Sanctified by Grace

Prayer:  Father, transform me by Your grace.  Sanctify my heart, mind, hands, and feet so that I can live a holy life.  Empower me to live victoriously over the temptation that I encounter.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.[1] – Adam Dooley

Main Scripture: Romans 7:1-15

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do (vs. 14-15).

Associated Scriptures:

How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29)?

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Acts 26:16-18).

Correlative Quotes:

Understanding the conflict in personal sanctification involves seeing the relationship between a believer and his indwelling sin. In verse 14, Paul makes a transition from the previous subject (vv. 7-13) to the next one. The statement, The Law is spiritual (cf. v. 12), is not only the conclusion of Paul's previous argument but also an accepted fact among people. The Law comes from God who is Spirit (John 4:24) and expresses God's will for human living. Paul, using himself as the example, said the problem is that I am unspiritual (‎Gk. “made of flesh"). In addition, he was sold as a slave (Gk. "had been sold and remained in that state") to sin (Gk. "under the sin"; Romans 3:9). …Obviously he was describing his present conflict as a Christian with indwelling sin and its continuing efforts to control his daily life. The clause, "sold under sin" (KJV), describes an unregenerate person; but sin also resides in a believer, who is still subject to sin's penalty of physical death. As a result, indwelling sin continues to seek to claim what it considers its property even after one has become a Christian.[2] – John Walvoord

Salvation makes a man whole. But it does indicate that the believer's mind, will, and body can be controlled either by the old nature or the new nature, either by the flesh or the Spirit. The statements here indicate that the believer has two serious problems: (1) he cannot do the good he wants to do, and (2) he does the evil that he does not want to do. Does this mean that Paul could not stop himself from breaking God's Law, that he was a liar and thief and murderer? Of course not! Paul was saying that of himself he could not obey God's Law; and that even when he did, evil was still present with him. No matter what he did, his deeds were tainted by sin. Even after he had done his best, he had to admit that he was "an unprofitable servant" (Luke 17:10).[3] – Warren W. Wiersbe

…please note the word "sanctify" here is a verb. It is a verb. It defines action, activity, process, progress. You will notice the little word "may" is included, "May God sanctify you." Later on, in the verse, "May your spirit, soul and body be preserved complete." …his prayer wish, "May God sanctify you."  And he thus introduces us to the burden of his heart that believers be sanctified, that they be in the process of being sanctified.[4] – John MacArthur

Study:

1. Sanctification: The process of God's grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God's righteousness. “Accomplished by the Word of God (John 17:7) and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:3-4), sanctification results in holiness or purification from the guilt and power of sin.”[5] “Sanctification is the state of being and process of becoming separate at the same time. When equated to the life of the believer it means to be set apart to be holy.”[6]
2. Positional Sanctification: As a state of being, it is a single, one-time action of Jesus’ death and resurrection; we are sanctified or made holy at the time of our salvation. We see this described in Hebrews 10:10 (KNJV) where the writer says, “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Sanctification is, as a state of being, a onetime action. When we are sanctified, we are made right or just with God (Romans 5:1).
3. Progressive Sanctification: 1 Thessalonians 5:23a says, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.” Sanctification is the state of being holy (positional), but it is also the process of becoming holy (progressive).

Summary Statement:

If he gives you the grace to make you believe, he will give you the grace to live a holy life afterward.[7] – Charles Spurgeon

We struggle with sin since, even though God sees us as holy; positionally we still battle our sin nature.  Give thanks for grace.

Lessons within the Lesson:

Describe sanctification in your own words.

How do positional sanctification and progressive sanctification differ?

How can we be born again and still suffer from sin? 

How should the action of sanctification impact your life daily?

[1]  Dr. Adam Dooley, The Surprising Key to Spiritual Growth, MyDaily Devotional, © by Thomas Nelson, All Rights Reserved, p. 36.

[2] John F. Walvoord, Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries. All rights reserved.

[3] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

[4] John MacArthur, A Prayer for Complete Sanctification, © Grace to You, All Rights Reserved, June 29, 2003, message 52-35.

[5] Sanctification, Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[6] Sanctification, theopedia.com/sanctification.

[7]  Charles Spurgeon, Sermons of the Rev. C. J. Spurgeon of London Third Series, Public Domain, New York, Robert Carter and Brothers, p. 308.