A Christian's Pocket Guide to Growing in Holiness

Understanding Sanctification

J. V. Fesko

• Publisher: Christian Focus Publication
• Year: 2012
• eBook ISBN: 9781781911648

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SANCTIFICATION DEFINED

What is the doctrine of sanctification? We are not the first people to ask this important question. In the seventeenth century, a group of theologians produced a doctrinal document called the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It was intended to be a tool for parents to use in the theological education of their children. The Shorter Catechism offers a helpful definition of the doctrine of sanctification: ‘Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness’ (q. 35).¹ The term sanctification, then, identifies the process of a new believer’s gradual transformation from his sin-fallen condition to the perfect, holy and righteous image of Christ.

Though perhaps a bit over simplified, sanctification is the process whereby a person sins less and obeys God’s law more. But our sanctification is just one part of our greater redemption. In order to have a better understanding of sanctification, it is helpful to examine sanctification in the broader context of the believer’s union with Christ. Once we see how sanctification fits in the big picture, we can then compare the two chief benefits of our union with Christ, justification and sanctification. We will see that our sanctification, or more simply, our capacity for performing good works, is firmly rooted in our union with Christ. We will then explore the two chief elements of sanctification, namely mortification and vivification. Finally, we will examine the relationship between sanctification and redemptive history.

UNION WITH CHRIST

Twentieth-century Reformed theologian, Louis Berkhof, defines union with Christ as the ‘intimate, vital, and spiritual union between Christ and his people, in virtue of which he is the source of their life and strength, of their blessedness and salvation.’² The doctrine of union with Christ typically appears throughout the Scriptures where we find the biblical expression ‘in Christ.’ This phrase occurs some twenty-five times in Paul’s epistles, though there are other passages that address the subject of union with Christ more broadly. The apostle, for example, likens the marriage relationship to the union that exists between Christ and the church (Eph. 5:25–31); Christ compares his relationship with believers to that of the vine and the branches (John 15:1–17); Peter states that the church is one temple and that Christ is the cornerstone and believers are living stones joined to him (1 Pet. 2:4–5); and Paul likens the believer’s union with Christ to that of a soldier’s armor (Eph. 6:10–18; cf. Isa. 59:17; 11:4–5; 52:7).

Can you think of any other passages of Scripture that talk about union with Christ?

When we take a closer examination of union with Christ, we find that all of the elements of our redemption are connected to Jesus. We are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). We are effectually called in Christ through the preaching of the Word (Eph. 1:13). Those who believe in Jesus and exercise faith have been set apart in Christ (1 Cor. 1:2). Believers are justified, or declared righteous, by faith alone in Christ alone, but this verdict is only given to those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1). Another benefit of union with Christ is our adoption as sons of God; those who are in Christ are sons of God through faith (Gal. 3:26). When Jesus spoke of his relationship to his people, he did so in terms of the parable of the vine and the branches—those who abide in Christ bear much fruit, or are sanctified. And they persevere to the end (John 15:5–6). Finally, only those who are in Christ are part of the new creation and therefore know that they will be glorified, purged from all sin and imperfection (2 Cor. 5:17).

The entirety of our redemption, commonly expressed through what is called the order of salvation (predestination, effectual calling, faith, justification, adoption, sanctification, perseverance, and glorification) is linked in various ways to our union with Christ. The Westminster Larger Catechism helpfully summarizes this point: ‘The communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is their partaking of the virtue of his mediation, in their justification, adoption, sanctification, and whatever else, in this life, manifests their union with him’ (q. 69).³ However, even though the entirety of our redemption consists in our union with Christ, this does not mean that the application of salvation is an undifferentiated mass. As John Murray, one-time professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, writes: ‘When we think of the application of redemption we must not think of it as one simple and indivisible act. It comprises a series of acts and processes.’⁴

During the sixteenth-century Reformation the order of salvation was more commonly known as the ‘golden chain,’ which was based upon Paul’s famous verse in Romans 8:30. One of the most famous works that covers the order of salvation is William Perkins’ Golden Chaine. According to Perkins the golden chain is none other than our union with Christ and this chain is unbreakable.

In this vein, it is paramount to understand the differences between the legal (or forensic, or declarative) and transformative dimensions of our union with Christ. Or in simpler terms, we must understand and distinguish between justification and sanctification. First, it is helpful to offer a definition of justification from the Shorter Catechism. Justification is ‘an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone’ (q. 33).⁵ Now, when we compare justification and sanctification, hopefully the differences between the two become clear:⁶

Justification	Sanctification
Removes the guilt of sin and restores the sinner to all the filial rights involved in his state as a child of God, including an eternal inheritance.	Removes the pollution of sin and renews the sinner ever increasingly in conformity with the image of God.
Takes place outside of the sinner in the tribunal of God, and does not change his inner life, though the sentence is brought home to him subjectively.	Takes place in the inner life of man and gradually affects his whole being.
Takes place once for all. It is not repeated, neither is it a process; it is complete at once and for all time. There is no more or less in justification; man is either fully justified, or he is not justified at all.	A continuous process, which is never completed in this life.
God the Father declares the sinner righteous.	God the Holy Spirit sanctifies him

A believer’s justification by faith alone secures his indefectible standing in the presence of God. In justification, the legal dimension of our union with Christ, the guilt and power of sin is broken and Christ’s righteousness (obedience) is imputed to the believer by faith alone in the legal declaration pronounced by God. As Paul explains: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Rom. 8:1). Our justification is a one-time act never to be repeated.

By contrast, sanctification is the ongoing process that removes the pollution of sin and gradually conforms the sinner to the image of Christ (Eph. 4:20–24). The sinner’s justification definitively sets the believer apart from the world of sin and God always looks upon him as holy because of the imputed righteousness of Christ. The Heidelberg Catechism explains this point as follows:

Q. 60: How are you righteous before God?

A. Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; that is, though my conscience accuse me that I have grievously sinned against all the commandments of God and kept none of them, and am still inclined to all evil, yet God, without any merit of mine, of mere grace, grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never had nor committed any sin, and myself had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has rendered for me; if only I accept such benefit with a believing heart.⁷

If the believer’s standing before God were to hinge upon his sanctification, his status would always be in question because of its imperfect nature—we constantly battle against sin (Gal. 5:16–26). Or as the Westminster Confession explains it: ‘This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part; whence arises a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh’ (13.2). For this reason, as Wilhelmus à Brakel, a seventeenth-century Dutch Reformed theologian, writes: ‘In natural order justification comes first, and sanctification follows as proceeding from justification.’⁸

In similar way, John Calvin observed in his Institutes that the doctrine of justification is the foundation for sanctification. Calvin writes that justification ‘is the main hinge on which religion turns’ and that apart from it, we do not have a foundation upon which to establish our salvation nor one on which to build piety toward God.⁹ Elsewhere, Calvin explains: ‘They,’ the impious, ‘cannot deny that justification by faith is the beginning, found-ation, cause, motive, and substance of the righteousness of works.’ Why did Calvin believe this? Calvin explains: ‘For unless justification by faith remain unimpaired, the impurity of their works will be detected.’¹⁰

The Heidelberg Catechism was written in 1563, in large part, by Zacharias Ursinus (1534–83). Ursinus wrote the catechism for Elector Frederick III (1515–76), who wanted to unite the Palatinate, which lies in what is now modern day Germany, under the Reformed faith. It was eventually adopted by numerous Reformed churches and is still used today by Reformed denominations.

The foundational nature of justification is key, then, not only for the preservation of the integrity of our justification, that it is grounded solely upon the work of Christ alone, but also for the integrity of our sanctification. A person cannot bring forward his sanctification, because until his glorification on the last day, it will always be imperfect. Murray succinctly summarizes these points when he writes: ‘Sanctification is a process that begins, we might say, in regeneration, finds its basis in justification, and derives its energizing grace from union with Christ which is effected in effectual calling.’¹¹

Though we may distinguish the various elements of the order of salvation, that is, effectual calling, justification, sanctification, etc., we must never separate them. They are inseparable because they all come to us in Christ, and he cannot be rent asunder.

That justification is foundational for sanctification, however, in no way suggests that we can separate the two from one another, that a person can be justified, but not sanctified, or vice versa. This is where the twofold grace of our union with Christ must be maintained. Calvin gives the classic explanation of the twofold grace when he writes: ‘By partaking of him,’ by which he refers to union with Christ, ‘we principally receive a double grace: namely, that being reconciled to God through Christ’s blamelessness, we may have in heaven instead of a Judge a gracious Father; and secondly, that sanctified by Christ’s spirit we may cultivate blamelessness and purity of life.’¹² In other words, through our union with Christ we receive the inseparable double benefit of the legal and transformative dimensions of our redemption, justification and sanctification. However, once again, Calvin rightly denominates justification as the first blessing and sanctification as the second, as the free pardon of justification provides the indispensable context for the second blessing of our sanctification.¹³ As we move forward, we must keep these points in mind as we specifically consider the doctrine of sanctification.

SANCTIFICATION

There are perhaps a number of passages to which a person might turn in consideration of the doctrine of sanctification, but we will begin with John 15:1–17. In this passage Jesus likens himself to the ‘true vine’ (v. 1), which is in contrast to faithless Israel who was an unfruitful vine (cf. Ps....

Table of contents

• Title
• Indicia
• Contents
• Dedication
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1. Sanctification Defined
• 2. Sanctification Applied
• 3. Sanctification Undermined
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• Endnotes
• More books from Christian Focus
• Christian Focus