Is sanctification an event, a process, or both?

[episkopos]

Our spirits are sanctified upon regeneration. As long as we are obedient to the Spirit, we will remain holy. But the soul must also become sanctified in it's essence. And that is the process of sanctification...dying daily and walking in obedience to God in the Spirit. So we must continually CHOOSE holiness over our old lives. Jesus said we must overcome! Jesus starts us out and equips us, but we are the ones building through our wills. So we can build with carnal materials or with holy ones...and we are then judged on how we have built whether we are to be honoured or dishonoured.

[mailmandan]

There is nothing "positional" (as in make-believe) about the work of God. It takes real power to overcome real sin.

I certainly wasn't trying to imply that "positional" means make-believe. Our positional, judicial standing of righteousness is found in Christ for those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus. The remaining need for practical, progressive sanctification, by which we are actively involved in resisting sin and seeking holiness (abstaining from sexual immorality, cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit) certainly takes real power to overcome real sin.

[glad4mercy]

Dont know about Greek but in Hebrew its the same root word.

Sanctify ...... Holy

Good question.

Please See post 52

[episkopos]

I certainly wasn't trying to imply that "positional" means make-believe. Our positional, judicial standing of righteousness is found in Christ for those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus. The remaining need for practical, progressive sanctification, by which we are actively involved in resisting sin and seeking holiness (abstaining from sexual immorality, cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit) certainly takes real power to overcome real sin.

Often we will gauge the amount of power available in Christ by our first conversion experience. In most cases there is not enough power in this initial stage to overcome sin for any length of time. This is why so few believe in the power to overcome. So for these there is a second work of grace...or I might add a deeper work of the cross...so that there is the power to overcome and to truly witness to the freedom from the bondage of sin.

So does one who has received less than the required grace to overcome still "positionally" overcome sin? Of course not!

[Watchman]

Our spirits are sanctified upon regeneration. As long as we are obedient to the Spirit, we will remain holy. But the soul must also become sanctified in it's essence. And that is the process of sanctification...dying daily and walking in obedience to God in the Spirit. So we must continually CHOOSE holiness over our old lives. Jesus said we must overcome! Jesus starts us out and equips us, but we are the ones building through our wills. So we can build with carnal materials or with holy ones...and we are then judged on how we have built whether we are to be honoured or dishonoured.

This is a wonderful point. Paul says those who are joined to the Lord are one spirit with Him...which means Holy Spirit "resides in " saint's spirit. However, our souls must be dealt with. Peter added, Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. The spirit is saved, the soul is being saved, the body will be transfigured/glorified (saved).

W

[episkopos]

I think that depth, as a dimension, goes largely misunderstood. Not all who are converted to Christ do so at the same depth. Some are "touched" by grace...others fully immersed in grace. So these will likely disagree on what grace means..unless we see that grace gives us the ability to be obedient to God. If we are honest then we will admit to NOT having the required grace and depth of love to be truly obedient in all things. So we need to grow in grace.

2Pe_3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

The spiritual walk in Christ is in the 4th dimension of depth....and that is the love of God.

Eph_3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

So we may understand the 3 dimensions of what men normally can see..but there remains a 4th dimension of depth in the Spirit. This is the super-natural walk in the depth of the love of God...a supernatural love that shields us from the pull of this world. Did I mention that first we must also experience the depth of the cross?

When you look at a body of water you cannot tell if it is shallow or deep...so it is with Christians. At what level (depth) are they living in the Spirit..if at all?

[episkopos]

This is a wonderful point. Paul says those who are joined to the Lord are one spirit with Him...which means Holy Spirit "resides in " saint's spirit. However, our souls must be dealt with. Peter added, Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. The spirit is saved, the soul is being saved, the body will be transfigured/glorified (saved).

W

Very good understanding!!!

[Noeb]

Ok.... but it's only you thats here.


Those were dictionary definition cut and pasted the link was provided also, if you dont accept them and choose to define your own words..what can i do ? language becomes meaningless and reason goes out the window.


So i take it you voted for option 1 ?

I'm alone? We've all pretty much been in agreement here. Like scripture, I just call it growing in grace and perfecting holiness and not sanctificion.

I don't use the world to define biblical terms. Why do you? Sanctify God in your heart is not, purify or make free from sin.

Yes, I am the one that voted it is just an event. However I am not by far the only one that has said it. Realization, manifestation, of our complete sanctification is not an act of sanctifying. Is is the result. Most of those that voted 'event and process' say different in their post, even if they wrongly use the word sanctification when scripture does not.

[glad4mercy]

Often we will gauge the amount of power available in Christ by our first conversion experience. In most cases there is not enough power in this initial stage to overcome sin for any length of time. This is why so few believe in the power to overcome. So for these there is a second work of grace...or I might add a deeper work of the cross...so that there is the power to overcome and to truly witness to the freedom from the bondage of sin.

So does one who has received less than the required grace to overcome still "positionally" overcome sin? Of course not!

Ok I'll come clean now.

I do believe that Sanctification is an event and a process...

When we are converted, we are fully justified by God and set apart by His Spirit. We are sanctified by the sprinkling of blood and the washing of regeneration, both accomplished by the Holy Spirit. We are made holy in Christ, that is what the word positional sanctification means, we are holy due to our position in Christ Jesus. Those who are in and abide in Christ are Holy, those who do not are not.

Once we are converted, we are called to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. ( 2 Corinthians 7:1) We accomplish this by walking in the Spirit, for if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Feed the Spirit, starve the flesh, deny the flesh, be filled with the Spirit. This is what I think people mean when they say "progressive sanctification". It is a progressive growth in holiness, and yes sanctification and holiness come from the same root word.

So yes, I believe that sanctification is both an event and a process, yet in the process of pursuing holiness, our standing with God does not change. We are accepted in the Beloved, and there is nothing we can do to add to our position in Christ.

Now I think the crux of the issue is the question, "do we remain in this sanctified standing if we depart from the faith or depart from Christ?, or even fail to grow in the Grace and knowledge"? Now we are back full swing to the OSAS debate. If one believes that continued justification is conditioned on continuance in the faith, it logically follows that sanctification does as well. I will not tread here at this time.

I do believe in both positional and progressive practical sanctification, ( I departed from the terms earlier only because it appeared that different people had different ideas of what these terms mean.) As far as the other questions, I am uncertain. I do know that Paul wrote to Christians saying, "this is the will of God, even your sanctification", so there is a definite need to grow in holiness. All we need to know is that we are holy in Christ, but at the same time God wants that holiness to be increasingly evident in our lives.

Sanctification as an event, positional- I am Holy because of my position in Christ, I have been united with Him in His death and resurrection.

Sanctification as a process- I am progressing and increasing in holiness, ( perfecting holiness). Growing in Christlikeness.

[Noeb]

1Co_15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Mat_16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Jesus leads us into MORE death, or at least a constant death...that more life might be made manifest in us.


2Co_4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

So a constant carrying of the cross is a process of bearing the type of fruit that only those who are dead to themselves and alive to Christ can produce.

Is it possible for scripture to say we are crucified, we are dead, and say we need to die? No. All those verses are about persecution and real physical death episkopos. If you want to die daily go risk your life for the gospel, even unto death.

[Nobunaga]

I just call it growing in grace and perfecting holiness and not sanctificion.

You have to accept that a word can be used in different context. If you want to call it growing in holiness thats fine with me, it carries the same meaning as sanctify.

I don't use the world to define biblical terms. Why do you? Sanctify God in your heart is not, purify or make free from sin.

Using a dictionary to define terms is fine, if you dont like the dictionary definition use the lexicon definition i provided but they were the same.

Yes, I am the one that voted it is just an event. However I am not by far the only one that has said it. Realization, manifestation, of our complete sanctification is not an act of sanctifying. Is is the result. Most of those that voted 'event and process' say different in their post, even if they wrongly use the word sanctification when scripture does not.

As i said before words can be used in different context most people when talking of sanctification think of a purification process in the context of Christian living, if you prefer to call it holiness then it's just quibbling over semantics.

[Noeb]

Glad4mercy, if all we needed is the root, we would NOT have more.

[glad4mercy]

Glad4grace, if all we needed is the root, we would have more.

Please clarify this statement.

[Noeb]

You said sanctify and holy are from the same root as a reason to say we are progressively sanctified, right?

There are many Greek words with completely different meanings that are from the same root. So I don't know why this statement is being repeated.

[MoreMercy]

Thanks for the apology but you did no wrong.

I disagree with the improper use of the term, but it's much more than that. The principles have been redefined into something different than scripture defines. You've heard of principle based sanctification? Well if Christ did it for us already and we are supposed to walk in it just as we received it, why has Christianity become all these principles we have to do for 10-30 years to acheive it? Jesse touched on it earlier, mentioning all the books on the subject.

No other subject needs to be understood more in this sin sick luke warm church, so we have an unlimited supply to keep us busy. Yet, no other subject is more misunderstood. The books and the doctrine they promote do not work, as is plain to see. It prolongs sin in the believers life, makes sanctification principle based and man centered taking the focus off of the cross (while claiming the cross is the focus), and encourages behavior diametrically opposed to scripture. The books are top sellers, because after all, we all want comfort in knowing we are on the right and straightest path. The books and preachers supply that comfort leaving the people with a never ending hard road to walk. It's comforting to know you have 20 years to get it together and can continue in sin in the meantime. Or is it? Depression plagues the church. The soul that sins shall die!

Scripture says abstain. Awake to righteousness and sin not. How can you continue in sin, being free? Hebrews 5 and 6 says you should be on meat and off milk, and to leave the first principles and go on to perfection. The books and preachers claim to be taking you to maturity but only teach the first principles. They say you need to die daily, but Christ crucified you. They say you need to repent and surrender, but that's the first thing you did. If you didn't you wouldn't have been born again.. They say you need to be broken, but you were broken and Christ condemned sin in the flesh healing you, put his Spirit in you and made you an new creature/new man after him, and said go and sin no more, you can do all things, because all things are yours, I give you power, and all power is mine. They say you need to be poor in spirit, but Jesus gave you all his riches. They say you need to do a long list of things but Jesus said ye are complete.

You can take His gospel into a prison or to anyone that hasn't been 'progressively sanctified' and they can see it and immediately walk in much greater holiness than those that have been 'progressively sanctified' for 20 years. Meanwhile the progressively sanctified look forward to, someday.

Howdy, Noeb.
First I want to say that as of now 'I think' I agree with you 100% in what I quoted from you above, but:
Is this what I quoted from you, that took three paragraphs to explain, isn't it already explained in our bibles simply as: do not grieve His Holy Spirit, or other places in our bibles as: do not quench the Holy Spirit ?
This of course after the called-out-of and set-apart-to God by sanctification of Christ saving/restoring work completed/finished on the earth for us who will keep trusting and keep following Him, til He returns or until our last breath...

I am already positive that those short sentences in our bibles do say the same thing as the three paragraphs that I quoted from you do, I wanted to have your opinion on what I just shared tho, please.


Father bless those who look to you, but have mercy on all of us to glorify your name.