The name that is the subject of this post appears
in the following scripture.
Exodus 31:12–13 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou
also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for
it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know
that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.”
In context, these verses introduce a
section of scripture explaining the importance of keeping the Sabbath. To be sanctified speaks to being made holy,
pure, and morally clean—to be set apart for God’s use.
Exodus 13:2 “Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth
the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.”
Sanctification describes both one’s
position before God as well as one’s condition before God. It is clear in scripture that the work of
sanctification in one’s life is a work of the Holy Spirit, but scripture also
declares that we are accountable in that process as well. It is also clear in scripture that our
sanctification is only made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus.
When the Lord revealed Himself to Saul
on the road to Damascus, He called him to be a disciple to the Gentiles to call
them to repentance and forgiveness of sins so that they could be positioned
among those who are “sanctified by faith that is in Me.”
Acts 26:15–18 “And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am
Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have
appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both
of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear
unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom
now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of
sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified
by faith that is in me.”
The writer to the Hebrews affirms that
it is only through the sacrifice of Jesus that one becomes one of the
sanctified ones.
Hebrews 10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Once we have accepted the sacrifice of
Jesus on our behalf in faith and repentance, we are privileged to receive the
indwelling Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our position among the sanctified as
well as to help us in the process of becoming more sanctified in this lifetime.
2 Corinthians 1:21–22 “Now he which stablisheth us with you in
Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the
earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
“earnest” = something given in advance
as security for the rest to be received
Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
1 Corinthians 6:9–11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but
ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,
but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God.”
Note that Paul is telling the
Corinthians that their lives should be different from others in the world; they
should live righteously. He is also
telling them that they are empowered to live righteously because they have been
washed clean by the blood of Jesus and are empowered through the Spirit of God
as affirmed by the words of Jesus recorded by Luke in Acts.
From the very beginning God declared
to His people that they were to be holy and set apart because they belonged to
Him. They were to be distinct among the
nations for their righteous living.
Leviticus 20:7 “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for
I am the LORD your God.”
One of the proofs of the sincerity of
one’s faith is that you have chosen to “depart from iniquity.” In his letter to Timothy Paul identified
vessels of honor that were set apart as useful to the good work of God as those
that were choosing not to practice sin.
2 Timothy 2:19–21 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one
that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there
are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and
some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from
these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s
use, and prepared unto every good work.”
This was actually part of the Lord’s
prayer for His disciples. He asks the
Father to keep them from evil and sanctify them through His word.
John 17:15-17 “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.”
Keeping us from evil is the work of
Holy Spirit. It is through the Spirit
that we grow in the truth of God’s word and produce fruits of righteousness.
John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all
things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance….”
Ephesians 5:8–9 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye
light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is
in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)”
In closing I want to include a few
more scriptures on sanctification that are important in connection with
prophecy. The day is coming when the
house of Jacob, the people of Israel, will sanctify and honor God as LORD.
Isaiah 29:22-23 “Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed
Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither
shall his face now wax pale. But when he
seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall
sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of
Israel.”
Despite what the nations choose to
believe, God has sanctified or set apart the nation of Israel as His and the
land of Israel as the place of His sanctuary.
Ezekiel 37:28 “And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do
sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.”
Despite what people choose to believe
about the one true God, the God of Israel, the day is coming when all the
heathen will recognize God as Lord.
Ezekiel 38:23 “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself;
and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am
the LORD.”
(to be continued…)
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