Philippians 3:7-14

The doctrine of sanctification is surrounded by misunderstanding. There is not one or two key passages that speak to sanctification, so we must look at a broad spectrum. There are four distinct kinds of sanctification revealed in the Scripture.

• Sanctification as a declaration (I Corinthians 1:2)
  • This is an act of God by which He sets someone or something aside for His specific use.
    • In this Scripture, He sanctified the vessels
  • This is an act of God, which He alone can do
• Sanctification as an act
  • This is a one-time act which takes place at conversion (Hebrews 10:10-14)
    • We have no righteousness of our own, but Christ’s righteousness is reckoned to our account, declaring us righteous.
  • This act removed former sin (I Corinthians 6:9-11)
• Sanctification as a process
  • This is the typical use of the word
    • The believer is in the process of growth and inward holiness
      • Romans 6:19
      • I Thessalonians 4:3
    • The marks of the process
      • Stronger faith
      • More effective prayer life
      • More effective witness
• Future complete sanctification
  • Sanctification as a completed work
    • This is where the erroneous view of sinless perfection is confused
    • The Biblical view
      • I Thessalonians 5:23
      • Philippians 3:7-14
    • We are not released from keeping God’s law. Keeping God’s law does not save us; we are saved to keep God’s law and thus do good works.

Every believer should have passed through sanctification as both a declaration and an act. We should be living in the process of sanctification daily with the hope of our future complete sanctification.