Sanctification

SANCTIFICATION.

BY GEORGE P. KEELING.

SANCTIFICATION A BIBLE DOCTRINE.

We desire to show, first, that sanctification is a Bible doctrine; second, whom it is for; third, what it does for people; and, fourth, how to get it.

The first text we will consider on this subject is found in Hebrews 10: 14. "For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." We desire to notice in this text that sanctification is effected by the offering of Jesus. We see it again in Hebrews 10: 10. "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." These two scriptures give the very ground for sanctification; namely, the shedding of the blood of Jesus. The Word has it still more emphatic in Hebrews 13: 12. "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." In these texts we find the very basis of the individual's faith, when he comes to God for this experience; that is, that Jesus purchased it for him when he shed his precious blood. The strongest plea that a lost sinner can possibly make before God is that Jesus shed his blood for him. And as this plea will never fail to move the compassion of the great God when the sinner comes humbly confessing and forsaking his sins, and will always secure the desired blessing of pardon; just so when the dear soul who is in a fit condition to be sanctified comes before God with the plea, "Jesus that he might sanctify me with his own blood suffered without the gate," he will never be turned away empty, provided he is willing to meet the conditions laid down in the Word.

By these scriptures we find that we have as good grounds for sanctification as we have for anything else in the whole Bible; that is, it is in the atonement made by Jesus Christ. But these are not all the texts we have on this point. Before going farther, however, we will notice something more in the text. "By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." Here he says those that are sanctified are perfected. Therefore to be sanctified means to be perfected. Hence to be sanctified and to be perfected mean the same thing. This being the case we will use the terms interchangeably in this article. In proof of this, our first point, we will notice Matthew 5: 48, "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Luke 6: 40 has it: "The disciple is not above his master, but every one who is perfect shall be as his master." These scriptures both teach, one by command, the other by assertion, the experience of perfection.

Again, we turn to Colossians 1: 28, 29, "Whom [that is, Christ] we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." Here we find the nature of the apostle's work. He says he worked, and labored, and strove according to the working of God which worked in him mightily, that he might present every man perfect in Christ. Either Paul was a false teacher and an awful heretic, or else thousands of the teachers of the present day who fight perfection and say it is impossible in this life, are heretics and false teachers of the worst kind. Beloved, which would you rather charge with heresy and as false teachers, the great apostle, or these men who think themselves wise above that that is written? For myself, I had rather cast the stigma on the latter. Hence, I take my stand as a minister of Christ and labor, and work, and strive to present every man perfect in Christ. And in the name of the Lord I must brand every man as a heretic and a false teacher who will do otherwise.

But this is not yet all the proof on this subject. Hebrews 6: 1 reads: "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection." Here we find the command to go on unto perfection. The very phraseology of the text implies that he expects us to get to this experience. Suppose I would say to a friend at night, "We will go to town in the morning." On the morrow we rise and start on our journey. We travel and travel until night overtakes us, when we lie down to rest; only to continue our march the next day. Suppose we should continue to travel in this way day after day, week after week, and year after year, in our efforts to get to town. Do you not think that we should certainly become convinced that we had lost our way and were off the road? If so, what do you think of those persons who always say they are going on unto perfection, and never get there? Some of them say they have been on the road for twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, and even sixty years, and yet they are not there. Does it not seem that they had better come to the conclusion that they are off the road?

Let us now notice the prayer that Jesus offered just before he was crucified, found in John 17: 16, 17. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." Consider also 1^st Thessalonians 3: 9, 10, "For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God: night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith." "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud the his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit."- 1^st Thessalonians 4: 1 to 3. This is a glorious lesson, and ends by giving the solemn warning that he that despiseth it despiseth not man but God. As much as to say, "This is not the doctrine of man but the doctrine of God. Therefore if you despise it you despise God." This is an awful blast against those who are crying out that this is a new doctrine, and treating it with contempt.

SANCTIFIED IN THIS LIFE.

Then the great apostle closes this epistle with this prayer: "And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."- 1^st Thessalonians 5: 23, 24. There is no possible way of evading the truth here set forth. This scripture cuts off three leading errors: First, that they are sanctified when they are converted; second, that they are sanctified at death; third, that they can not be sanctified in this world, which amounts to about the same as the second error. It is a refutation of the first error from the fact that the apostle is addressing real children of God, those who have been converted, and clearly shows they had not been sanctified, else he could not have been praying for them to be sanctified.

The second error is refuted by this lesson because the experience taught in it imparts the grace to them wherein they may be preserved blameless until Christ comes, which shows clearly that it is not something to be received then; but on the contrary it is to preserve them blameless until he does come.

The third error; namely, that we can not be sanctified in this world, is refuted by the 24th verse. "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." That is, God will do just what Paul prayed for in the preceding verse: namely, "The God of peace sanctify you wholly." And that no one may come up and say that it is impossible, he adds, "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

We will show next under this head that people were sanctified and perfected in this world. "Jude the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ and called."— Jude 1. Here we have an epistle addressed to people who were already sanctified. "Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."- 1^st Corinthians 1: 1,2. Here are two epistles addressed to sanctified people, which is positive evidence that there were people living then that were sanctified. Yes, but some one says, "Does not Paul say that he was not yet perfect?" Yes, there is one kind of perfection Paul says he had not yet attained to: neither have I: but let us see what kind it is. "Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death: if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth onto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."— Philippians 3: 8 to 14. What kind of perfection does the apostle set forth here? It is perfectly clear to those who are not blinded by false teaching or the doctrine of their creed. What did he say he had not attained to, and what was he pressing on for? He tells you. The resurrection. This then is the perfection he had not yet reached, but was pressing on that he might attain to it. But notice the next verse. "Let us therefore as, many as be perfect be thus minded." (That is, to press on to the resurrection:) 'Who is it that is to be thus minded? Answer. "As many as be perfect."— Verse 15. So, while there is one perfection to which the apostle says he had not yet attained, yet there is another which he not only claims for himself but for others also; a perfection in another sense. Paul, in telling how he preached, in 1^st Corinthians 2: 6 says: "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them which are perfect." This also shows clearly that he believed that people reach the experience of perfection, and he tells how he preached to such people. I trust this is sufficient to convince any one that sanctification and perfection are taught in the Word and are to be experienced in this world. You may now be willing to admit that it is taught and that it is to be enjoyed in this life, but some one may say, "I was sanctified when I was converted." Others may say they are growing into it. So we will in the next chapter proceed to show by the Word of God that neither is the case.