side about sanctification is personal preference, no reference to hardly any scripture. I want to bring up a very interesting point here:

Let's start with salvation.

When a man is saved, he is forgiven, and is made instantly righteous in God's eyes.

That is called Justification.

To those who think that Sanctification takes place at salvation, what is sanctification. And why does the scripture differentiate between holiness and Sanctification, and Justification.

Paul tells us that our Sanctification comes through the word of God. Specifically in dealing with marriage.

[b][color=CC0000]Ephesians 5:26

26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,[/color][/b]

I submit that if a marriage needs the word of God to be sanctified, than certainly every other part does as well.

I would also suggest to anyone who does believe sanctification occurs immediately at salvation,(or should) needs to go to the Old Testament and read about sanctification, so that they can have a true perspective of what it really means.

i believe there are some immediate, when we are born again, we become a new creature, but there are still things in us that need to be cleansed,

i use my own life as a "type", when i got saved i immediately got cleansed from many things, totally delivered. The things that hindered me from following him, but then i picked up the word of God, and then God shows me things to deal whit, things i must forsake, cleanse myself from,

the word through the spirit shows me what i need to do, convicts me and makes me want to be holy

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

these verses can mean other things to

but to me they speak about us cleansing us to be a testimony to the world, that there are a people who are "holy" sanctified, a people that 'shines like a light' in this dark world, Gods people

Eze 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

Eze 36:23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

God gives strength and power to do the this, but i also can see that it is a testing, will you sanctify yourself? God don't force you, there is the process,

if we where immediately sanctified totally, then there would be no need for praying about it, no need to go listen to sermons...becuse I'm finiched...

just my thoughts on it