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Answer
Sanctification is God’s will for us. “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). The term sanctification is linked to the word saint; both terms are associated with holiness. To “sanctify” something is to set it apart for a special purpose; to “sanctify” a person is to make them holy.
Jesus spoke extensively about sanctification in John 17. In verse 16, the Lord states, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it,” preceding His plea: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (verse 17). In Christian theology, sanctification is a condition of being set apart for God; all believers enter this condition when they are born of God: “You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” “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, ESV). The sanctification mentioned in this passage is a one-time separation of believers unto God. It is a work performed by God, an essential part of our salvation and our relationship with Christ “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Theologians sometimes describe this state of holiness before God as “positional” sanctification; it is connected to justification.
While we are in a positionalBy being “set free from every sin” through the blood of Christ (Acts 13:39), we acknowledge that we still sin. As stated in 1 John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” This is why the Bible also describes sanctification as the practical process of our dedication to God. Referred to as “progressive” or “experiential” sanctification, it is the result of obeying God’s Word in our lives. It is akin to spiritual growth, as mentioned in 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
God initiated the work of conforming us to be like Christ, and He continues this work, as stated in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Believers are encouraged to earnestly pursue this type of sanctification, as highlighted in 1 Peter 1:15 and Hebrews 12:14. This transformation is achieved through the application of the Word, as expressed in John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
Progressive sanctification aims to set believers apart for their intended purpose in the world. Jesus, in John 17:18-19, affirms this purpose: “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” Jesus’ consecration to God’s purpose serves as the foundation and requirement for our own consecration (see John 10:36). We are sanctified and sent out because Jesus was.Our Lord’s sanctification serves as the model and source of power for our own sanctification. The sending and sanctifying processes are closely linked. This is why we are referred to as “saints” (hagioi in Greek), or “sanctified ones.” Before salvation, our conduct reflected our position in the world, separated from God. Now, our conduct should reflect our position before God, set apart from the world. Gradually, day by day, those who are in the process of being sanctified are growing more like Christ. (Hebrews 10:14, ESV)
Another way the term sanctification is used in Scripture is in reference to a “complete” or “ultimate” sanctification, which is synonymous with glorification. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul prays, “May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (ESV). Paul describes Christ as “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27) and connects Christ’s glorious return to our personal glorification: “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). This glorified state will mark our ultimate freedom from sin, a complete sanctification in every aspect. “We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
« Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. », (1 John 3:2).
To summarize, “sanctification” is a translation of the Greek word hagiasmos, meaning “holiness” or “a separation.” In the past, God granted us justification, a once-for-all, positional holiness in Christ. In the present, God guides us to maturity, a practical, progressive holiness. In the future, God will give us glorification, a permanent, ultimate holiness. These three phases of sanctification separate the believer from the penalty of sin (justification), the power of sin (maturity), and the presence of sin (glorification).
