What God has begun in
regeneration He will work to continue without
interruption throughout the believer’s life.
"For I am sure of this very
thing, that the one who began a good work in you
will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus"
(Philippians 1:6, NET).
If you put your trust in Jesus
Christ as your Savior, God has already begun His
work of perfecting you. He will not stop until He
has accomplished His goal in you. It is true that
God has perfected forever the believer by His faith
in Christ, but it is also equally true that the
believer is far from being perfect in daily life and
practice (Phil. 3:12-15). The practical work of
being perfected is always before the believer in
this life. He is to hunger for righteousness and
hate sin.
“We believe that Sanctification
is the process by which according to the will of
God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it
is a progressive work; that it is begun in
regeneration, and that it is carried on in the
hearts of believers by the presence and power of the
Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the
continual use of the appointed means—especially the
Word of God, self-examination, self-denial,
watchfulness and prayer” (New Hampshire Baptist
Confession, 1833, Article x).
Progressive, practical,
experiential sanctification begins when we are born
again and placed “in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17; John 3:5,
8).
Progressive sanctification is a
daily dealing with our sins and growth in holiness.
This progressive sanctification will culminate in
perfect sanctification when we see Jesus and become
eternally like Him. Growth in holiness should follow
conversion (Eph. 1:4; Phil. 3:12).
The Christian life begins with
regeneration whereby the Holy Spirit implants
spiritual life in the believer. Sanctification
begins at that same moment of the new birth and God
progressively separates the new believer from sin
unto Himself. He transforms the whole life toward
holiness and purity.
This process of sanctification
never ends during this earthly life. It will be
consummated in glorification when the believer
through the death and resurrection or at the Rapture
stands in the presence of the Lord God conformed to
the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Believers have been “set
apart,” sanctified, once-for-all by the perfect
offering of Christ’s body for our sins. All
believers are sanctified positionally. It is our new
standing with God as Christians. Our standing is
what God has done for us in Christ. Progressive
sanctification, on the other hand, refers to
sanctification as experienced in the daily life of
the believer. Daily victory over sin is itself a
separation unto God and is therefore sanctification.
This should be an ever-increasing growth experience.
It involves our availability to
the Holy Spirit, our separation from sin, and our
growth in the likeness of Christ. Every Christian is
a sanctified person, belonging to Christ, and
therefore should keep from immorality (1 Cor.
6:13-14; 2 Cor. 7:1). We are involved in a lifetime
struggle against sin and a moment-by-moment
submission to the Holy Spirit for victory.
Romans 12:1 admonishes the
believer to “present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service.” It is a choice we make as believers. No
one else can make that choice for us. It is
self-determined and is repeated often. We are to
“reckon” or “consider yourselves to be dead to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). Based
upon that truth “do not let sin reign in your mortal
body that you should obey its lusts” (Rom. 6:12).
“For sin shall not be master over you, for you are
not under law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). The
principle is clearly stated in Rom. 6:22, “But now
having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you
derive your benefit (lit. fruit), resulting in
sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.”
In Romans 6:5-23 the apostle
Paul stresses the right attitudes for
sanctification. They are to reckon on Christ, yield
to righteousness and obedient faithfully serve Him.
“Now God has set you free from sin and made you His
slaves.”
The Holy Spirit uses the Word
of God in the prevention of sin in the Christian’s
life. The Psalmist testified, “Thy Word I have
treasured in my heart that I might not sin against
Thee” (Psalm 119:11).
The intercessory ministry of
our great high priest in heaven who shepherds His
sheep keeps us from sin (Rom. 8:34). Christ
“intercedes for us.” The writer of Hebrews writes,
“He is able to save forever those who draw near to
God through Him, since He always lives to make
intercession for them” (Rom. 7:25).
The Holy Spirit indwells the
believer for the purpose of enabling us to overcome
sin and conform us to the likeness of Christ. When
we “walk by the Spirit” we do not carry out the
deeds of the flesh, but produce “the fruit of the
Spirit” (Gal. 5:16, 22).
God has made full provision
when the Christian does sin. God has provided
cleansing and forgiveness through the all-sufficient
sacrifice of Christ (1 John 1:6-10). Our fallen
nature is ever prone to sin (Rom. 7:21; 2 Cor. 4:7;
1 John 1:8).
The Scriptures do not promise
eradication of our fallen nature. However, the Holy
Spirit gives us moment by moment victory through His
indwelling presence (Gal. 5:16-23). The believer is
to be under the control of the Spirit and to walk
accordingly (Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16).
Our sanctification is a growing
sense of how sinful we really are, so we will
constantly turn to and depend upon Christ for our
every need.
Not only is there the negative
side of sanctification in removing sin, there is
also our growth in Christ-likeness. The apostle
Peter wrote, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). We are
to be “conformed to the image” of Christ (Rom.
8:29). As we behold the glory of the risen Christ we
are being “changed into the same image from glory to
glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2
Corinthians 3:18).
Progressive sanctification sets
us more and more apart from “the world, the flesh
and the devil,” and makes us more and more like our
risen Lord in character.
It is only as we “abide in Him”
that we grow in Christian maturity. The end result
of a life fully yielded to God is eternal life.
The Holy Spirit applies to
believers at their conversion what Christ
accomplished with His death and resurrection (Eph.
2:4-7). The same atoning sacrifice of Christ that
obtained our forgiveness also accomplished our
sanctification.
The sanctified life is a life
of personal fellowship with the Father in Christ
(Gal. 2:20). It is a life of Sonship, of love, of
trust (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). God graciously gives
Himself to us. The Christian life is an intimate
personal relation with Him.
The fruit of such a life is
holiness. If you are living a sinful life, your
conduct is inconsistent with any Christian
profession you may have.
Sanctification includes all of
life. "We are to grow up in all aspects into Him who
is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15).
The mature Christian knows that
he is always in Romans 7 apart from the Holy Spirit.
Our dependence upon the Holy Spirit is not something
that is attained once for all, but is the result of
a daily struggle and a constantly renewed
commitment.
God will not give up on His
goal of making you become like Christ. He will not
give up on you until the day He presents you
complete, perfect, and mature to the Father in
heaven.
Philippians 1:6; 3:12-15; 2
Corinthians 5:17; 7:1; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians
6:13-14; Romans 6:11-14; 7:1-25; 1 John 1:8-2:2;
Galatians 5:16-23; Galatians 2:20
1. God always finishes what He
begins. He will not give up on us until the day He
presents us complete in Christ.
2. God began a good work in you
when you were born again.
3. Progressive sanctification
is a daily dealing with our sins and growth in
holiness.
4. The Holy Spirit indwells us
with the purpose of enabling us to overcome sin and
conform us to the likeness of Christ.
The Christian's Progressive
Sanctification
Sanctification in Christ
Progressive Sanctification
Our Absolute and Progressive Sanctification
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 Transformed from Glory to
Glory
Sanctification Place Growth
The Bible and our Sanctification
Progressive Growth - Sanctification
Our Old Carnal Sinful Nature
Everything in Christ
Ephesians 2:10 God's Masterpiece
Philippians 2:12-18 Work out Your Salvation
Philippians 1:6 Believer's Perseverance Eternal
Security in Jesus
Romans 6:1-14 Free at Last
Romans 7:14-8:4 A Saint's Struggle with Sin
Indwelling Sin
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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Reports on what God is doing through Bible believing evangelical Christians in Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, India and Ecuador. Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).
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