Sanctification Pt 3
This is Part 3 in Mack’s 3-part series on Sanctification
“You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Lev. 19:2. ESV).
We have considered what the will of God is for our life: it is our sanctification. Further, we briefly considered how it is we are sanctified: when we abide in Christ. But to complete our brief consideration of sanctification, it would be worth understanding why sanctification is important. I hope to show that the reason we must be serious about our sanctification is because it is the process of holiness; and holiness is important because it is the will of God, it glorifies God, is the key to a healthy relationship with God, is the state of a restored humanity, and is our protection.
Sanctification and Holiness
Sanctification is the process of becoming holy. We have touched upon this in part 1 and part 2, but it is worth restating to stress the value of this process. Sanctification is the process of becoming holy; of becoming more and more like Jesus, by cooperating with the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for sanctification is ΄αγιασμός (pronounced hagiasmos), which literally means holiness. Therefore, when Paul writes to the Church in Thessalonica “For this is the will of God for your life: your sanctification…” (1st Thes. 4:3) he uses the word ΄αγιασμός for sanctification. Paul is saying that God’s will is for his children to be holy.
What is holiness, then? We know that sanctification is the process of becoming holy (of becoming more like Jesus), which is the will of God for our lives; but what does it mean to become more like Jesus – to become more and more holy? The biblical definition for holiness involves two parts that, taken together, provides a full understanding of the concept. To be holy is to be consecrated, separated, and distinct. It also means blamelessness and purity.
When the scriptures describe God as holy, one of its meanings is that God is distinct and separate. “There is none holy like the LORD…” (1 Sm. 2:2). God is entirely unique from everything he has made, flawless in His being, perfect in all that He does. There is a similar concept at play in the creation story.
The seventh day, the Sabbath, is holy (Gen 2:3; Ex 20:8); that is unique, set aside to God, separate from what is regular. Just as there is no other God like our God, there is no other day of the week like the Sabbath. When the psalmist cries “Holy and awesome is his name.” (Ps. 111:9), he is saying something significant about the name of God – it is separate, uncommon, sacred, pure; not to be treated lightly! (It is both remarkable and sobering how many Christians break the third commandment daily: as if the name of God or Jesus Christ were a common thing – and use it as profanity!) Therefore, if we are called to be holy, we are called to be separate and distinct (1 Pt. 1:16). There is also the notion that because God is holy, He is pure, without flaw, and blameless in every way.
But for us, what does this holiness (this distinction) look like? We obviously cannot be like God regarding our being; so, what does it mean to be separated? Holiness is something much more than moral purity and blamelessness; but it does not exist without these. Paul writes in 1 Thess. 4:7 “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” In Titus 1:8 we are called to be “upright, holy, and blameless.” Jesus is our “high priest, holy, innocent, and unstained.” (Heb. 7:26). Here the connotations with holiness are discipline, innocence, purity, and uprightness. To be separated and distinct carries with it a separation from impurity, from a stained and undisciplined lifestyle. Whereas God is distinct and separate above everything He has made; pure and blameless in all that He is and does, we are meant to be separate and distinct from the impure and blameworthy things around us.
We live a holy life when (with the help of the Holy Spirit) we abstain and abhor the profane, impure, unrighteous, and blameworthy things of our society, repenting of the corrupted elements of our culture. We do this because of who we are: a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession” who are meant to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness and into his marvelous light.” (1 Pet. 2:9. Bracket mine).
Why it Matters
Why does it matter to live a holy life? What are the consequences of a holy and an unholy life? There are 5 reasons why holiness in our life matters: God commands us to holiness; and because God commands us, our obedience will glorify God. Holiness is necessary to have fellowship with God; holiness is our restored position; and finally, holiness is our protection.
First, we are commanded to walk in holiness: it is the desire of God that we should “control [our] own [bodies] in holiness and honor” (1 Thess. 4:4. Bracket Mine.). “You shall be holy,” commands God to the Israelites, “for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Lev. 19:2). This very same command Peter repeats in his epistle: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1st Pet 1:15-16). The commands of God are the expression of the desires of God; and whatever God speaks reflects who He is, and what He wills.
Secondly, our holiness glorifies God. Note the command of God to Israel: “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” Notice how intimate the connection draws between Himself and His people. There is an expectation on the people of God due to the sacred link between who God is, and our status as His children. This is not something unfamiliar to us or difficult to understand. How often do children reflect their relationship with their father and mother through their actions? Or, how often is the reputation of the father or mother garnered by the actions of their child?
When a child behaves well, we see that not only as a testament to the character of the child, but also as a statement on the parents. “Beloved” writes Peter, “I urge you as sojourners and exiles [here again is the idea of separation] to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1st Pet. 2:11-12. Bracket mine. Italics mine). We need not look further than Romans 2:22-24 to see a consequence of disobedience: “You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by Breaking the law. For it is written, ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” (Italics mine). It is remarkable to consider that God has tied Himself to His people.
The depth of such a love ought to give us pause: for those of us who claim to love God, have we sufficiently considered the consequences of our actions and the quality of our hearts? Or have we forgotten that we are meant to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called us” not only with our words, but with our actions as well? (James 1:22; 1 John 3:18).
Thirdly, without holiness, we cannot have fellowship with God. “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7). The author of Hebrews writes “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14. Italics mine). Further, our Lord gives us a solemn warning: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matt. 7: 21-23. Italics Mine.)
Though mentioned above, it bears repeating: holiness is separation from what defiles; what is impure; what is evil; what is sin – what is lawless. God, who is holy, does not abide in or with the unholy life; and we cannot have fellowship with God unless we are pursuing a holy life. Oil and water do not mix. “For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2nd Corinthians 6:14).
It can be seen from the points above that holiness is important because it is also our restoration. As an act of obedience, as a lifestyle of glorification of God and fellowship with God, a life of holiness is a life that is the original purpose of humanity. To glorify God and walk in fellowship with Him is the end of our creation. Holiness is, therefore, humanity as we are meant to be.
Finally, holiness is our protection. It stands to reason that if we cannot have fellowship with God without a holy lifestyle, then to live an unholy life is to separate ourselves from God. This does not mean that if a Christian commits a sin, he is no longer saved; rather, if he sins, his relationship with the Godhead is damaged. Because God only dwells with the holy life, an unholy life is a life outside the presence of God and His protection. “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7). Consider the words of Christ after He healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2-9): “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14. Italics Mine).
When David slept with Bathsheba and murdered her husband Uriah, the Lord explained the consequence of his sin. “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” (2 Sam. 12:10). Certainly not every problem we face is a result of our sins; but we need to seriously consider the implications of a life outside the presence and will of God, and ask ourselves what (or whose) influence we are vulnerable too.
We must remember that the devil prowls like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). But to the believer who walks in holiness, what does the scripture say? “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” (1 John 5:18. Italics Mine). We are safest when we walk in the will of our Father.
For these reasons we must take our sanctification seriously. Not simply because God commands it (though that is certainly enough); but because it glorifies God, it is the foundation of fellowship with Him, it is how we are meant to live, and it is our protection. A genuine Christian will care about his or her sanctification because our sanctification facilitates these things.
To continue in sanctification (to continue in holiness and increasing separation from the world) is the will of God for the believer, and ought to be the desire of the believer.
