The core message for Christians, as seen in the corrections and teachings of the Corinthians, is that God is deeply concerned with the holiness of His people. This process of making believers holy is termed sanctification. It is illogical for God to save us yet allow us to continue living identically to the world; such an act would contradict His holy and loving character. Just as parents guide their children, God regenerates our lives and painstakingly conforms us to the image of Christ through the Holy Spirit.

This transformative work is one of God’s most marvelous and intentional expressions of love. While many perceive God’s love solely as desirable gains and an easier life, God’s deeper love involves His work of sanctification. He is not against gifts but is against gifts possessing us, and He is mindful of us becoming so comfortable with this life that we lose sight of eternal glory.

The greatest work God has done in a believer’s life after redemption is sanctification, leading to a profound transformation in mentality, pursuits, intuition, and capacity to serve Him. Sanctification not only fosters greater love for God and people but also enables us to genuinely enjoy what God has provided, granting a deeper understanding of Scripture and shaping our pursuit of Him.

God’s Will for Holiness
First Thessalonians 4 emphasizes that God’s will is for us to be sanctified, instructing believers on how to live in a way that pleases God. This is not a static state but an increasing desire to honor Him more and more, moving beyond mere ritualistic or moralistic actions to a growing, loving relationship with God.

Specifically, this includes avoiding sexual immorality, a prevalent issue in the Greco-Roman world, and learning to control one’s body in a holy and honorable way. This exhortation is exclusively for regenerated and justified believers; pagans who do not know God cannot be sanctified.

God’s will for us is fundamentally tied to our sanctification. Any decision or guidance sought from God must be considered in light of this overarching purpose. Sanctification primarily cultivates a desire to please God, stemming from our relationship with Him, rather than self-pleasure or pleasing others.

While sexual immorality was a specific concern in Paul’s time, contemporary Christians must consider what sins and immoralities they need to avoid today, such as pornography, rage, judgmentalism, hypocrisy, or unkindness. The instruction remains to control one’s body and refrain from unholy desires, a capacity only possible for believers, as unbelievers lack the spiritual nature to truly please God.

Understanding the Two Meanings of Sanctification
Sanctification in the New Testament generally carries two meanings. The first is “positional sanctification,” meaning to be set apart or separated from the world, a once-for-all event occurring at conversion. 1 Corinthians 6:11 illustrates this, describing believers as having “been washed, sanctified, and justified” in the past tense.

The second, and more commonly understood, meaning is “progressive sanctification,” which describes the ongoing process of a saved Christian being conformed to Christ’s image daily. This transformation is continuous and dynamic, not instantaneous. Romans 8:29 speaks of being “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,” while 2 Corinthians 3:18 mentions believers being “transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory.” This message emphasizes this progressive, lifelong aspect of sanctification.

Sanctification: The Purpose of Salvation
Sanctification is the ultimate purpose of the entire process of salvation. God does not save us merely for us to live our own lives, but by the same grace that redeemed us, He seeks to conform us to the image of His Son in holiness and honor. Understanding sanctification in the context of salvation, regeneration, and justification is crucial.

Misunderstandings often arise when Christians separate sanctification from salvation. Some fall into despair and anxiety, losing assurance of their identity when they don’t see immediate progress against sin, while others fall into moralism, believing their zeal and works earn them greater favor with God. This ignores that God’s pleasure comes from Christ’s merits, not our own.

Common Misconceptions About Sanctification
One major misunderstanding is thinking of sanctification apart from justification. While distinct, they are inseparable. God first declares us righteous (justification) before continuously working in us to bear fruits of righteousness (sanctification). As John Calvin noted, “God justifies no one whom He does not also sanctify”; the moment we are justified, sanctification begins, leading to growth in knowledge, will, and love for God.

Another error is believing that sanctification can be delayed or addressed later, after receiving forgiveness and pardon. This “honeymoon period” idea is wrong. The very act of seeking forgiveness implies a consciousness of God’s holiness and a desire to be delivered from sin, which is precisely what sanctification addresses. Therefore, seeking forgiveness and yearning for sanctification are intertwined and inseparable.

Preaching a gospel that stops at justification and forgiveness is incomplete; a truly biblical gospel that reconciles people to God must also preach sanctification. While justification frees us from sin’s condemnation, sanctification actively deals with the daily, vestigial sins we contend with.

A third misconception is viewing sanctification as merely an outward moralistic portrayal. Measuring sanctification solely by external behaviors like refraining from swearing, smoking, or drinking is inaccurate, as even non-Christians can exhibit such traits due to human ethics or good nature. True Christian sanctification is measured by our deepening relationship with the Father, developed through the truth He implants in our hearts, as Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

God works on our hearts first through His truth, not just our behaviors. While external changes often follow, they must be driven by our relationship with the Father and understanding of truth, not by moralistic motivations or a desire to please others.

It is important to understand that sanctification does not always equate to an instantaneous or complete cessation of struggle with sin. Some believers may continue to battle vices even while growing in their relationship with God. True sanctification often produces an inner struggle when we recognize our actions are not conforming to Christ’s image. While deliverance will eventually come, the process is not always immediate or externally obvious.

Finally, sanctification is not simply an experience of liberation through spiritual methodologies. While personal supernatural experiences can occur, they should not be established as the standard formula for sanctification. Such approaches can inadvertently introduce psychological rather than purely spiritual elements.

Just as a boy grows into a man, with visible signs appearing only at certain stages, spiritual growth and sanctification are happening continuously in a believer’s life from day one, even if outward evidence isn’t always immediately apparent. Breakthroughs are simply evidence of an ongoing process, and even in discipline, God is sanctifying us, shaping us even when we don’t feel it.

The Divine-Human Cooperation in Sanctification
A fatal tendency in understanding sanctification is to start with ourselves rather than with God. Some Christians believe that after regeneration and justification, they are left to their own strength and will to obey God’s commands, inevitably leading to failure. However, 1 Peter 1:13 instructs us to “set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” emphasizing that God’s grace empowers our path of holiness.

Sanctification is unequivocally God’s work from beginning to end. Philippians 1:6 states that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” The indwelling Holy Spirit, received at conversion, actively separates us from sin, ensuring that we cannot sin wholeheartedly or escape discipline. The Spirit of God is jealous when we draw closer to the world than to Him, continually working to set us apart.

Unlike regeneration and justification, which are monergistic (God works alone), sanctification is a synergistic work, a divine-human cooperation. God sovereignly works to sanctify us, while we are called to express our faith through active response. Our response determines whether we hasten and enjoy the fruits of this process.

Philippians 2:12-13 perfectly illustrates this balance: “Continue to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” This means God empowers our will and actions, but we must actively participate, taking responsibility to align with His purpose. Justification is God’s declarative act, but sanctification calls us to action.

Avoiding Extremes in the Sanctification Journey
Christians often fall into two extremes regarding sanctification. One extreme is believing that once born again, God’s activity ceases, and sanctification is solely a self-driven effort through Bible reading, prayer, and application. This is unbiblical, as God’s power is the primary cause and enabler of our will and actions.

The other extreme is thinking we need to do nothing but passively “let go and let God,” merely abiding in Jesus and expecting all sanctifying work to be done for us. This “hyper-grace” teaching is contradicted by scriptures like Philippians 2:12, which command us to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” We must not show contempt for God’s work by taking His indwelling Spirit for granted.

Many scriptural texts call for our active responses: Romans 8:13 tells us to “put to death the misdeeds of the body by the Spirit”; Colossians 3:5 commands us to “put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature”; 1 Timothy 6:12 exhorts us to “fight the good fight”; and Ephesians 4:22-24 instructs us to “put off the old self and put on the new self.” These are not passive commands but require our active participation.

Finally, 2 Corinthians 7:1 urges us, “Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” These clear exhortations demonstrate that we must act in response to God’s sanctifying work. If sanctification were merely passive, the apostles would not have written so extensively, urging us to cleanse, purify, flee, and pursue.

We must avoid misinterpreting the Bible, as it leads to confusion and weakens our walk with God. The Bible teaches that God works in us because He has saved us, and He also works in us so that we may actively “work it out.” We must not pursue an “easy way” or swing to either extreme, but understand and pursue the holiness that God’s purpose in salvation is to instill in us, making us truly like His children, worthy of His glorious and holy name.