Day 64: How is Christ Our Sanctification?
In and through Jesus, we are set apart for Father God’s unique plans and purposes for us. This is part of our position in Christ. When we trust Jesus, we become identified with Him. Because of all that He has done for us, we are set apart to as a unique people among all others.
Acts 26:16–18
…I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 26:17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
When Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus and “commissioned” him, He gave Paul a new purpose, a new course, a new ministry (service). Paul was being sent by Jesus to the Gentiles (people of the nations) to open their eyes that they might 1) turn from darkness to light, 2) from the power of Satan to God, and that they could receive 1) forgiveness of their sins, and 2) a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.
There is a lot to be unpacked in what Jesus’ says there; for now, our focus is going to be on that last phrase: “sanctified by faith in Jesus.”
To be “sanctified” in the Scriptures means to be “set apart.” When Father-God sets something or someone apart for Himself, that thing or person is made holy, sanctified. In the New Testament, Jesus’ people have been “set part” for Him, His blood has sanctified them, and are called “saints” (holy ones):
1 Corinthians 1:2
…to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
You may know that the people who made up the church at Corinth were not shinning examples of Christian maturity. They were divisive, argumentative, and immoral. One man is in an illicit relationship with his step-mother (something even the “pagans” despise)(see 1 Corinthians 5:1-2). Some are apparently still taking part in prostitution (see 1 Corinthians 6:15-20). Now the point is this: this group is very immature and yet Paul still refers to them as “Saints” – those sanctified in Jesus.
Throughout this study we are going to be referring to the idea of “your position vs. your condition.” Now, as we are talking about sanctification, is a good time to introduce the idea. As we will see, many of the things that Father-God says, declares about us may not be “experientially true” in the present. But in calling us “saints,” or “justified,” or “glorified,” He is defining a new reality for us by giving us a new identity. So, our position before Father-God is that we are Saints – we are who He says we are. But, in our experience—our present condition—we still need to grow into the full reality of that identity.
Father-God is able to give us this new, assured identity because it is based in what Jesus has done for us and not what we did, do, or might do. It is Jesus’ blood that sanctifies us:
Hebrews 13:12
Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews makes the case that just the animal sacrifices given under the Law, were all offered “outside” the gate of the Tabernacle, so also Jesus was offered “outside” the city of Jerusalem. The main point, however, is that it is through Jesus’ blood that our sanctification takes place.
Tomorrow, we are going to discuss the significance of Jesus’ blood. For now, simply understand that in Father-God’s way of doing things, blood is applied to things or to people to make them holy and to cleanse them. The writer of Hebrews tells us that it was the offering of Jesus whole body that makes us holy:
Hebrews 10:10
By His will (Father-God’s) we have been made holy
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all.
Take note that this is a “once for all” thing. Jesus offering is “once, for all.” And so all the blessings that are tied to His sacrifice are “once, for all”, for us. There is nothing left to be done to make you holy. Jesus has done all that is necessary. For now, it is vitally important that you lean to see yourself and think about yourself as Father-God sees you “in Christ”: you are sanctified, set apart as holy, a saint through your faith in Christ. You are sanctified by Father-God’s will, by your faith in Christ, through the offering of His body and blood.
Think about that last sentence and the significance of those prepositions BY and THROUGH. Give thanks to Christ for what He has done for you and think about ways you need to change the way you think about yourself to get “in line” with what Father-God has said about you “In Christ.”
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
