Sanctification I. Introduction A. Hebrews 12:14 B. Without sanctification, we will not see the Lord! C. Sanctification as a major aspect to Christian faith and practice D. Another long theological term! E. Let us explore sanctification 1. What is sanctification? 2. How do we obtain sanctification? 3. How do we maintain/develop sanctification? II. What is Sanctification? A. Webster's 1. The act of making holy 2. The act of consecrating or of setting apart for a sacred purpose; consecration B. Greek term hagiasmos 1. Thayer's: consecration, purification; the effect of consecration -> sanctification of heart and life 2. Related verb hagiazo: literally to make holy -> to be venerable or hallow; to consecrate, dedicate; to purify C. Hebrew term qadash 1. In qal: to be set apart, be consecrated; to be hallowed (BDB; so below) 2. Nifal: to show oneself sacred or majestic; to be honoured, be treated as sacred; to be holy 3. Piel: to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate; to observe as holy, keep sacred; to honour as sacred, hallow; to consecrate 4. Pual: to be consecrated; consecrated, dedicated 5. Hifil: to set apart, devote, consecrate; to regard or treat as sacred or hallow; to consecrate 6. Hitpael: to keep oneself apart or separate; to cause Himself to be hallowed (of God); to be observed as holy; to consecrate oneself D. Sanctification, therefore, involves making a person or thing set apart, that is, holy, consecrated, dedicated E. Sanctification of priests, sacred items of great importance in Old Testament; also provides means by which to understand sanctification in the new covenant III. Sanctification in the Old Testament A. Main premise: as God is holy, so Israel should be holy (Leviticus 19:2) 1. Exodus 19:10: God as consecrating all of Israel for His service 2. All of Israel thus as "set apart" for God's purposes B. On an individual level, such holiness was to be reflected in proper conduct 1. Leviticus 19:1-20:27 2. Avoidance of idolatry, sexual immorality, oppression 3. Loving neighbor, seeking welfare of others 4. Maintenance of proper sexual relations, use of land, respect toward others, Sabbath, etc. 5. Also Leviticus 11:1-15:33: concern for ritual purity, both of foods eaten (or not eaten) as well as cleanliness from illness, discharge, etc. C. Yet much of the concern about holiness surrounds the Tabernacle/ Temple, the priesthood, and the vestments and objects for sacred use 1. The major theme of Leviticus, laws in Numbers, described aptly by Hebrew writer in Hebrews 9:1-10:18 2. Leviticus 1:1-7:38: specific rules about handling various sacrifices 3. Leviticus 8:1-9:24: consecration of Aaron and his sons a. Garments of priests put upon them b. Offering of their sin-offering, purification of the altar with blood c. Offering of burnt offering, its blood on the altar as well as on Aaron and his sons d. Anointing of Aaron and his sons e. Aaron as then making sin-offering on behalf of himself, the people 4. Yet Leviticus 10:1-4: improper incense offering by Nadab and Abihu, who are immediately executed by God: they did not honor God as holy 5. Leviticus 16:1-34: procedures for the day of atonement, its sin-offerings, to make atonement first for Aaron and then for the people, to purify from sin 6. Leviticus 22:2: Israelites could take objects, animals, and dedicate them to God D. Sanctification and holiness in the Old Testament based in personal conduct before God and much about the Tabernacle/Temple 1. Israel as set apart for God's purposes, Levites and priests as set apart to minister before God on behalf of the people (cf. Numbers 1:47-54, 18:20-24) 2. Holiness seen as a communicable property: something dedicated to God as having holiness, can communicate holiness, therefore, must only be handled by those who are holy 3. Purity/defilement understood in very concrete terms 4. Cleansing/atonement through sacrifice of life, represented by blood (Leviticus 17:11) IV. Sanctification in the New Testament A. 1 Peter 1:16: As God is holy, so are we to be holy! B. 1 Corinthians 1:30: Christ Jesus as made unto us for sanctification 1. The Hebrew author does well to explain the important transition here 2. Hebrews 7:27-28, 9:1-28 3. Where priests before offered animal sacrifices before God, Jesus as High Priest in order of Melchizedek offers up Himself 4. His sacrifice is once for all and is able to truly atone for sin unlike the blood of bulls and goats (Hebrews 10:4) 5. Therefore, through Jesus, the believer can find full cleansing from sin (Romans 5:6-11, Ephesians 5:24-27, Titus 3:3-8) C. The Inner Temple (1 Corinthians 3:14-16, 6:19-21, 1 Peter 2:3-9) 1. Another major transition from old to new involves the Temple and the presence of God 2. John 4:20-24: Jesus speaks of the end of the recognition of a particular physical location as the place of God's presence, thus, center of holiness 3. As seen in passages above, new covenant temple as the body of the individual and the church, the place where God has made His presence 4. Likewise, Tabernacle/Temple ministrations now individualized and spiritualized a. Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5: the believer, his life, thoughts, feelings, and actions as the sacrifice b. 1 Peter 2:5, 9: all believers as priests; yes, Christ as High Priest and Mediator between God and man (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 6:20), but no select group of people stand between God and the rest of the people of God c. Ephesians 5:19: the heart and voice of the people of God singing together as the instruments used in Temple service d. Revelation 5:8: the prayers of the saints as incense D. The Tabernacle/Temple and its systems and priesthood are types of which Jesus and His people, individually and collectively, are the reality and fulfillment! E. Obtaining Sanctification 1. Sanctification possible through Jesus' sacrifice for sin (Romans 5:6-11 et al) 2. When one believes, confesses, repents, and is immersed in water in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, one is made clean, pure, and holy (Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 2:38, Titus 3:3-8) 3. Such can be understood as "initial" sanctification, or consecration, just like God consecrated Aaron and his sons as priests so they could begin ministering before Him 4. Such sanctification is described in Romans 15:16, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 10:10, 10:29 5. Sanctification, therefore, not something we deserve or even earn; God consecrates us for His glory and honor! 6. We must obey and do those things which He has specified in order for us to obtain sanctification, but it remains His gift! F. Developing/Maintaining Sanctification 1. Just as Aaron and his sons needed to continually offer sacrifices to purify Israel and to maintain their consecration, so the believer needs continual sanctification 2. Just because a believer has been reckoned as holy by God does not mean their behavior and character demonstrate holiness! 3. 1 John 1:7-9: need for continual repentance, confession, request for forgiveness to maintain purity, cleanliness, thus holiness 4. The New Testament speaks of believers as striving for greater sanctification a. Romans 6:19, 22, 1 Timothy 2:15, Hebrews 12:14 b. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4: our sanctification is God's will for us! 5. Such refers to the "moral/ethical" aspect of sanctity: developing right thinking, feeling, and acting 6. Yet can the believer accomplish this sanctification without any assistance? 7. Has anyone ever been sanctified or sanctified themselves by their own efforts independently of God? 8. Such is why the New Testament speaks of the Holy Spirit as being involved with the sanctification of the believer a. 1 Corinthians 6:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2 b. Not for nothing is it called the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-24: they are the characteristics which mark the Spirit as "the Spirit, the Holy One" c. The Spirit as empowering the believer who seeks to align his or her will to God's and to manifest that fruit (cf. also Ephesians 3:16) G. Therefore, the believer is to pursue after sanctification, leading lives marked by holiness, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, and to seek strength from God to accomplish it! V. Conclusion A. Sanctification involves being set apart, made holy and righteous B. God is the One who sanctifies and consecrates C. Jesus as model of sanctification 1. Consecrated by God for His mission (Isaiah 61:1-4, Luke 4:17-22) 2. Lived without sin, accomplishing the will of the Father (Hebrews 4:15, 5:7-8, 1 Peter 2:22-25) 3. Yet was humble, not alienated from His fellow man but living and serving among them and for them (Matthew 20:25-28) 4. We are to imitate Him (1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 John 2:6)! D. We are to be holy because God is holy, and we do well to seek to align our will to God's, to manifest the fruit of the Spirit through His power to His glory E. We do not deserve sanctification, and our sanctification does not make us superior to others! F. While we are not to be "of the world," sanctification cannot mean that we must run away from the world and isolate ourselves; we must remain "in the world" and shine as lights in the darkness (Matthew 5:13-16, 1 Corinthians 5:10, 1 John 2:15-17)! G. Let us obtain sanctification from God, seek to maintain it, and live as ever thankful servants of God in Christ! H. Invitation/songbook