Sanctification: Come Out from Among Them

   

Old Church Mothers

As a child, I attended “sanctified” church services. The old mothers, wearing long dresses, would stand up and testify: “First, giving honor to God, who is the head of my life . . . I’m saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost-filled, and fire-baptized!”

Not knowing what sanctification meant, I inferred (by the conviction in the mothers’ voices) that not all Christians met that qualification. It must have taken years to get “sanctified” because only old folks claimed it! As I grew in my faith, I realized that sanctification was a rare, precious, and necessary thing.

These days, it is hard to recognize true Christians wearing their skin-tight suits and Hermès loafers—styling and profiling—having a form of godliness without power or anointing. They carry their faith like handbags, periodically changing them to match viral worship trends. With itching ears, they follow false prophets and scoff at old-fashioned Titus women. And yet, those mothers testified about something newfangled Christians lack: sanctification, in other words, a distinction between saved and unsaved, spiritual and carnal, holy and unholy.

We are sanctified by the truth, and God’s Word is the truth. It cleanses, renews, and transforms us from the inside out. Without sanctification, believers may veer away from the Jesus of scripture. How many claim to love Christ but have fallen into religious traps?

• Some claim to love Christ but pray to dead saints.
• Some claim to love Christ but deny his bodily resurrection.
• Some claim to love Christ but believe Lucifer is his brother.

Why are Christians tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine? We can draw these conclusions: they do not know the Word; they do not trust the Word, or they do not believe the Word.

Sanctified through God’s Truth

The word sanctification is related to the word saint. To sanctify something is to be set apart for special use. In other words, sanctifying a person is to make him holy. 

Recall that before Jesus was to be crucified, he prayed that God would glorify Him and fervently prayed for his disciples’ sanctification. Listen to his beautiful prayer:

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

John 17:1-17

If we believe in Jesus Christ, then we belong to the Father. Indeed, believers are no longer of this world. Once redeemed by grace, we are strangers in a strange land, a city on a hill, lighting the way to truth. Jesus prayed for our sanctification, which may be the most neglected part of our faith walk. In these perilous times of perversion, witchcraft, political madness, and preacher-wolves, we must pursue sanctification.

Walk Away from Carnality

No doubt, some may ask, “What do you mean by holiness? We cannot sanctify ourselves with good works!” Indeed, that is correct. We cannot make ourselves holy. We are justified through Christ’s righteousness and holiness.

Sanctification is a gift of God’s grace to those he has called.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate

Hebrews 13:12:

Then, what can we do? Brothers and sisters, we can sanctify the Lord God in our hearts (1 Peter: 3:15). We can and must turn away from the world, walk away from carnality, and separate ourselves. We can stop compromising our faith, can’t we?

Walk Away from the World

Think about it, we have what the world needs. Therefore, we should not grieve because we cannot do what the world does. Can unbelievers distinguish our lifestyle from theirs? Can unbelievers distinguish our conversations from theirs? Can unbelievers distinguish our households from theirs? Can unbelievers distinguish our wisdom from theirs? Can unbelievers distinguish our entertainment from theirs? I assume that many Christians prefer to be indistinguishable because sanctification is not stylish enough. Yes, we are saved by grace (not works), but we choose whether to take the narrow or wide path. We do the walking, and God does the sanctifying.

Jesus said to be of good cheer because he has already overcome the world (John 16:33). Why do we hold on to what has already been defeated? Let it go. The world hates us anyway.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1 John 2:16-17

Clothed in My Right Mind

With their netted hats cocked to the side, church mothers would testify: “He woke me up this morning, clothed in my right mind.” My friends and I chuckled about it then, but now I understand. Sanctification is not old-fashioned, and it goes beyond age and earthly attire. We do not have to dress up Christianity to pacify each new generation.

Christ died over 2,000 years ago, and his blood still washes away our sins and cleanses us from unrighteousness. His resurrection is still as powerful as the day he exited the tomb. And his Holy Spirit still seals us unto the day of redemption. When we know, trust, and believe His Word, we can avoid the enemy’s traps. We can stand steadfast and unmovable, abiding in the truth. Sanctified and set aside, the world will mock and hate us. Good! They could never cramp our style because we belong to God, and his Son is always in season.  

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Romans 13:12-14