Sanctification means, “to be set apart," for a specific purpose. Sanctification involves separation, dedication, purity, consecration, and service. In being set apart and separate from sin, he or she is separated unto God. By belonging to the family of God, he or she is identified with God and made pure. Being consecrated, he or she is set apart for God’s use in acceptable service.
“Now may the God of peace sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
When a person is sanctified he or she is being set apart by God for a specific divine purpose. The very moment we are saved in Christ, we are also immediately sanctified, and begin the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. As children of God, we are “set apart” from that moment, to carry out His divine purpose, unto eternity. Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
Even though we have been “set apart," we continue to behave in ways that are contrary to God. Paul tells us that there is an inner battle being waged within us. A battle between our old sinful nature and our new nature. Paul describes the two forces at work within us — the Holy Spirit and our evil inclinations. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Galatians 5:17
Sanctification is an inward spiritual process where God brings about holiness and change in a Christian by means of the Holy Spirit.
We are all faced with challenging issues. We all have struggled with sin. We all have a past life. We all have done things that were not pleasing to God. But once we accepted Jesus into our lives, the Holy Spirit entered our lives and started a transformation process. The Holy Spirit convicts us on the areas that need changing, to help us grow into holiness.
We will never be without sin, but through God’s sanctification, we will sin less. 1 John 1:18, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
We are a work in progress. Every believer, every day of our lives, we are in the process of sanctification. The process is personal for each of us. No one is on the same level. Our purposeful goal is to “sin-less” because we will not be “sinless” until we are marked present in our heavenly home.
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