Believers are ‘reconciled’ to God by the death His Son and they are ‘justified,’ standing just before God by faith in His cross as the payment for our sins; we then are at once declared us ‘righteous.’

“For he (God the Father) hath made him (The Son) to be sin for us, who knew no sin (experienced no sinning); (so) that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) 

Our sanctification also flows to us from the love and grace of God, being expressed in and made possible by the cross of Christ. Most believers would be thrilled if they understood the Bible doctrine of sanctification! Sanctification is not a negative matter; “Don’t do this” and “Don’t do that.” Rather, sanctification is the positive truth that God wants us for Himself as His sacred possession, such as a husband and a wife belong to each other as their very own… in a special, sacred, way. (See ‘Song of Songs’ 2:16.)

Sanctification is a two-fold truth.

1. Our Sanctification is our fixed, Secure, Separated Standing before God, “in Christ.” This is our positional sanctification… “In Christ.”

So in one sense and in fact every true believer in Christ has already been sanctified, or consecrated to God, by the operation of the Holy Spirit the moment we were saved. Thus Paul tells us members of “the church which is His body” we ARE sanctified, set apart unto God already.

“…God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit…” (2Thes. 2: 13)

God already sanctified us, separating us unto Himself, and that settles it. Just as much as is our being forgiven of ALL our sins were once and for all. Sanctification begins with Him. Thus Paul could even wrote to the careless Corinthian believers and say: “Ye ARE sanctified” (1 Cor. 6:11; cf. Acts 20:32; 26:18), in other words, ‘God has set you apart for Himself.’ This truth of Heb. 10:10 applies to believers in all dispensations. “We ARE Sanctified (HOW?) Through The Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ Once For All.”

The love and grace of God is seen in the redemptive and sanctifying work of Christ on our behalf.

2) Then also Sanctification is the current state of our soul... our soul’s disposition at any moment in time. Now that we are saved and we are sanctified in our standing before the Lord, God would have us appreciate this fact. We demonstrate that truth in our conduct, conducting ourselves according to our new identity as “new creature in Christ” (2Cor 5:17). We who now know who we are by His grace… consecrate ourselves ever more completely to Him.

This then is practical, progressive sanctification. “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thes. 4:3). Hence Paul’s benediction: “The very God of peace sanctify you wholly, your whole spirit, soul and body” (I Thes. 5:23). Paul exhorted Timothy to be “a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet [fit] for the Master’s use” (2 Tim. 2:21).

How can believers be more completely sanctified to God in their practical soul experience?

• First, this comes by studying and meditating on His Word of truth.

David wrote in “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psa 119:105). Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17). When we ‘know the truth’ of the word as to our new identify “in Christ” we have a basis for walking in our new identity. Paul declares that “Christ… loved the Church and gave Himself for it, (so) that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word” (Eph. 5:25-26).

• Then also the Lord’s “Spirit of life” is at work in our daily life sanctifying us in practicality, teaching us to walk in accord with His “Spirit of life.”

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philip. 2:13).

“… Walk in (union with) the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

The greatest teaching comes to us by His hand in permitting us to suffer the consequences of living contrary to who we know we are “in Christ.” We come to this effectual knowledge as we endure the storms of life, and by them… learn to TRUST Him.