You ARE Sanctified by Faith

There is a popular teaching in the church today that is fine with the truth that you are saved by grace through faith and even that you are justified by faith but sanctification is a process that involves good works and performance to earn or work for your sanctification.

There are a few problems with this of course and the first is that's not what the bible says.

Strong's concordance definition of 'sanctified' is: I make holy, treat as holy, set apart as holy, sanctify, hallow, purify.

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me. Act 26:18

These are the words of Jesus to Saul (Paul) at his conversion and he states that sanctification comes by faith and also notice the word ARE, means past tense.

Paul in speaking to the Corinthian church makes this statement on the heels of just reading them off a pretty big list of things like fornicators, idolaters, adulterers... etc will not inherit the kingdom of God

And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor 6:11

He's telling a church that was up to some pretty bad things and had even heard about them something's that were on that list he just read off. And he says to them, Such WERE some of you but now... you are washed, you are sanctified and you are justified !! How can that be? The answer is simply the only way you can be those things, by Faith in the Lord Jesus and his finished work.

Paul knew something about the finished work of Christ that does not get preach very much today. That by faith you ARE washed, you ARE justified and you ARE sanctified.

Why is that important? And why was it important for Paul to remind them of that?

People accuse the gospel of grace message as giving people a license to sin. I like to remind them that people are sinning all the time with and without a license. This doctrine that says, you're dirty and you need to work until you are showing the evidence of your sanctification. Here is the danger of believing that you are dirty...

Suppose you are walking down a hallway and you have a piece of garbage that you are looking to dispose of. You come to the end of the hallway and there are two rooms on either side. One is an absolute mess, garbage and debris all over the floors, you can not even step into it and find a place to put your foot. The other side of the hall there is a room that is meticulously kept, spotless and nothing out of place. In which room would you throw your garbage?

The dirty room of course, because what difference will one more piece of garbage make? To throw it in the spotless room would feel wrong and look out of place. It is the same way with someone who believes that they are still dirty, when they are tempted with sin, they can reason, what's one more? But on the other hand when you know how sanctified and set apart the Lord has made you, you would feel out of place or uncomfortable yielding to that temptation. This is why Paul reminded them that they are washed, justified and sanctified.

Now that you know you ARE sanctified let me show you HOW the bible says you are.

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Heb 10:10

For by one offering he has perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Heb 10:14

Why Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Heb 13:12

Through the finished work of the cross and the blood of Jesus you are sanctified, once and for all. Set apart, Holy and blameless.

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it. 1 Thes 5:23-24

Amen. Notice WHO does it? He that called you.

For those who reject the idea that you are sanctified by faith in the blood of Jesus, take notice to what the author of the book of Hebrews says:

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, with which he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite to the Spirit of grace? Heb 10:29

So we see again, it is the blood of the covenant (the blood of Jesus) that sanctified you. But here it says if you consider it an unholy thing...(How?) by rejecting it or not believing it and considering yourself dirty you have "done despite to the Spirit of grace." The term "has done despite" in the greek means you have insulted or mocked the Spirit of grace.

Believing you have to work to be sanctified is an insult to the finished work of Jesus and the Spirit of grace. It's saying the work is not finished. I heard someone say recently, "God's not impressed by your sacrifice, He wants you to be impressed with His!"

By Faith in Jesus finished work you are as righteous, justified and sanctified today as you will be in heaven. I know that because of Revelation 22:11 (the word 'holy' is the same word used all through the New Testament as Sanctify)

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Rev 22:11

Rest in the finished work of Jesus today. Grace & Peace