Chapter 29 - Sanctification

Vertical Divider

The New Testament church was created before the foundation of the world to accommodate life shared between God and mankind, the infinite with the finite. For the finite, it is an unparalleled privilege.

Sharing life with God causes an ongoing, inner battle between the human flesh and spirit. It necessitates a willingness to “fight the good fight of faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12) During this present age, it is a challenge unique to the New Testament church.

Relative to its life shared with God, the New Testament church is susceptible to opposition. Not only is it hindered by the control of the old, fallen human nature and an antagonistic earthly environment but the hostility of a well-organized spiritual enemy. Consequently, it can be difficult for the New Testament church to discern the difference between life (zoe) and death.

Concordant with its opposition, learning to walk with the living (zoe), indwelling God is progressive in nature. Designed to evolve in time, it requires learning to rest in His indwelling life (zoe) and walk by dependent, childlike faith by grace through faith alone.

Vertical Divider

Sanctification

Physical birth is merely the beginning of physical life on earth. It is followed by physical growth to maturity.

In similar fashion, spiritual birth is the beginning of spiritual life on earth. It is followed by spiritual growth to maturity.

In the New Testament, the spiritual growth or maturation process is referred to as “sanctification.” Derived from the root word “sanctify” (hagios; hag'-ee-os), it means “to make holy” or to “set apart.” Therefore, sanctification is a progressive work of God to “set apart” His ecclesia on earth from the deceptive, controlling power of its old, fallen life to new life in Christ.

Sanctification (spiritual growth) is fulfilled by means of identification with the person and work of Jesus Christ. It can be summarized by conformation, demonstration, and vindication.

Identified with Christ, the New Testament church is united with Him by both law and life. His indwelling life (zoe) provides the motive and means for the progressive conformation of the church into His image. There is an important consequence of the progressive growth of the New Testament church into the image of Christ. It provides for a consistent demonstration of the living (zoe) attributes of God. The demonstration of the attributes of God serves in the vindication of His nature from angelic challenge and accusation.

Vertical Divider

Purpose

After spiritual birth, the members of the New Testament church are not immediately transferred from the fallen earth to heaven. They are left on the fallen, hostile earth for a specific purpose.

In the midst of unfavorable conditions, the children of God have the freedom to choose whether or not to walk faithfully with Him. It is their willingness to walk by faith that allows God the opportunity to demonstrate His attributes on earth and consequently, vindicate His nature.

In this present age, God has chosen to vindicate His nature from angelic challenge and accusation through the instrumentation of the New Testament church. It is a process that is graciously initiated by God through the redemptive work of Christ. Justified, regenerated and born of the Spirit, the New Testament church is fully equipped to cooperate with God through its willingness to faithfully participate in its sanctification (spiritual growth).

Ever maturing into the image of Christ, the New Testament church is made increasingly aware of the privilege and power of the life (zoe) of God within. As a result, it progressively becomes more and more willing to serve in the demonstration of His attributes on earth.

Vertical Divider

For and With

As indicated, the sanctification of the New Testament church was made possible by the redemptive work of Christ. His mediatorial role in the fulfillment of the Eternal Covenant was both for and with the church.

Jesus died and was resurrected for the New Testament church. It provided freedom from the penalty of sin. In addition, the church died and was resurrected with Christ. It allowed for deliverance from the power of sin.

The death and resurrection of Christ for the New Testament church provided for its justification from sin (the legal basis for its spiritual birth). As a result, it was set free from the penalty of sin.

In contrast, the death and resurrection of the New Testament church with Christ provided for its sanctification from sin (spiritual growth). Consequently, it was set free from the power of sin or more specifically, the controlling, condemning power of the indwelling sin nature.

The death and resurrection of the New Testament church with Christ was accomplished by the baptizing work of the Spirit of Christ. (Romans 6:1-13; Galatians 3:27; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:5) The Greek verb for “baptize” is baptizo (bap-tid'-zo). The English word “baptize” does not constitute a translation from New Testament Greek but a transliteration. Therefore, it is merely an English representation of a Greek word.

The literal, figurative, and theological meaning of baptizo provides insight into the meaning of its usage in the New Testament. The literal translation of the Greek word baptizo is to dip, immerse or submerge. Figuratively, it can mean “to overwhelm.” “Theologically, baptism may be defined as an act of association or identification with someone, some group, some message, or some event.”1

In the context of sanctification, the use of the Greek word baptizo in the New Testament is typically related to its theological meaning. Therefore, its usage is indicative of “identification with” the redemptive work of Christ. Spiritually “baptized into” Christ, the New Testament church was identified with His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3).

Identified with the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, the New Testament church died to the power of its indwelling sin nature. (Romans 6:3-4a, 5a, 8a, 11a) Thus, its old sinful nature was “rendered powerless” to control and condemn.

Identified with the resurrection of the Christ, the justification of the New Testament church was completed and consequently, God could credit it with His righteousness. As a result, the New Testament church became legally suitable for new life.

The Apostle Paul clarified, “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection…Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” (Romans 6:5, 8)

Relative to the believer’s identification with the death and resurrection of Christ Paul summarized, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin (the controlling, condemning power of the sin nature), but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ fulfilled His role in the redemptive Eternal Covenant. It was both for and with the New Testament church. His death and resurrection for the church provided freedom from the penalty of sin. The death and resurrection of Christ with the church destroyed the power of sin.

Vertical Divider

Living Sanctification

The sanctification (spiritual growth) of the New Testament church is organic. It is a living (zoe) work of the Spirit of God. He is the “Spirit of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus.” Through organic sanctification, the New Testament church to progressively grows into the image of the living (zoe) Christ.

Growth to Maturity

Fundamentally, the New Testament church is comprised of three types of believers. They include the spiritually immature, the spiritually maturing, and the spiritually mature.

The immature believer recognizes he is alive to Christ. Thankful for new life, he ignorantly attempts to fulfill the righteous requirement of the rule of law for God. Rather than grace through faith, however, his effort is founded on his own strength and, therefore, without reward.

The maturing believer has begun to understand that Christ has given him new life in the Spirit. However, he mistakenly believes that the Holy Spirit was given to empower him to fulfill the righteous requirement of the rule of law for God.

Redeemed by grace alone, the mature believer recognizes that the indwelling Christ is the source of his life on earth. He is further aware he has been released from the jurisdiction of the rule of law and instead, obligated to God by the rule of His indwelling life (zoe). As a result, the mature believer knows he can do nothing for God. (cf. John 15:5) Gloriously sharing life with Christ, he chooses to live and work with Him through faith alone.

Stop trying and start trusting!

© 2022 James Hiatt

Vertical Divider