93. Sanctification
1 Corinthians 1:30c …and sanctification….
Christ is made unto us sanctification, as well as wisdom and righteousness. In Christ, by faith in Him, we are sanctification (sanctified). We are made holy. In systemic theology, sanctification is considered in mtwo ways, the narrow sense and the wider sense.
In the narrow sense we are immediately sanctified, meaning that we are declared completely holy on account of Christ and it is received as a gift by faith,. This is technically true, and it is definitively declared to be true in this promise: “[Christ]…is made unto us sanctification.” The holiness and righteousness is complete and whole with nothing lacking; we cannot add to it. Even though we do not look or act sanctified by any stretch, we are; we don’t see it, but by faith we are. Within us is the new man, created in Christ Jesus for good works that we should walk in them. This new man, the Holy Spirit living in our spirit, is without sin; he does not keep on sinning. “God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. “ [1 John 3:9}.
In the wider sense we are progressively being sanctified, meaning that we are gradually living better lives, becoming more and more Christ-like. It’s a process; we are not perfected yet and will not be until we die. In other words, the actual life and behavior grows to line up more and more closely to the “holy man” within. The outward behavior of the soul lives out of the new man. The Spirit guides, directs and influences the soul to think, decide, say and do good works. Motivation and ability to live a more sanctified life arises directly out of the imputed and authoritatively declared sanctification. We are not normally able to discern what the Spirit is doing and what the soul is doing. We don’t see the Spirit’s inner activity, and because we don’t see it we are willing to take the credit for the good works. But Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God pierces to the division of soul and of spirit and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We let the Spirit use the Word to discern motivations, and we let Him do the work of sanctification. We do not claim credit for good works done, but we do accept blame for bad works.
The promise says that we are sanctified already and also that we are in the process of being sanctified. The one is declared by God; the other is worked out by God. The “working out” is based on the “already done.” God did it and God is doing it.