Soteriology (Doctrine of Salvation): Sanctification
Sanctification is central to soteriology, the doctrine of salvation. While justification declares the believer righteous in Christ, sanctification is the ongoing transformation into Christ’s likeness. Paul writes, “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). This process involves the Father’s eternal plan, the Son’s redeeming work, and the Spirit’s indwelling power.
Sanctification is both positional and progressive. Believers are set apart at the moment of salvation, yet they also grow in holiness throughout their lives. This dynamic reflects the already-and-not-yet tension of Christian existence—believers are holy in Christ, but they are still being made holy until the day of resurrection glory.
1. The Nature of Sanctification
Sanctification must be defined carefully. It is not identical to justification but inseparably connected to it. Justification changes the believer’s status before God, while sanctification changes the believer’s character and conduct.
Key aspects of sanctification include:
Positional Sanctification: At conversion, believers are set apart as holy. “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Progressive Sanctification: Throughout life, believers are transformed into the image of Christ. “We all… are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Ultimate Sanctification: At Christ’s return, believers will be perfectly holy. “May your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Sanctification is both God’s work and the believer’s responsibility. It is synergistic: the Spirit empowers, but the believer responds in obedience.
2. The Role of the Triune God
Sanctification is the work of the triune God. Each person of the Trinity participates in the believer’s holiness.
The Father – He chose his people before the foundation of the world “that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4). Sanctification reflects God’s eternal purpose.
The Son – Jesus accomplished sanctification through his atoning work: “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). His priestly intercession also sustains believers in holiness.
The Spirit – The Holy Spirit applies Christ’s work by indwelling and empowering believers: “God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
Thus, sanctification is not self-improvement but divine transformation. It is rooted in the Father’s plan, accomplished by the Son, and applied by the Spirit.
3. The Means of Sanctification
God uses specific means to bring about sanctification in the life of his people. These means are both ordinary and extraordinary, grounding believers in grace.
Primary Means
The Word of God: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Scripture instructs, convicts, and transforms.
Prayer: Through prayer, believers depend on God’s grace and align with his will (Colossians 4:2).
The Sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper reinforce identity in Christ and the ongoing need for grace (Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 11:26).
Communal Means
Worship: Gathering with God’s people strengthens faith and fuels obedience (Hebrews 10:24–25).
Fellowship: Mutual encouragement helps believers “stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24).
Discipline: Correction within the church refines and restores holiness (Matthew 18:15–17).
Through these means, God shapes his people into a holy community that reflects his character.
4. The Struggle of Sanctification
Sanctification is a process marked by both growth and struggle. Believers remain in a world where sin and temptation persist.
Paul captures this tension in Romans 7:19: “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” While justified, believers still battle the flesh, the world, and the devil.
The struggle of sanctification involves:
Conflict with Sin – “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (Colossians 3:5).
Renewal of the Mind – “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
Perseverance in Faith – “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).
This ongoing battle reminds Christians that sanctification is lifelong. Yet it is also hopeful, for the Spirit is stronger than sin, and the believer’s final victory is certain in Christ.
5. The Goal of Sanctification
The ultimate goal of sanctification is conformity to Christ’s image and eternal fellowship with God.
Conformity to Christ: “Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). Holiness is not abstract but personal—it means becoming like Jesus.
Communion with God: Sanctification prepares believers for unbroken fellowship with their Creator. “Strive… for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
Glorification: Sanctification points forward to glorification, when sin will be removed entirely and believers will be made perfect in Christ’s presence (Philippians 3:20–21).
In this sense, sanctification is eschatological. The Spirit’s work in the present prepares believers for the eternal kingdom, where Christ will reign and his people will share fully in his holiness.
Conclusion: Sanctification and the Bigger Gospel
Sanctification is not merely personal morality but participation in the larger work of God’s kingdom. In soteriology, it reveals how salvation extends beyond forgiveness to transformation. The gospel is bigger than a legal declaration; it is the power of God to renew lives and communities.
Through the Father’s plan, the Son’s sacrifice, and the Spirit’s power, believers are sanctified. Through the Word, prayer, sacraments, and fellowship, they are shaped. Through conflict and perseverance, they are refined. Through conformity to Christ, they are prepared for glory.
The doctrine of sanctification shows that salvation is not only about entering heaven but about being made holy now, reflecting Christ’s reign in the present and awaiting the perfection of holiness in the age to come.
Bible Verses on Sanctification
1 Thessalonians 4:3 — “This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.”
1 Corinthians 6:11 — “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 — “We all… are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”
Hebrews 10:10 — “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Ephesians 1:4 — “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
Romans 6:4 — “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that… we too might walk in newness of life.”
Colossians 3:5 — “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness.”
Romans 12:2 — “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
Hebrews 12:14 — “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
Romans 8:29 — “Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
