Faith and Sanctification

Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me (Jesus).”

Continuing in my short topical Bible Study of the doctrine of justification, I read that 14^th Century German professor of theology, composer, priest, monk, and seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation Martin Luther stated about “saving / justifying faith” in his introduction to Romans commentary: “Because of faith, we freely, willingly and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown us such grace. Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire.”  Luther’s statement reminds us that faith not only leads us to be declared righteous in God’s sight, but that it also results in our sanctification, which is the inward transformation we experience from the point of our conversion on. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “sanctification” as: (1) The act of making holy. In an evangelical sense, the act of God's grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God. (2) The act of consecrating or of setting apart for a sacred purpose; consecration.

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

When we consider sanctification, note that Scripture speaks of it in two ways. First, the Bible describes the reality of positional or declarative sanctification. When we trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, we are definitively set apart as God’s holy people. We are holy in God’s sight and are forever marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit as a child of God. And yet, Scripture also tells us that until we are glorified in heaven, we are often unholy in practice. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:14-17 “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” So, God’s holy Word calls us to engage with the Lord in the process of sanctification (growing into the likeness of Jesus Christ) wherein we more and more die to self and live unto Christ, seeking to obey Him in all things.

John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

How does this process of sanctification advance? This study proclaims that the answer is that faith is no less essential for our sanctification than it is for our justification. We must believe God in order to bear fruit for God. In other words, without faith, we cannot pay the cost of discipleship that is required to conform us to Christ’s image. We are justified by faith, but even the sanctification and good works that follow our justification are based on faith. Yes, even our progressive sanctification – our life of growing in holiness that is the necessary fruit of justification – depends on faith. By faith, we grow in Christ, trusting in the promises of God so completely that we actually end up following His commandments. When we feed our faith with the truths of God’s holy Word, we are equipping ourselves to grow in holiness blessed in Christ.