Sanctification may be a term you are not super familiar with and this particular topic has sparked many discussions throughout the centuries. To put it in everyday terms, sanctification is the process in which God makes us holy. A lot of people may read that and have a hard time understanding how they can be made holy like God or think the concept is fueled by pride. But it is actually the complete opposite. Sanctification happens only when we submit every area of our lives to God; when we die to our own will and live only for his. Scripture not only encourages sanctification but commands it.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:3 scripture says, “It is God's will that you should be sanctified.”
1 Peter 1:15-16 states, “Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Being made holy does not mean we will be without sin, we were born into sin and the only way to truly escape it will be when we are in heaven with God. However, we can be without intentional sin. What is the difference between intentional and unintentional sin? Having an unclear definition of sin can create tension and confusion when it comes to the doctrine of sanctification. According to author Richard S.Taylor, sin is an intentional or unintentional act that misses the mark for the standard of love, meaning anything we do that can further us from God such as, pride, laziness or lying etc. John Wesley emphasizes the difference between a sin and a mistake. A sin is a wrongful action one does intentionally while a mistake is done out of ignorance. A mistake (or unintentional sin) would not affect our walk with God because he knows the intentions of one’s heart. For example, Deuteronomy 19:4 says, “If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety.” God instructs that the person who committed an unintentional sin is able to escape and not be punished by the law because their heart was blameless.
Therefore, we can in fact be made like God every day if we so choose to follow in his path. The process of sanctification does not happen overnight, it is a lifelong process that includes, initial, progressive, entire, and continual sanctification. Initial sanctification occurs at salvation and then over time one progressively becomes more like Christ and then they can experience entire sanctification by dying to themselves and living for God. After this stage one continually walks more towards God until they are glorified with him after death.
This shows us a part of who God is because if God requires holiness from his people then he too must be holy; making it within reach for his creation (Oswalt). The people in the Old Testament had a hard time understanding this because the gods they followed were not ethical themselves, they were unfaithful, vengeful, and malicious. However, the God of Isreal remains ethical and calls his people to be as well. This is why he established the law, so we can know how to be made more like him.
Once you invite Christ into your heart and accept the gift of salvation that he freely offers then sanctification begins! As we walk in his footsteps by finding a church to call home, praying, reading the Bible, finding ways to connect with him we become people who no longer seek what we want but seek God wants for us. He will not control you or make you a mindless robot. We have free will to do what we please on this earth which is why we have to choose to be made holy or keep living in sin. The choice is yours.
Sources: Nobel, Taylor, Oswalt, Sanctification paper by Rachel Reigard.
