Sanctification
Key Verses:
“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” — 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV)
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” — Hebrews 10:14 (ESV)
Definition:
ἁγιασμός (hagiasmos) — purification.
Sanctification is the ongoing work of God’s grace by which those who have been justified are progressively purified and conformed to the image of Christ. Though believers are declared holy in position before God the moment they are saved, sanctification also involves a lifelong process in which their attitudes, desires, and actions grow increasingly holy and aligned with the character of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Every mature follower of Christ should be able to look back and see genuine growth and transformation. Christ does not leave His people as He found them.
Explanation:
Sanctification has both a definitive and a progressive aspect.
Definitive sanctification occurs at conversion—when a believer is set apart as holy in Christ and freed from the dominion of sin. This is what Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 6:11 when he declares, “you were sanctified.” It is a completed act, a positional holiness granted through union with Christ.
Progressive sanctification, however, is the daily transformation that follows. Though sin’s penalty has been removed, its presence still lingers in our flesh. Therefore, the Spirit continues to purify us inwardly, shaping our hearts and minds through Scripture, prayer, obedience, and trials. Paul exhorts believers in Philippians 2:12 to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” This does not mean we earn salvation but that we diligently cooperate with the Spirit’s sanctifying work. Our struggles, temptations, and sufferings are not meaningless—they are divinely appointed means by which God refines us, teaching dependence and producing holiness.
Sanctification, then, is both God’s work and our responsibility. God supplies the grace, the Spirit, and the will—yet we are called to yield, obey, and pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14). This partnership reflects the mystery of grace and effort: God’s sovereignty does not nullify human action but empowers it.
Application:
To be sanctified is to live as one who is already holy in Christ while actively pursuing holiness in practice. The believer must avoid both pride—as though sanctification were self-achieved—and despair—as though progress were impossible. God Himself is faithful to complete the good work He began (Philippians 1:6). Each trial, each moment of conviction, and each act of obedience is part of that refining process.
Reflection:
Sanctification reminds us that holiness is not a single event but a lifelong pilgrimage toward Christlikeness. The Spirit’s refining fire burns away what is earthly in us, revealing a clearer reflection of our Savior. Though progress may seem slow, every act of repentance, every surrender, and every moment of perseverance is evidence of God’s sanctifying grace at work within us.
Prayer:
Father, make me holy as You are holy. Teach me to walk by Your Spirit and not by the desires of my flesh. When I fail, lift me up; when I grow weary, strengthen me. Conform my heart, mind, and actions to the image of Christ, that my life may bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.