Chapter 36 - Sanctification

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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 finite humanity it is an unparalleled privilege.

Sharing life with God causes an ongoing, inward battle between the finite human flesh and spirit. During this present age, it is a challenge unique to the New Testament church.

Not only is the New Testament church susceptible to an inward battle but also outward opposition. Externally, its opposition is provided by both a fallen earthly environment and the hostility of a well-organized spiritual enemy.

Concordant with its opposition, sharing life with the living (zoe), indwelling God was designed to be progressive in nature. Intended to evolve in time, it requires learning to rest in His indwelling life (zoe) and walk by grace alone through means of dependent, childlike faith.

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Sanctification

Physical birth on earth does not constitute life in fullness. It is merely the beginning of physical life. 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, spiritual growth or maturation 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 opposition, both inward and outward, to its 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.

The New Testament church was baptized into Christ at spiritual birth. As a result, it was identified with Him. Consequently, Christ and His body, the New Testament church, were united legally and organically. One with Christ, His indwelling presence provides the motive and means for the progressive conformation of the church into His image. The progressive conformation of the New Testament church provides for a consistent demonstration of the living (zoe) attributes of God on earth. The demonstration of His attributes contributes to the vindication of His nature from angelic challenge and accusation.

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Purpose

After spiritual birth, the new members of the New Testament church are not immediately transferred from the fallen earth to heaven. Congruent with the will of God, they are left on the fallen, hostile earth for a specific purpose.

In the midst of unfavorable conditions, the members of the New Testament church on earth have been graciously provided with the freedom to choose whether or not to walk faithfully with God. Historically, their willingness to faithfully pursue Christ and thus, the progressive sanctification of the Spirit has allowed for their conformation into the image of God, the demonstration of the living (zoe) attributes of God on earth and consequently, the vindication of His nature in heaven.

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 becomes progressively conformed into the image of Christ and willing to serve in the demonstration of His attributes on earth.

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For and With

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.

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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 means of organic sanctification, the New Testament church is utterly privileged to experience progressive growth into the image of the living (zoe) Christ.

Growth to Maturity

Generally, 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 by grace through faith alone, however, his attempt is founded on his own effort 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. Rather than by grace through faith alone, like the immature believer, he also attempts to work for God through self-effort. Theoretically, his effort is aided by the power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Relative to his unbiblical approach to spiritual growth, the maturing believer tends to undervalue the grace of God and overvalue his own effort and therefore, the extent of His eternal reward.

Redeemed by grace alone, the mature believer recognizes that the indwelling Christ is the source of his life on earth. Further, he is aware that Jesus Christ fulfilled the righteous requirement of the rule of law for him, he has been released from its jurisdiction and graciously 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 by grace through faith alone.

Stop trying and start trusting!

© 2022 James Hiatt

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