Why is it Important for Believers to be Sanctified?

The Greek word hagiasmos ( is not used in the Greek

classics, but is a word that is found several times in the New
Testament (reference: Barnes' Notes on the Bible). The word is
rendered as sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-
4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, and 1 Peter 1:2 or holiness (Romans 6:19,
Romans 6:22; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 12:14).

Now, as for the meaning of the word: in the New International Version
(1984 of the bible, a footnote is provided for the word sanctify
which appears in John 17:17. In Greek, the word is hagiazo (which
incidentally is the root word for hagiasmos and means to set apart
for sacred use or make holy.

It is tragic that the subject of sanctification is seldom preached in
most churches nowadays, as it is a highly important aspect of the
believers life (as we shall see below.

First and foremost, the Apostle Paul tells us in the first epistle to the
Thessalonians that it is Gods will for believers to be sanctified (1
Thessalonians 4:3; NIV; emphasis mine).

I say that again, it is Gods will; it is not a suggestion or a
recommendation for a happy life.

It is a non-negotiable as far as those who claim to be believers in
Jesus Christ are concerned.

Indeed, believers need to be warned that without holiness no one will
see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14; NIV.

You see, while every believer looks forward to their inheritance
(eternal life!), according to Scripture however, the inheritance is given
to those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32; NIV; emphasis mine.

Indeed, how can an individual claim to be saved without having
experienced the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit? For in the second
epistle to the Thessalonians, it is written:

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the
Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief
in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13; NIV; emphasis mine).



Furthermore, Jesus has said that: Not everyone who says to me,
Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21; NIV;
emphasis mine), and it cannot be more plain from 1 Thessalonians 4:3
(as we have already seen above, that it is Gods will for every believer
to be sanctified.

Having established the importance of ones sanctification, how do we
receive sanctification?

It is received by faith in Jesus, as we learn from the vision that Paul
received:

I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I
am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that
they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those
who are sanctified by faith in me. (Acts 26:18; NIV;
emphasis mine)

It is received from God, for it is God who sanctifies, as we see in the
passage of Scripture below:

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through
and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1
Thessalonians 5:23; NIV; emphasis mine)

Scripture further identifies the member of the Godhead that is
responsible for ones sanctification:

to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly
duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might
become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy
Spirit. (Romans 15:16; NIV; emphasis mine)

who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God
the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for
obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and
peace be yours in abundance. (1 Peter 1:2; NIV; emphasis
mine)
According to scripture, the agents of our sanctification are His word:

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17;
NIV; emphasis mine)

and His blood:

How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be
punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has
treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that
sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
(Hebrews 10:29; NIV; emphasis mine)

Scripture alludes to a trap that can greatly hinder our personal
sanctification - sexual sin for it is written:

It is Gods will that you should be sanctified: that you should
avoid sexual immorality (Thessalonians 4:3; NIV; emphasis
mine)

From 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (which we have already cited previously),
we see that God sanctifies an individual through and through. We
surmise from this statement that sanctification is an ongoing process
that takes time.

So, lets conclude by putting it all together: it is Gods will that every
believer be sanctified.

Sanctification is a process that takes time, and the believer can either
co-operate with the Holy Spirit (by meditating on the Word and by
pleading for the Blood of Christ to cleanse us), or hinder the process of
sanctification through sin.

Persistent resistance to the sanctifying work of the Spirit has eternal
consequences. Believers are warned: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit
of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
(Ephesians 4:30; NASB; emphasis mine)

Finally, it is my prayer to you, dear reader:

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.
May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23; NIV).
All scripture is cited from the 1984 edition of the New International Version (NIV),
unless otherwise stated.
Written by: Roy Chan Yeow Chuan
Version dated: 16 October 2014
FREE for circulation and distribution; this essay was written as a public service.
For enquiries, write to: yeowchuanchan@gmail.com