Religion Essay on Sanctification

Text: Hebrews 10:14 states, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."

Introduction

Sanctification refers to the process of making someone holy. To sanctify something means to set it apart for the purpose for which the thing was intended by the person who made it. I intend to discuss the topic of sanctification. The topic of sanctification that I intend to paper will be based on Hebrews 10:14. Hebrews 10:14 states, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Jesus Christ is the one offering through which saved people (believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ) are made holy.

Sanctification is related to holiness

Sanctification involves being set apart from a crowd

Sanctification is related to the truth, intended purpose of something or someone.

As Christians, we are supposed to be sanctified

Gods salvation of human beings is achieved by the full sanctification of their spirit.

Full content outline

Introduction

Sanctification refers to the process of making Christians holy. Sanctification aims to ensure that Christians live holy lives in line with Gods teachings. Sanctification refers to making someone or something to live according to the purpose that the Creator purposed when he created the person or the thing. Something is sanctified if operates in line with its intended function. For instance, we can say that a pen is sanctified if its used for writing. A pen was designed intentionally to be used for writing. Anything else that a pen is used for, expect in writing is a violation of the purpose for which the pen was designed. From a theological point of view, sanctification means using things or people for the purpose that God intended when he created the things. Things in this context refer to human beings and items that are meant to be used for worship. Sanctification plays a major role in a Christians spiritual growth. Sanctification is one of the greatest things that can ever happen to any person who believes in Jesus Christ.

Holiness is related to sanctification. Holiness refers to the quality of being holy. The process of being made holy is what is known as sanctification. To be holy is to have the element of holiness. The virtue of holiness can only be conferred on human beings courtesy of the Holy Spirit. It is only the Holy Spirit that can make a person to be sanctified. Holiness is divine. When the Holy Spirit enters into a persons spirit, that person becomes sanctified.

To be sanctified means to be distinct and unique from everything that is common. There is only one nature in the universe that is different from everything else. The only nature that is distinct from everything else in the universe is the nature of God. God is perfect and holy. A sanctified person should be distinct from everything else other than God. Sanctification could denote the process of being made distinct from everything else that is common. A sanctified person is one who has been set apart by God for the purpose of being used by God for His purpose. Courtesy of sanctification, God aims to make human beings to transform in such a manner that their behaviors become in line with the behaviors that Jesus Christ, the son of God displayed while on earth.

Christians should live their lives in line with the intention God had when he created them. In the Bible, Jesus Christ talked a lot about sanctification. Jesus Christ asserted that Christians are of not of the world and therefore, they should stop acting as if they are of the world. Jesus wanted Christians to behave in a manner that is pleasing to their Maker. Christ did not want human beings to conform to the patterns of the world. Patterns of the world encourage violation of the intended purpose of God creating mankind.

Sanctification is mandatory for Christians. Christians should strive to ensure that they live a life that is pleasing to God.

Sanctification of human beings courtesy of the Holy Spirit is the way in which Gods salvation of human beings is achieved. Therefore, it means that there is no salvation without sanctification. In salvation, a man is renewed according to Gods image. Salvation plays a major role in ensuring that mans sinful nature dies and human beings start to live a new life, full of righteousness. Sanctification is a continuous process; it is not a onetime thing. Sanctification is a continuous process that is implemented by the Holy Spirit, inside believers by ensuring that they are freed from sinful habits. Sanctification ensures that human beings are transformed and start to develop Christ-like behaviors and dispositions. Salvation does not mean that sin is eradicated. Salvation means that sin is restrained and repressed. Sanctification is a transformation that is real in how a person behaves and it is not only an appearance of change. Sanctification often occurs as a result of salvation.

MANUSCRIPT

Sanctification refers to a process of a person acquiring sanctity. Sanctification comes from a verb, sanctify. Sanctify is of Greek origin, from a word known as hagiazo. Hagiazo means to be made separate. Hagiazo can also be interpreted as being set apart from the crowd. From a theological point of view, sanctification can be interpreted as Gods sovereign act where he sets a person, a thing or a place apart with an intention of ensuring that His purpose is accomplished. Sanctification of a place involves Gods sovereign act where He makes a place worthy of His site. A sanctified place is worthy of a place of worship. When a person is sanctified by God, he or she is set apart from a crowd by God for a specific purpose which God has in store for him. God separates a person from a crowd if He has a divine purpose that is specific to that person. At sanctification, the Holy Spirit enters our lives as human beings, and we are no longer hostages of sin and death but are free to live a life that is pleasing to God. It is only courtesy of Gods grace that believers become sanctified. Human beings cannot achieve sanctification on their own.

Sanctification is a continuous process; it is not a onetime process. Sanctification does not come to an end when a person gets saved. Sanctification is progressive and occurs throughout a persons life. Even though Christians have been set apart by God, they still have a capacity to sin. Christians are always grappling with an inner battle in them between their sinful, past, their sinful nature and their new lives that are led by the Holy Spirit. The flesh is always lusting against the spirit, and the spirit is always seeking to act against the flesh. The flesh is always in contrary to the spirit, and at times, Christians end up doing things that they do not wish to do. Saved Christians often have a desire to please God and abide by his rules. However, human flesh is weak, and it is often difficult for human beings to resist the temptation to sin.

From a theological perspective, sanctification means setting a person free from sin. Courtesy of Jesus act of shedding blood on the cross, we as human beings have been set free from sin. In sanctification, God brings about change and holiness in a Christians life by use of the Holy Spirit. Effects of living in a sinful world affect people in different ways. Human beings are always contending with different issues. Christians are always struggling with sin and negative experiences of the past which to a large extent make it difficult for them to live a life that God desires. Once we accept Jesus as our savior, the Holy Spirit enters into our lives and starts a transformation process in us. The transformation process after we accept Jesus Christ as our savior is known as progressive sanctification. During progressive sanctification, the Holy Spirit convicts us of the areas that we need to change, helping us to become holy and grow in holiness. In the process of progressive sanctification, we often start to look at the world and life in general from a Biblical perspective. During progressive sanctification, we start placing all our trust in God and not in worldly things. Progressive sanctification is always a personal process for each believer. The aim of progressive sanctification is to encourage spiritual growth and discourage sin.

Sanctification is related to obedience. Christians are supposed to be obedient to Gods word. Obedience to Gods word is one way in which Christians can be sanctified. Being disobedient to Gods word often leads to violation of sanctification for which God purposed when he created us, as human beings. Christians should always strive to live according to Gods word. Having faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and having faith in Jesus goal to redeem our relationship with God plays a major role in promoting sanctification. The Holy Spirits role of sanctification is associated with believers faith in the redemption of Christ.

Sanctification entails moral renovation. For a person to have his behavior changed by the Holy Spirit, that persons behavior should be transformed in such a manner so as to be in line with Gods wishes about human behavior. Sanctification is pegged on Gods moral law. Gods moral law was best displayed by Jesus Christ. The manner, in which Jesus Christ behaved, is the way in which God wants his believers to behave. Jesus Christ was full of love, patience, and humility during his time on earth. Therefore, courtesy of sanctification, human beings should also be full of love, patience, and humility. God is the only one who is perfectly holy. God is distinct, and no human being will ever share the distinctness of God. Sanctification is pegged on Gods continuous work in a believer. However, human beings should strive to be holy even if they are susceptible to flaws.

Regeneration is associated with sanctification. In regeneration, a persons way of thinking is changed. Regeneration refers to being born new; regeneration is a rebirth. On the other hand, sanctification is spiritual growth. A desire for Gods holiness is imparted in a person courtesy of sanctification. Desires that were not in a person are implanted in a person. Sanctification is an ongoing process that depends on Gods continuous action in a believer. Regeneration involves a believers perpetual struggle against fleshly desires and sin. In regeneration, a human being puts an effort in freeing himself from sin but being dependent on God for the success of his efforts. Without Christs enabling, it is impossible for a human being to renew his or her mind. Without enabling from Christ, it is impossible for believers to do good works. Christians have to abide in Jesus Christ so that they may constantly be strengthened in their faith. Abiding in Jesus Christ will play a major role in ensuring that minds of Christians are regenerated to be in line with Gods teachings. Regeneration with regard to sanctification is the bringing of a person from spiritual death to spiritual life. Believers often find themselves with urgings that are contrary to nature. The Holy Spirit is always encouraging believers to live a life akin to Jesus Christ and to exhibit Christ-like traits. On the other hand, human flesh is often urging human beings to live according to their fleshly desires. Human beings often find the flesh as an obstruction to living a holy life. There is always a conflict between what the Holy Spirit wants a believer to do and what a believers fleshy desires wants him to do. Most of the time, Christians find themselves frustrated for behaving in a manner that is contrary to what the Holy Spirit suggests. However, Christians can put to death habits that are not Christ-like by praying not to be overcome by temptation as well as cultivating Christ-like virtues with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is only courtesy of help from the Holy Spiri...