3.3 Sanctification

We cannot separate the gospel of grace from the gospel of God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Sanctification is God’s work in us to establish God’s righteousness by sanctifying the rule of Christ in our hearts. Sanctification which follows Justification by faith will result in Christ’s righteousness in our lives. Sanctification is the process of living out the righteousness of Christ who dwells within us.

Sin, on the other hand works against sanctification. Sanctification, like our salvation, refers to three aspects of being set apart. The first is Christ, who has purchased us to be set apart for God. The second aspect is the Holy Spirit, who is working in our lives so we can live a life set apart for God, which produces righteousness. Thirdly, it is us setting our hearts apart for Christ. All three aspects address the sin in our lives. In this section, we will deal with how saints, who are disciples of Christ, should deal with sin in their lives in the work of sanctification. Let me start by stating that the first two aspects of sanctification are God’s work in us, while the third aspect is our work and responsibility.