The word sanctification is related to saint, meaning a holy one. Holy is the opposite of the everyday and the secular. Holy generally refers to a thing or place that is set apart from the rest and has been given a special status in religious belief and practice. Generally, something is considered holy if it is set apart for or belongs to the gods or other spirits.
In the Old Testament, holy (in Hebrew qadosh or qodesh) means something set apart or separated. The words refer to a status or state that differs from the earlier state. The opposite of holy is unholy (in Hebrew hol). Purity is very close in meaning to holiness, which is set apart from the unholy and the impure. In the New Testament, the Greek words hagios and hosios are used for holy and holiness. Hagios comes from the verb hadzo, which means to honor or to fear.
The holiness of God
True holiness originates only from the Triune God. Other gods, invented by humans, do not possess true holiness.
God’s holiness is spoken of in both the Old and New Testaments. The picture they give of God’s holiness is somewhat similar. The threefold cry of “Holy” in the Book of Isaiah (6:3) is echoed in the Book of Revelation (4:8). Alongside holiness, the Bible presents attributes of God such as eternity, glory, and love, which can be considered His fundamental attributes.
God’s holiness signifies God’s majesty, which sets God apart above all creation. As the “Holy One of Israel,” He is the only true God (Ps. 71:22). God’s holiness is also the opposite to human sin (1 Pet. 1:16; Lev. 11:44–45, 19:2; 20:7). This contrast to human sin is also expressed in Isaiah chapter 6, where the prophet, upon seeing the Lord’s glory, is forced to remember his own sin and the sin of his people (v. 5).
We approach God with deep reverence—respect and awe—because God, who is high above all, hates sin and punishes it (Ex. 3:5 ff.). Yet at the same time, we also approach Him with joy and confidence, because this God, who is high above all, is merciful to His people in Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1–5:10; Eph. 3:12). Luther states in the explanation of each commandment in the Catechism that we must fear—that is, revere and love—God.
Human Sanctification
Without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). How does a person come to share in holiness—that is, become sanctified? Some might think that they can become holy—that is, acceptable to God—by cleaning up their lives. A thief can stop stealing, a drunkard can stop drinking, and so on. Such self-made and outward improvement of one’s life is not a bad thing, but one does not become holy before God in that way. This is a delusion known as self-righteousness.
God does not accept a person’s own holiness. He was pleased only with the perfect and sinless holiness of His own Son. 1 Corinthians 1:30 states that in Christ there is holiness acceptable to God: “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
In the Christian Doctrine appended to the Catechism, sanctification is explained as follows:
“A Christian feels distress over his sins every day, and every day, he in repentance and faith turns to Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit in his heart leads him to an ever deeper consciousness of sin and grace. He sees what his sin has cost his Savior, but at the same time he rejoices that the Savior has loved him so greatly. He does not escapesin during his temporal life, rather he is continually and“at once righteous and sinful.”
“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.” (Phil. 3:12)
“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ he wished that those who believe in him would repent continually throughout their lifetime on earth.” (Martin Luther)
“Beware of seeking such sanctity that you no longer regard yourself to be a sinner. For Christ does not live anywhere except in sinners.” (Martin Luther)” (The Christian Doctrine)
According to the Christian Doctrine, sanctification belongs to the life that follows justification (being declared righteous before God). It presents the life of the justified person as simultaneously righteous and sinful, involving a lifelong struggle and conflict between the new and the old (spirit and flesh), as described in Romans 7. What is essential is that the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer influences this struggle and keeps the Christian victorious when he or she relies on Christ and forgiveness.
Based on Luther’s explanations, it could be said that Christian holiness is not active but passive. No one can call themselves holy based on their way of life and deeds. Christians are holy, not of themselves, but because of Christ’s holiness. There is no holiness other than the holiness that God works in us. According to Peter, God has called us to be truly holy (1 Pet. 1:16). Paul also calls Christians holy. Furthermore, both of them call us also to live a holy life (Eph. 4:24).
Holiness in Faith and Life
In his House Postil, Luther explains that those who possess the holiness given by God no longer serve the devil in the manner of the world, but serve God without fear, with a clear and joyful conscience. Luther states:
“This is the first and best form of worship: to take refuge in God through Christ without fear…”
“From this follows a second form of worship … that we are godly and holy in our outward lives and maintain a good conscience, so that we do not follow our sinful flesh but restrain it, and from the heart submit to the obedience that God demands in His Word and that the Holy Spirit works in believers … Then the Holy Spirit truly comes to support them and helps them overcome their own flesh and blood, and even the devil himself. Thus Christians must serve God, the heavenly Father, in holiness throughout their lives.”
All people are sinners, and therefore even the life of a holy person will have failures. Luther continues:
“The saints therefore sin, fall, and even stray, but out of ignorance. They do not deny Christ, lose the Gospel, or renounce their baptism intentionally, much less willingly. Therefore, they are forgiven. Even if, out of ignorance, they stray in doctrine, that too is forgiven them, because they ultimately acknowledge their error and trust solely in God’s truth and grace, which is in Christ…. Christians should strive to avoid the deeds of their corrupt nature, but they cannot rid themselves of its desires.”
Elsewhere he advises:
“Therefore, when we recognize sin within ourselves, we must confess our sins, renounce [that is, abandon and turn away from] them, and believe in God as righteous, who, for the sake of His Son Christ, forgives all our iniquities. It is serving God in righteousness that we do not doubt because of sin, but rather renounce it and believe and hope with certainty that through Christ our sins are forgiven.”
Recognizing one’s own sinfulness is beneficial in that it keeps the Christian humble. On this, Luther writes:
“It is greatly beneficial to the saints to know that their flesh is not pure. Otherwise, they would be puffed up by that vain and ungodly idea of righteousness based on works. They would think that they are accepted before God on that basis … Confidence in one’s own righteousness and the delusion of self-acquired purity are a pernicious disease. We cannot trust in our own righteousness, because we know that our nature is not pure.”
Sanctification will be fulfilled once in eternity. Luther puts it this way:
“But even though holiness has begun and grows every day, we still await the time and moment when our flesh will be put to death and buried with all its uncleanness, but may then come forth in glory and rise into the complete and perfect holiness of a new, eternal life. For now we remain only half holy and pure, so that the Holy Spirit may continually work in us through the Word and grant forgiveness of sins every day, until that life comes when forgiveness is no longer needed.”
God’s holiness is seen not only in the justified, holy people but also in His church. In explaining Galatians 5:19, Luther writes:
“We, on the other hand, teach that the church has no stain or wrinkle [Eph. 5:27] but is holy, because it believes in Jesus Christ. It is holy even in its life, since it does not fulfill the desires of the flesh but practices bearing the fruits of the Spirit. But it is not yet so holy that it is completely free from evil desires and pure of ungodly opinions and delusions. For the congregation continually confesses its sins and prays that its debts may be forgiven. It believes in the forgiveness of sins.” (WA 40 II, 106–107)
Sanctification in the individual and in the church is the work of the Holy Spirit
The third article of the Creed states: “I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Christian church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting”. Based on this, Luther explains sanctification very clearly in the Small and Large Catechisms.
The entire third article of the Creed describes the work of the Holy Spirit, that is, sanctification. The Holy Spirit works in many ways. He calls people through the preaching of the Gospel and enlightens them with His gifts. He opens up God’s Word to believers so that they may understand it correctly. He teaches, guides, and comforts believers and unites them into God’s church. He also instills in believers a desire to be obedient and to live according to God’s will. The actions, choices, and character produced by the Holy Spirit are called the fruit of the Spirit.
The Spirit’s primary work, however, is to create faith and sustain it, which means to preserve believers in the faith. This external and internal work of the Holy Spirit signifies the sanctification of the human person. This includes the justification of a person, but also remaining in true faith at every moment. Faith, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, is entrusted to Him at every moment. The church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life, as mentioned in the Creed, are each structured in their own way within the work of the Spirit.
The focus of Luther’s explanation of the Third Article of Faith is on the Spirit’s work directed toward “me” (“called me through the Gospel”). Luther emphasizes, however, that in the same way the Holy Spirit does His work in the entire Christian community (“in which Christian Church He daily and richly forgives me and all believers all our sins; and at the last day, will raise up me and all the dead, and will grant me and all believers in Christ everlasting life”). The work of the Spirit aims at bringing believers into communion with Christ—that is, into faith in Jesus Christ and into coming to him. This is the only true faith.
In the Small Catechism, the congregation is presented as the object of sanctification, while the Large Catechism especially emphasizes the role of the congregation as an instrument of sanctification. The Large Catechism teaches that sanctification continues every day in the congregation through the forgiveness of sins and is ultimately completed at once in the resurrection of the body and in eternal life. The Holy Spirit begins sanctification on earth and continues it every day through these two things: the Christian congregation and the forgiveness of sins.
We can certainly agree with the Large Catechism’s description of the congregation and how the Holy Spirit uses it as an instrument of sanctification in the world:
“I believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ, called together by the Holy Ghost in one faith, one mind, and understanding, with manifold gifts, yet agreeing in love, without sects or schisms. I am also a part and member of the same, a sharer and joint owner of all the goods it possesses, brought to it and incorporated into it by the Holy Ghost by having heard and continuing to hear the Word of God, which is the beginning of entering it.”
“For formerly, before we had attained to this, we were altogether of the devil, knowing nothing of God and of Christ. Thus, until the last day, the Holy Ghost abides with the holy congregation or Christendom, by means of which He fetches us to Christ and which He employs to teach and preach to us the Word, whereby He works and promotes sanctification, causing it [this community] daily to grow and become strong in the faith and its fruits which He produces.”
Author: Kingdom of Peace
Image: SRK