Intentional Sanctification

What makes the difference between the person who simply fills their spot in the pew on Sunday morning and the person who takes the next step? Let’s answer this question by asking another: Is sanctification inevitable or intentional? In short it’s both: we receive it at conversion, and we progress in it.

While most agree that we receive sanctification at conversion, many disagree as to how precisely we progress in it. Because we focus so much of our teaching on avoiding legalism, we often view the progressive aspect of sanctification as inevitable rather than intentional. However, this position is problematic: It breeds stagnant Christianity, and it is inconsistent with Reformational Arminianism.

Inevitable and Intentional Sanctification

The first step in understanding sanctification is to understand salvation. Salvation is instigated and carried out by God’s grace (Jn. 6:44). However, man may choose to receive this unmerited gift through faith (Rom. 1:16-17; 3:21-22, 25-26; 4:13; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9).

At conversion believers receive both justification and sanctification. Justification refers to God’s forgiveness of the sinner and imputation of Christ’s righteousness to him. Because the justification element of salvation entails our objective right-standing before God by Christ’s work, it logically precedes sanctification.

Sanctification then refers to the positional and progressive conformity of believers to Christ’s image. It is the experiential, subjective appropriation of Christ’s objective work through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling and work. Meaning literally to set apart, to purify, or to make holy, the sanctification element produces personal righteousness that does not find completion until we reach Heaven.

Sanctification entails personal change that is effected in a twofold manner: by the believer’s dependence upon the Holy Spirit and faithful obedience (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7; James; 1 Jn. 1:6; 2:3-11; 3:3-10). A. Skevington Wood writes that it is “a relationship in which God’s will and work within man is [sic] welcomed in an attitude of trust and submission” [1]. Not only does God provide the means for sanctification, but He also empowers it through the Holy Spirit. At the same time, and depending upon God’s will and work, believers intentionally pursue it in Christ with faith. Does Paul not write, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12b)?

Yet despite this intentional nature of sanctification, little attention is given to the dangers inherent in viewing it simply as inevitable. The fallacy of legalism is decried throughout the Western twenty-first century church, but the dangers of cheap easy-believism—that is, belief without responsibility, or inevitable sanctification—are largely ignored.

This is not congruent with a Reformational Arminian view of sanctification. Though this may not be intentional or even recognized, it is quite dangerous. And when we disregard the pursuit of sanctification, we become spiritually stagnant and dry. The best way for the church’s leaders to combat this is to teach sanctification for what it is: yes it’s received, but it’s also pursued. Yes, it’s inevitable, but it’s also intentional.

“The Imitation of Christ”

Let’s be clear: Sanctification is not works-based salvation. As the organic outcome of justification, it is a progressive conformity to Christ’s image by faith. This results in the individual believer’s non-justifying, personal righteousness. In short it is the imitation of Christ. But what is this precisely? Paul explains in several of his epistles.

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Paul explains that we were captive to numerous, despicable sins, including fornication, idolatry, and theft. However, Christ has changed all of this. Paul explains: “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (v. 11). In other words, salvation calls us away from these sins. Though some Christians may not have the specific history of the Corinthians, we all have a history of disobedience. And because Christ’s objective work saved us from this previous life, such deeds in no way conform to His image. Hence, sanctification serves to cut out this cancer.

Galatians 5:19-21 and Ephesians 5:3-7 expand this notion even further: As believers, we must forsake worldly activities to conform to Christ’s image. These go beyond the obvious, wicked characteristics of 1 Corinthians, but include those daily problems we all face: filthiness, foolish talking, coarse jesting, impurity, sensuality, enmities, strife, jealousy, disputes, dissensions, and more. Paul even says that we will put all of these past things off if we have indeed “learned Christ” (Eph. 4:20-22).

However, “learning Christ” entails more than losing the bad. It also entails gaining the good. For instance, Galatians 5:22-23 enumerates the fruit of the Spirit, which Christ embodied: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control [2]. Our salvation should produce such fruit. When we view these in conjunction with Ephesians 4:17-32, we begin to have a clear picture of Christ’s image.

In summary, we know that sanctification is inseparably linked with justification. And we know that sanctification involves the imitation of Christ. But how do we do this? How do we imitate Christ?

Pursuing Intentional Sanctification

As Christians, we are familiar with these passages, because we’ve heard them throughout out lives. Still, many of us exhibit anemic sanctification. Why is this? I believe this often happens because we act as if the Holy Spirit brings transformation apart from the believer’s faithful obedience.

Many deny any responsibility in the matter to avoid assertions of legalism and works-based salvation—and such concerns are noteworthy. Certainly, no one is saved by works, but only by Christ’s work on the cross (Rom. 3:23; 5:1-2). And we are wholly incapable of any sanctification without the empowering and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

However, these facts do not preclude our participation in sanctification. If faith and obedience are not conditions of progressive sanctification, then why does the Bible demand so much of those who claim Christ as their Savior? Every book in the Bible calls us to live godly lives, and as we walk in the Spirit, He will produce the fruit for us to imitate Christ.

So what does it mean to be intentional in pursing sanctification? Quite simply, it means to pursue it with purpose, intention, and determination. Yet when asked whether these words describe our pursuit of holiness, typically our answer is “no” [3].

Nevertheless, we must press forward in our pursuit of God and imitation of Christ (Phil. 3:12-16; Heb. 12:1-2, 12-15). How do we do this? Building upon the foundation of the Holy Spirit’s power, a good place to begin is with the study of Scripture, prayerful meditation, and fellowship with a community of believers:

(1) Study of Scripture: Study helps us grasp God’s truth. Without it our pursuit is futile, for the imitation of Christ and pursuit of holiness is impossible if we can’t grasp this. Thus, we must study the Scriptures to find God’s plan for us (2 Tim. 2:15). This plots our course toward spiritual maturity.

(2) Prayerful Meditation: Having begun with the study of Scripture, we then meditate upon it. This means that we memorize it, pray through it, and mull it over. When we digest Scripture over extended periods, we internalize it, and it reprograms our subconscious where our gut instincts and many of our motives originate. Thus, prolonged meditation and prayer change our reflexive actions. This change affects sanctification like an accelerant affects an open flame.

(3) Fellowship with a Community of Believers: Finally, this studied, prayerful pursuit of Christ only takes place in the context of the church. We find much support and encouragement from the company of fellow believers. Hebrews 12:12-13 exhorts us: “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.” Good company is indispensable for running our race (Phil. 3:13-19).

Conclusion

One of the most helpful books that I have found on this subject is Thomas à Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ. An early fifteenth century Augustinian monk, his writings come from a lifetime spent intentionally pursuing his sanctification through the Holy Spirit’s power. His conclusion is that the believer’s sanctification is of utmost importance:

‘He that followeth me, walketh not in darkness,’ saith the Lord. These are the words of Christ, by which we are taught, how we ought to imitate his life and manners, if we will be truly enlightened, and be delivered from all blindness of heart. Let therefore our chief endeavor be, to meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ…but whosoever would fully and feelingly understand the words of Christ, must endeavor to conform his life wholly to the life of Christ [4].

Let us too intentionally pursue the imitation of Christ.

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 [1] A. Skevington Wood, “The Declaration of Sentiments: The Theological Testament of Arminius” (Evangelical Quarterly 65:2 [1993], 111-129), 121; cited in Robert E. Picirilli, Grace Faith, Free Will Contrasting Views of Salvation: Calvinism and Arminianism (Nashville, TN: Randall House Publications, 2002), 162.

[2] I believe these two can be equated for two firm reasons: First, these characteristics are being extolled as qualities which believers are to exhibit. Paul is pointing them in the direction of Christ. Second, these are the fruit of the Spirit. They are the result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who is one member of the trinity. Thus it brings us closer to the image of God and Christ.

[3] Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness (Colorado Springs, CO: Nav Press, 1978).

[4] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Rosalie De Rosset and Dr. Paul Bechtel (eds.) (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1980, 2007), 25.

Further Reading

Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness (Colorado Springs, CO: Nav Press, 1978).

F. Leroy Forlines, The Quest for Truth: Theology for a Postmodern World (Nashville, TN: Randall House Publications, 2001).

Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ Rosalie De Rosset and Dr. Paul Bechtel (eds.) (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1980, 2007).

Robert E. Picirilli, Grace Faith, Free Will Contrasting Views of Salvation: Calvinism and Arminianism (Nashville, TN: Randall House Publications, 2002).

Author: Phillip Morgan

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