Sanctification

“Behold, I am come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” Hebrews 10:9-10. The Hebrew author teaches that the reason Christ came to earth was to accomplish the will of the Father. Jesus stated, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work” John 4:34. Notice the power of this will: God’s will, and Jesus’ mission, was to sanctify us though the offering he gave upon the cross.

The word ‘sanctified’ means “to make holy, to set apart”, or “to consecrate”, according to Strong’s Greek Dictionary. The words ‘sanctified’ and ‘sanctification’ are verb forms of the word ‘saint’. These words are used many times throughout our Bibles. For example, the word “saint” is used 88 times in the American Standard Bible, “sanctification” 52 times, and “sanctify” 60 times. Because of this fact it is easy to see God holds the idea of sanctification as extremely important. After all, it was Christ’s mission on earth to sanctify all those who are willing to come to him and receive the blessing of his sacrifice.

Perhaps you have heard someone state at one time, “I am no saint”. According to the Bible, if you are a Christian, you are a saint! Paul stated, regarding those who had become Christians, “And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God” 1 Corinthians 6:11. After being obedient to the saving Gospel people are sanctified, or made saints. “Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints” Jude 1:3.

When Paul wrote his letters to the churches, many times he addressed them as the saints that are in Christ. For example, Paul wrote to the church at Rome: “To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 1:7. Likewise, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours” 1 Corinthians 1:2. We are “called to be saints” by calling upon the name of God, Romans 10.13, Acts 22.16. Sanctification is an action God does to us by our obedient faith.

Sainthood is not a man or church granted privilege reserved for a select few people to attain long after they have died. Sainthood belongs to all those who come to Christ for forgiveness. Once we are washed God sanctifies. Have your sins been washed away, Acts 22.16?