v. Holiness
Rom 6:19 serve .. iniquity, so now for s
Rom 6:22 you have for your fruit the s, and as an end
1Th 4:3 for the will of God is yours
1Th 4:7 for God has not called us to .. but so
2Th 2:13 for salvation, through the s for
1Pe 1:2 chosen according to the .. in s of the Spirit
Sanctification (Gr. haguiasmós, “holiness”, “consecration”, “sanctification”). According to modern theological understanding, the word sanctification refers to the process of character development, or the result of that process. However, as used in the NT, “sanctification” and “justification”* are essentially equivalent terms. The 1st refers to the change of condition: from sinfulness to holiness; the 2nd, to the passage from injustice to justice (Rom 6:19). Therefore, the beginning of sanctification is presented as something that has already happened (1Co. 6:11, where it says: “You have already been sanctified”; CBA 7:476). This is not to say that the NT authors had nothing to say about the modern concept of “sanctification,” because they refer to it often and extensively with expressions like “follow righteousness” (1Tit 6:11), “let us walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4), “be transformed” (12:2), “perfecting holiness” (2Co 7:1), “let us grow in… Christ” (Eph 4:15), “I press on toward the goal ” (Phi 3:12-15), “built up on him” (Col 2:7), “complete in all that God wills” (4:12), fighting “the good fight of faith” (1 Tit 6 :12; cf v 11), partaking of “the divine nature” (2Pe 1:4), growing “in grace” (3:18), etc. Through justification man receives the Lord Jesus Christ, and through sanctification he learns to walk in harmony with his will (Col 2:6, 7). Justification occurs in a moment, while sanctification lasts a lifetime. Holy Place. See Tabernacle; Temple. Holy. Translation of various Greek and Hebrew synonyms referring generally to what is sacred and separate from the common. In addition to referring to turning away from all that defiles, the term, as commonly used, includes, when applied to God’s people, the concept of moral perfection. It often manifests a strong emphasis on dedicating something or someone to religious or sacred use (cf Exo 19:6; 30:31, 32; Lev 21:6; Heb 3:1; etc.). The term is used: 1. For the absolute holiness of God (1Sa 2:2; Psa 99:9; Isa 6:3; Rev 15:4; etc.). 2. In the phrase “the Holy One of Israel,” one of the titles of the Lord (Isa 47:4; Eze 39:7; etc.). 3. In the names of the compartments of the Sanctuary and the Temple (Exo 26:33; 2Ch 4:22; Heb 9:12, etc.). 4. In references to the character that is expected to be manifested in the children of God (1Pe.1:15, 16); etc. In some biblical passages the concept of saint is expressed with “separated” (Heb. sûr, “deviate/se”, “separate/se”, “withdraw/se”; gr. ekklíno, “deviate from”, “dodge”, “avoid”). The word appears in Job 1:1, 8, 2:3; 2Pe 3:11; etc., and that has the sense of “refrain from”; mainly that of “fleeing scared of” something. Holy, Place. See Tabernacle; Temple.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
The process or result of being made holy. When holiness is applied to things, places and people it means that they are consecrated and set apart for God’s use. When used in relation to people, it can have a moral dimension. Thus in the NT, believers are described as already (objectively) sanctified in Christ (1Co 1:2, 1Co 1:30). They are called to show that consecration in their lives (1Th 4:3; 1Th 5:23; Heb 2:11; Heb 9:13; Heb 10:10, Heb 10:14, Heb 10:29; Heb 13:12) . They are to be holy in their daily living by the power of the Holy Spirit. See HOLINESS; See HOLY SPIRIT.
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
The act or process of sanctifying or setting apart for the service or use of Jehovah God. The quality or state of being holy, sanctified or purified is called “holiness”. The word “sanctification” directs attention to action that produces, manifests, or maintains holiness. (See HOLINESS.) Terms derived from the Hebrew verb qa dhash and those related to the Greek adjective ha gi os are translated “holy,” “hallowed,” “made holy,” and “set apart.”
Through an examination of the use of the words of the original languages, a better understanding of the subject can be reached. In the Scriptures they apply to: 1) Jehovah God, 2) Jesus Christ, 3) angels, 4) men and animals, 5) things, 6) periods of time or occasions, and 7) land possessions. Sometimes the Hebrew word for “sanctified” was used in the sense of preparing, disposing, or doing to be in proper condition. Jehovah commanded Moses to say to the complaining Israelites: “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, since you will certainly eat meat.” (Nu 11:18) Before Israel crossed the Jordan River, Joshua commanded them: “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow Jehovah will do wonderful things in your midst.” (Jos 3:5) In all cases the expression has a religious, spiritual, and moral meaning. It can denote getting rid of anything that is displeasing to Jehovah or bad in his eyes, such as physical filth. God told Moses: “Go to the people, and you must sanctify them today and tomorrow, and they must wash their robes because on the third day Jehovah will descend before the eyes of all the people on Mount Sinai.” (Ex 19:10, 11) The verb is used in the sense of purifying or cleansing, as at 2 Samuel 11: 4, where it says: † œShe was sanctifying herself from her uncleanness †.
Jehovah told the people of Israel that they had to keep themselves separate from the nations of the world and clean from their practices; To that end, he gave her laws, including those defining which foods were clean and which were unclean. Then he agreed with her: “Because I am Jehovah his God, and you must sanctify yourselves and prove yourself holy, because I am holy.” (Le 11:44.)
Jehovah God. Jehovah God is holy and absolutely pure. As Creator and Universal Sovereign, he has the right to receive the exclusive worship of all his creatures. That is why he says that he will demonstrate his holiness by acting to sanctify himself and his name before the eyes of all creation: “And I will certainly magnify myself and sanctify myself and make myself known before the eyes of many nations ; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah† . Eze 38:23 others. (Le 22:32; Isa 8:13; 29:23) Jesus taught his followers that the most important thing to pray for is: † ‘Our Father in the heavens, hallowed be your name.’ (Mt 6:9, note.)
Jesus Christ. Jehovah God selected his only-begotten Son and sent him to earth to do special work for God’s name and to give his life as a sacrifice for mankind. But the Jews did not receive and respect him as the envoy that he was; rather, they denied his sonship and his position with his Father. Jesus answered them: †œDo you say to me, whom the Father sanctified and dispatched to the world: †˜Blasphemers†™, because I said: I am the Son of God?† . (Joh 10:36.)
The apostle Peter counsels Christians: “Sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts.” He shows that the one who acts in this way will stay away from evil and do good. The people of the nations feel admiration and fear of man and other things in their hearts. Nevertheless, the Christian should place Christ in his proper place in the scale of his affections and motives. This would mean acknowledging his position as Chief Agent of life, Messianic King, High Priest of God and the one who gave his life as a ransom. He should also keep before him Christ’s example of good conduct and keep a good conscience regarding his own conduct as a Christian. If a person, even a ruler, rudely demanded a reason for his hope, the Christian who sanctifies the Christ in his heart would make a good defense, but with a mild temper and deep respect. (1Pe 3:10-16.)
angels. Jesus calls God’s angels “holy” angels, sanctified, set apart for Jehovah’s holy use. (Mr 8:38; Lu 9:26; compare Ps 103: 20.) They stand before Jehovah’s holy presence, beholding his face. (Mt 18:10; Lu 1:19.)
Men and animals. In the past God chose certain people whom he wished to employ in his exclusive service, and sanctified them. When he decided to use the men of the tribe of Levi to take charge of the holy tabernacle and its services, he said to Moses: “As for me, look! I do take the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel who open the womb; and the Levites must become mine. Because every firstborn is mine. On the day that I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified for myself every firstborn of Israel, from man to beast. They must become mine. I am Jehovah† . In order to redeem the firstborn of the remaining eleven tribes, he demanded that the Israelites give up all the males of the tribe of Levi. They then had to give five shekels ($11) to the sanctuary for each firstborn male who exceeded the total number of male Levites. This exempted the firstborn from having to be set apart for Jehovah’s exclusive service. (Nu 3:12, 13, 46-48.)
Later, every firstborn male who opened a womb was considered sanctified, but was presented in the temple and redeemed by paying five shekels. (Ex 13:2; Le 12:1-4; Nu 18:15, 16) Those who were under Nazirite vows during the period of their vow were considered sanctified. (Nu 6:1-8) The firstborn of domestic animals also had to be sanctified for sacrifice, or, in some cases, for redemption. (De 15:19; see FIRSTBORN.)
The priesthood. Jehovah also purposed to set apart a particular family within the tribe of Levi, namely, Aaron and his sons and his male descendants, to serve him as priests to offer sacrifices. (Ex 28:1-3, 41) Thus, they were sanctified with appropriate sacrifices in a symbolic series of acts recounted in Exodus chapter 29. Also sanctified is Jehovah’s eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, as well as his fellow priests, that is, those who follow in the footsteps of Christ and whom God anoints to be members of the body of Christ. (2Th 2:13; Re 1:6; 5:10.)
The sanctification process. There is a certain procedure that one who is sanctified as a foot-follower has to undergo. Using the word sanctify to purify or cleanse from sin in the sight of God, the apostle Paul wrote: “For if the blood of goats and of bulls, and the ashes…