Sanctification: A New Look

Throughout my Christian life, I had had an understanding of sanctification as was taught and as best I understood it from the Bible. Recently, however, I have come to see sanctification in a new light that has, for me, been quite helpful and illuminating.

It is quite normal to start out with one understanding and then to become quite accustomed to it. However, I think that God teaches us layer by layer, precept by precept. Here a little, there a little. I don't fancy getting new Revelations apart of Scripture in a gnostic or mystical way, but in my eyes being opened to what's already in Scripture by the Holy Spirit.

It is amusing that I grew up a Methodist and in many ways have adopted a Wesleyan way of thinking - arminianism, for example. John Wesley believed that God's grace can be described as threefold - prevenient grace, justifying grace and sanctifying grace. Justifying grace, from what I understand, is the grace God gives us when we come to Him in repentance. We have forgiven and justified because of what Christ did on the cross. Sanctifying grace is God's continuing work of perfecting us, making us more like Him. The work of sanctification is really on-going and is completed when our mortal bodies pass and we are taken into glory, so to speak. "Work out your salvation," says Scripture.

I remember, as a child, attending Bible studies on the books of Nehemiah, Romans and the like. These were not children's Bible studies but the same studies given to adults. We learned passages like Romans 6 and 8 by heart and all in all were given a good scriptural foundation.

However, I had always thought that justification and sanctification were individual processes, meant to make us perfect, meant to save us as individuals. I never thought about it in a wider context, so to speak. What if justified and sanctified was more than just about God purifying me, doing a good work in me... Ephesians 5 talks about Christ purifying the Church by the "washing of water by the word", to present to Himself a glorious bride "without spot or wrinkle".

But there's more. There's always more - when you go back to Scripture you can never say you "already know it all".

Let's go back to the word sanctify - it means to "set-apart", "make holy". God is Holy or "Wholly Other" from us. Set-apart. To be made holy is to be made like God, in His image. For His use.

I think of the vessels and tools used in the temple, as described in the Torah. They were set apart, consecrated, dedicated to be used in worship and offerings and the like. In the same way, I quite suddenly have realised, we are like instruments and tools. God sanctifies us not to be simply "polished trophies" but so that we are fit to be used. Sanctification is not some end-goal to be fulfilled upon our deaths. It is a continuous process of being sanctified and then being "put into action", being privileged to be part of God's plan.

Sanctification, therefore, also has immediate and practical use.  It's not about me eventually being sinless, without flaws and failings.

All of the sudden, Scriptures sprung to mind that corroborated this.

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
(2 Timothy 2:20-21)
 
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:10)

These are verses that I had known and studied for a long time, and yet now they are linked and I understand them a little more clearly.

I love seeing the word "good works" in Scripture. There's a sense of joy and hope, and I cannot help but ask God what works He would have me do, how he would have to cleanse me by trials and fires in order to make an unworthy, carnal vessel a useful one.

The verse that sparked all of this was one that was one in James. It's been awhile since I have revisited James, one that is like the book of Proverbs to me because of it's meaningful practicality. James launches into talking about "divers temptations", which I feel is best translated to the modern tongue by the word "difficulty". He's not talking about temptation in the sense of later verses, but in trials. Situations that aren't easy for us. Challenges.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
(James 1:2-4)

Another similar verse is in Romans 5:

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
(Romans 5:3-5)


 If a beloved brother and sister in Christ is going through seemingly pointless hardship and great difficulty, and if we go through such trials ourselves, there is a "silver lining". It's not that we are masochists and enjoy tormenting ourselves - God is not like that either. It is that life's difficulties -and life in this earth because of man's sin is one fraught with difficulty and sorrow - can bear good fruit, and work out for good rather than evil.

Take Joseph's life - his brothers meant evil, but God caused good to come out of it. It is not that the brothers were right and justified in their actions. They were not. They had to repent of their sin and hatred, the heart of murder that is evil in God's sight (Matthew 5). However, pointless and irredeemable circumstances in the world's view are not pointless and irredeemable in God's view. Even being sold into slavery was not just a "crime", "waste" or "injustice" to Joseph. Those years he spent in prison for a crime he did not commit were not meaningless.

To the Christian, it is not that suffering is any less of a sufferance. It is because we know that it is not in vain, that God makes all things "work out for good to them that love Him" (Romans 8). We also have hope beyond this life.

Think about people who are suffering in the world because of the cruelty and wickedness of others. Yes, it is wrong to do those things and we must do what we can out of love of our neighbour to prevent and stop any such thing. But to a person going through such a situation, Christ offers hope and redemption beyond what any human being can.

But I digress. To return to the thesis of this post, I would like to highly this passage from Second Timothy, a verse learned by heart as a child that I have thought back to several times for different reasons.


And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
(2 Timothy 3:15-17)

And there it now as clear as day: perfection is not just about perfection in the sense of achievement or having something to admire or enjoy. It is linked to the good works God intends to do.

Holiness is not self-centred. To be over-occupied with cleansing and purifying ourselves, with making rules and achieving personal right-ness is to veer off-course from the center of our Christian faith. I've seen and have been guilty of the tendency of become self-righteous in pursuit of this version of holiness, which is not altogether long but very lacking and a kind of deviance we need to guard against. A righteous person, I have realised, is not a person who "does all the right things" and "avoid doing all the wrong things". Sacrifice is not only about how many things I can give up "for God" but, just as importantly, the things God asks me to give up for others. It's about "laying down" our lives for our friends, it's about loving our neighbour, it's about serving and ministering and doing things for the "least" of Christ's brethren. It's about being used by God as a vessel of love.

The testimony of Scripture as a whole shows us that we are not being to be "so heavenly minded as to be of no earthly use". To be heavenly minded, it can be argued, is to be of great earthly use (according to God's will and ways, not our own).