FOR the lasting blessing and true peace of the Christian it is important to understand the subject of sanctification. So many really sincere people are striving after a deeper holiness and a fuller sanctification in an unscriptural way, with the consequence that the peace of their souls is sadly disturbed.
No one should strive after inward holiness, or seek to be sanctified, as the way to peace with God. All my inward striving will not bring peace. All my noblest resolutions to be more holy will not bring rest. All the vows I may make to God on my bended knees after a sad failure only show plainly I do not enjoy settled abiding peace with God. All my distress because of my failure to carry out my resolutions to be more holy only shows the legality of my mind, and that I do not understand grace, and that I am not established in it.
Grace makes no claim, looks for no conditions, asks for no vows, otherwise it would not be grace. God’s grace is sovereign and free. Grace works by what it brings to us, and not by what it finds in us.
We may look at sanctification in four ways:—
Sanctification by the Spirit.
Sanctification by the blood of Christ.
Sanctification in the risen life of Christ.
Sanctification by the word of truth.
Sanctification by the Spirit.
That there is a work of the Holy Spirit done in us is clear from several scriptures. For instance, we read in 1 Peter 1:2 The expression, “Through sanctification of the Spirit.” It is really the new birth—being born of God—which produces the divine nature. Without the divine nature we could not see the kingdom of God, much less enter it. God’s kingdom is one of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Without the new birth we are absolutely dead to the things of God, and have no desire for them. Without the new birth we could not see our true state as sinners in the sight of a holy God. Birth brings sight and hearing with it, whether it be natural or spiritual birth. When our eyes are opened in a spiritual way we see.
But what do we see?
We get a sight of our past. We get a sight of our own sinful state. We get a sight of the future. Death and the future bring terror because of our sinful past. Our present sinfulness makes us miserable because we learn in our helplessness we cannot mend the past, or make ourselves right with regard to the present or future.
This is what plunges souls into misery sometimes bordering on despair.
Every effort put forth, however good the intention may be, only teaches the true and earnest soul its own utter weakness, and what the power of indwelling sin is. This is a very humbling process, but it is wholesome and needful to teach humility. Humility is the hardest lesson we have to learn. It is by this means we are brought down so as to be glad to accept the work of Christ done for us. When we do so we enter into true rest of soul before God.
Sanctification By The Blood Of Christ.
This subject is fully treated of in Hebrews 10 There the perfectly finished work of Christ is contrasted with the unfinished work of the Jewish priests under the old economy, which was the age of law, and hence of man’s probation and man’s works. Daily, in the holy place, the Jewish priests offered sacrifices, which never took away sins. Indeed, these sacrifices only brought the people’s sins to remembrance. Therefore the people under law in the age of works never had the enjoyment of a purified conscience. This is a conscience that, after the sense of purification, knows no stain of sin or guilt. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:44For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4)).
In contrast with their sacrifices, Christ’s one offering of Himself as Victim for our sins is set forth in all its blessed perfection as not bringing sins to remembrance, but as putting them away, so as never to come up either before God, or the believer, any more. Hence the believer, in this day of grace, is regarded as having a perfect conscience, or a conscience purged from all stain of sin by the knowledge that Christ’s one offering has made a perfect and eternal purification for all his sins.
The clear and unmistakable evidence of this is that He is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Being seated there shows His work of purification is done, and done completely, to the entire satisfaction of God.
The Jewish priests, who offered sacrifices in the holy place, were never seated. They always stood. There was no seat in the holy courts. This is the clearest evidence that their work was never finished. The law of ceremonies had no completeness or finality in it. It was only a shadow. It had no substance. Christ’s death is the end of it all. His death is the complete and final clearance before God for all who believe.
Because Christ’s work is finished and complete, and because God has accepted it on our behalf, He can testify to us in His written Word, which is the witness of the Holy Ghost to us, that “their [the believers’] sins and their iniquities will I remember NO MORE” (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)).
What a comfort! What peace! What rest! We may well say, Hallelujah! We can now look at a seated Saviour on the very throne of God He fills the throne in virtue of His own accomplished work. Our conscience can now be as perfect as His work is, and in all the perfection of His finished work He lives at God’s right hand.
The testimony of the Holy Ghost to us is, “By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:1414For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)). Think of being set apart to God in all the perfection of Christ’s infinite sacrifice! Think of always being before God in all the sweet fragrance of that infinite Sacrifice! We “ARE SANCTIFIED”; not shall be sanctified.
Believing this in our hearts drives away all tormenting dread of God’s holiness. We are now fitted for the light of divine and searching holiness. Hence one, who was in the knowledge of it in his dying hours, said to a friend who had come to see him— “The more holiness the better. The brighter the light the better. It can only bring out to my soul the value of my title.” Another in his dying hours lifted a piece of ice in his fingers, and said, “My title is as clear as that.”
Sanctification In The Risen Life Of Christ.
This is taught very plainly in 1St Corinthians, where the whole assembly of believers are addressed as “SANCTIFIED IN CHRIST JESUS.” Since we are sanctified in Christ Jesus we must be regarded by God as in the new creation life: “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)). This is true of the youngest, weakest, and feeblest believer now. It is not that we shall be a new creation in Christ at the Lord’s coming, though that will be also true as to our bodies, but we are that now before God in the One who is the Head of the new creation. We are in His risen life. “Who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30)). “We [are] made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)). “As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly” (1 Cor. 15:4848As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:48)). “Both He that sanctifieth and they who ARE SANCTIFIED are all of one” (Heb. 2:1111For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, (Hebrews 2:11)). “As He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:1717Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)).
Where is He? He is accepted in heaven, living in all the sunshine of the favor of the very God whose wrath He once endured on account of our sins.
Self-distressed soul, look up! Look not within! Look not around! Believe it! Receive it Make the joy of this truth your very own now! Let self go forever. Let your motto be henceforth and always, “NOT I BUT CHRIST.”
Sanctification By The Word Of Truth.
The truth of the Word is the instrument by which in the hand of the Spirit, we have been sanctified, and by which we grow, and by which as we grow we become more practically sanctified or separated to God from this evil world. “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth,” is the continual desire of the Son to the Father. The Word is as the seed of God, which in the Spirit’s power implants the divine life and nature in us. The Scriptures are also the sincere milk of the Word, and the food by which that life in us is nourished, and by which as children of God we grow.
In the power of the divine life and nature we love God, and hence love what He loves, and hate what He hates. This alone is true and practical sanctification. It is love, which is the divine nature, that purifies and sanctifies.
Sanctification is not the old man improved or made better in any way. It is not even the old nature, the flesh, restrained. It is to grow in the formative power of the new nature. That alone will restrain the old. Feed the new, and you will restrain the old. The more sanctified a person is, the less sanctified he will think himself to be. Moses did not see his own face shine. He did not even know it shone. Nothing is more subtle, or dangerous, or so inflates with fleshly pride as a spurious sanctification. The more sanctified I am, practically the more I will think and speak of Christ and less of self. P. W.