Sanctification is the process that moves a  person from being unholy to being holy. It is the word that signifies a change in status for the one who gives up the world and chooses Jesus. It is definitely a part of the salvation  process. Those who are saved are sanctified.  If one is sanctified he or she is saved. You cannot be lost and be made holy. You cannot be lost and be made perfect in Jesus. You cannot be lost and be a part of the holy priesthood of God.

So, how are we sanctified? It is not something we can do for ourselves. We are not righteous nor are we holy and we lack the ability to change that status before God. To be sanctified means we are forgiven. We do not forgive ourselves. We must be forgiven by God. To be sanctified means we are saved. We do not save ourselves. We must be saved by God. 

What are the requirements of salvation then? Basically, the bottom line of salvation is a question of faith. “Unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins,” (John 8:25). Well, someone might say what about repentance? Why would you repent if you didn’t have faith that Jesus was God? Well, what about confession? Confession is an act of faith. If you confess that Jesus is Lord, you must believe that for it to matter. There is no point in confessing Jesus if you think he is an impostor. What about baptism then? Doesn’t the bible say that he that is baptized will be saved? Yes, of course, repeatedly. Baptism is a re-enactment of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It means that the person submitting to baptism is rejecting the non-Christ world for the Christ world. Not possible without faith.

A faith that trusts in Jesus as Lord and God enough to change one’s life to God’s kind of life and tell the world who he is and then be destroyed in baptism to arise a new person has the faith that saves. It is also the faith that allows Jesus to sanctify you. Sanctification is not something the sinner does. It is not something the saved one does. It is something that God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit do. They only do it for those whose faith has led them to salvation and new life in Christ. Acts 26:18 tells us that faith sanctifies us in Christ. It’s Jesus that says it.  It is the saving faith that makes one holy, set apart, sanctified. Impossible to be saved or sanctified without faith in Jesus. 

Are you sanctified?