“Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord”
Hebrews 12:14
Original Language
Heb. Qadash – to make clean, appoint, dedicate, consecrate
Gr. Hagios – purification, to separate from profane things and dedicate it to God (Thayer), hallow
*The words sanctify, holy and consecrate all come from the same root word. In order to properly teach the doctrine of anyone of these words, we will by necessity have to dip into the others.
Affirmations about how God uses the word
The setting apart of something for a specific purpose. This process involves the cleansing of the once defiled thing. Whatever is set apart is not to be used again for common purposes.
Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Easton’s Bible Dictionary).
As Used in the Old Covenant Scriptures
“But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself” Psalm 4:3
The sanctification of things in the Old Covenant is a foreshadow of our sanctification in Christ. God used the word then so we would understand the doctrine in Christ. This is how most of these words are used. The have meaning in the Old Covenant, primarily dealing with national Israel, and take on greater meaning in the New Covenant for all those in Christ. What we learn about things sanctified in the Old Covenant will give us understanding to our own sanctification in Christ.
A FOCUS ON THE PHYSICAL
In the Old Covenant we will see God setting apart times and places and things pertaining to the service and worship of God. This is needed because God is dealing with “stubborn and obstinate people” who are “stiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart.” In the New Covenant we will see a stark contrast with this because the people will have a preference for God, a desire to worship Him and will not need days, places, and things set apart to facilitate their worship – no, they will worship in spirit and in truth. Physical things will not be sanctified, only people.
Days were sanctified. In Genesis 2:3 the Bible says, “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” This is the first time that the word is used. He sanctified it because “in it He rested from all His work.” It means a break or intermission from ongoing activity. In this case, God was working at creating the heavens and the earth and the Sabbath was a break from working. Therefore, the people of God were commanded “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Not adhering to this law was a direct violation to God’s command. Israel was disciplined for breaking laws like this including being held captive in Babylon. Upon their return, Nehemiah saw “some who were treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, and they brought them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day” (Nehemiah 13:15-22). He rebuked them and commanded them to “purify themselves” and “sanctify the Sabbath day.” This day was to be set apart and serve as a sign between the Israelites and God, “for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:17). The Sabbath day was set apart for the reading of the Scriptures (Acts 15:21), worship (Ezekiel 46:3) and offering sacrifices (Numbers 28:9-10). It was sanctified to the Lord.
Places were sanctified. The primary place that was sanctified is the temple. The temple was sanctified for the purpose of worship, sacrifice and prayer. It was to be the place where God dwelt; His house. Using it for other purposes was perverted. During King Zedekiah’s reign the officials of the priests defiled the “house of the Lord which He had sanctified in Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 36:14). The reason that this place was sanctified was because God’s glory sanctified it as it did the tabernacle (Exodus 29:43). Even with in the tabernacle and temple there was a place where God actually visited and received the sacrifices. This place is called the “holy place” or “sanctuary” as it was the most set apart place on the earth. It was where God would receive sacrifices. Only men of a certain family, at certain times, who went through certain rituals and wore certain clothes could enter and only do certain things. Today many people incorrectly call the place where Christians meet as the “sanctuary” and it is a place where there is no laughing or eating or “improper” clothing and is supposedly more holy than other parts of the building. After all, this is where the “divine worship” takes place. I am being facetious, as this is all Old Covenant mentality.
Things were sanctified. Not only was the tabernacle itself sanctified but all the things that were in it also (Leviticus 8:10).
“‘9Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy. 10You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. 11You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it. 12Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. 14You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; 15and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.’ 16Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.” (Exodus 40:9-16)
These things were set apart by God for temple worship. But man can also sanctify things to be used for the worship of God. Consider the following text which gives instructions to those wishing to dedicate their possessions to God and His people.
“14Now if a man consecrates his house as holy to the LORD, then the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. 15Yet if the one who consecrates it should wish to redeem his house, then he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may be his. 16Again, if a man consecrates to the LORD part of the fields of his own property, then your valuation shall be proportionate to the seed needed for it: a homer of barley seed at fifty shekels of silver. 17If he consecrates his field as of the year of jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand. 18If he consecrates his field after the jubilee, however, then the priest shall calculate the price for him proportionate to the years that are left until the year of jubilee; and it shall be deducted from your valuation. 19If the one who consecrates it should ever wish to redeem the field, then he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may pass to him. 20Yet if he will not redeem the field, but has sold the field to another man, it may no longer be redeemed; 21and when it reverts in the jubilee, the field shall be holy to the LORD, like a field set apart; it shall be for the priest as his property. 22Or if he consecrates to the LORD a field which he has bought, which is not a part of the field of his own property, 23then the priest shall calculate for him the amount of your valuation up to the year of jubilee; and he shall on that day give your valuation as holy to the LORD. 24In the year of jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it, to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25Every valuation of yours, moreover, shall be after the shekel of the sanctuary. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs. 26However, a firstborn among animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may consecrate it; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD'S.” (Leviticus 27:14-26)
The tabernacle and all the things that went with it were of course, a shadow of the things to come. They had to be set apart for specific purposes as they were part of the Divine worship. Even still they served not as the substance of spiritual attention but were simply preparing the people of God for the fullness of times. “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man” (Hebrews 8:1-2).
People were sanctified. Most common between the covenants was the sanctification of people. As we have already seen, God said the firstborn of the nation are His. This is stated in Exodus 13:2, “Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.” After God killed the firstborns in Egypt, He then said that the firstborns are His. Later He will set apart the Levites as His, “Now behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the Lord” (Numbers 3:12-13). The most common individuals set apart for God were His priests and they were set apart for a purpose.
“17For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself. 18But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel. 19I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.” Numbers 8:17-19
One other example of sanctifying people is in the case of the sanctification of an entire congregation. Jehu said “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal” in order to kill them and destroy Baal worship but nonetheless, we can see that sanctification is separating one thing from others (2 Kings 10:18-28)
THE PURPOSE OF SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is the setting apart of a thing for a specific purpose. There is a reason for this. God is not just in the business of division.
Separation. God is taking things out of common every day use and using them for His purpose. When He does this, whatever has been sanctified or set apart is never again to be used for common every day use – for this would defile it once again. Consider the use of anointing oil,
“22Moreover, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘23Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty, 24and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. 25You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. 29You shall also consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. 30You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me. 31You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32It shall not be poured on anyone's body, nor shall you make any like it in the same proportions; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.”’” (Exodus 30:22-33)
God’s glory. The God may be separated from all else. After all, He alone is “Holy, holy, holy.” Isaiah spoke of when Jacob would see the work of God’s hand and “sanctify” His name. “But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel” (Isaiah 29:23). This is the primary reason that God is saving man – that He may be glorified. He works so “that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you”
(Exodus 31:13). It is God who sanctifies man. It is He who set us apart for His service saying, “I am the Lord who sanctifies you” (Leviticus 20:8; 21:8, 15, 23; 22:9, 16, 32; Ezekiel 20:12; 37:28 ). God even sanctifies Himself to separate Himself from all others, thus bringing glory to Himself. He is a jealous God. “I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations” (Ezekiel 38:23). And in speaking of the New Covenant and His salvation, He says, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went” (Ezekiel 36:22). God is sanctified through His workings with man, “I shall be sanctified through them” (Ezekiel 39:27)
As Used in the Time of Christ
One preacher candidly pointed out that Jesus did not come so that we could have holy days, holy things and holy places. He came that we might be holy people. This is what we see in sanctification.
Emphasis is on the “sanctifier” not that which is sanctified. Jesus was always rebuking the scribes and Pharisees for taking the focus of the people off of God and putting it onto things or traditions or themselves or anywhere besides God Himself. Jesus taught in His model prayer that when we address God we can say, “hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9).
“16Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.' 17You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.' 19You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. 21And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.” (Matthew 23:16-22)
Things are sanctified not so that we focus on them but so we focus on Him.
Jesus and Apostles sent on missions. Jesus’ very life was sanctified to “seek and save that which is lost.” He was born to die and live again. He was sent to bring many sons to glory and to bring us to God. God sanctified Him for this purpose (John 10:36). Jesus then in turn asked the Father to sanctify His apostles.
John 17:17-19 "17Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.”
He set Himself apart for His mission so that they could be set apart for their mission – to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God and give us the New Covenant message.
As Used in the New Covenant Scriptures
“‘Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17
In the Old Covenant days, places, and things were sanctified. In the New Covenant this is not the case. Concerning days sanctified to the Lord, Paul said, “One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord” (Romans 14:5-6a). Concerning a place sanctified to the Lord, Jesus said, “an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers” (John 4:23). Concerning things sanctified to God the Scriptures say, that everything is “sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:5). This is the only time in the New Testament Scriptures that sanctification is not dealing directly with the setting apart of man. All of the “things” that were sanctified in the Old Covenant had to do with the law. In Christ we have been freed from the law and bound to Him who has become our sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30).
“16Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- 17things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. 20If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’ 22(which all refer to things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” (Colossians 2:16-23)
There are bigger things at stake. God is looking for the first fruits of pure love and devotion, not the weekly scraps of mediocre sacrifices.
A SHADOW OT THINGS TO COME
Cleansing blood. Hebrews takes us back to the Old Covenant in order to see how much better we have it in the New Covenant. The Spirit points out that we have better cleansing blood than in the Old Covenant. “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience form dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13-14). Where the blood of goats and bulls sanctified them, the blood of Jesus sanctifies us, as it is written, “by this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). And again, “for by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). This is why it is such a tragedy to sin. This is why sin is so detestable. In sinning willfully, and I suspect continually, a man has “regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified” (Hebrews 10:29). The sacrificial system in the Old Covenant was a shadow of the better sacrifice in Christ. “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood” (Hebrews 13:12) offered Himself as a sacrifice on Golgotha’s hill.
Holy priesthood. Those set apart to serve as priests in the temple of God were also a shadow of the priesthood of Christians to minister today in the New Covenant. Certainly, they prepared us for the High Priest who would hold His priesthood permanently, but also for a royal priesthood of believers in Christ. “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). So not only are we the priesthood but we are the temple as well. Our ministry, however, is a bit different as we “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (v. 9). And instead of dead animals as our sacrifice, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices. “Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).
THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, YOUR SANCTIFICATION
So what is the will of God that we are proving? Listen to how the Spirit words it to the church in Thessalonica,
“3For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7)
It’s a process. After clearing up the will of God being our sanctification, the same letter then reads, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Sanctification begins when we come into Christ, but God is not done with us. “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” and “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:13; 1:6). This is what is meant that we “are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). God has taken us from being slaves to sin and we are now slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification and eternal life.
“19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.” (Romans 6:19-22)
Man is involved. Sanctification is a process and man is involved in it. Sanctification will not happen without our agreeing with and participation in it. We are instructed in Hebrews 12:14 to “pursue peace with all men and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” We are to pursue sanctification. Mainly our work is to “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts” (1 Peter 3:15).
All the heavenly personnel are involved in the process. We are not the only ones involved. Sanctification is the what began to happen to us when were sinners converted to Christ. “You were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). It should not surprise us that sanctification is the primary work of the Holy Spirit. We are in Christ “by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit” (1 Peter 1:2). It should also not surprise us that those who are sanctified are called saints, meaning holy ones. We are those “sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling” (1 Corinthians 1:2). Even our work in Christ is sanctified. Paul prayed that his “offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:16).
SANCTIFICATION HAS PURPOSE
It is not God’s plan just to have a group of people but to have a group of people who are like Him. A people to whom He may be their God and they shall be His people. The eternal purpose of God is seen in our becoming like God starting in our redemption and culminating in our entrance into His eternal kingdom in heaven.
“4By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:4-11)
God’s eternal purpose. God’s purpose is not reactionary – it was from the beginning. “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). He chose us for salvation and sanctification so He might present us to Himself. Christ Jesus gave Himself up for the church of God “so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:26). He purchases us, cleanses us, sanctifies us and gives us an inheritance (Acts 20:32; 26:18).
Working together with God. In the mean time, we are at work with Him. We are to do good deeds so that our Father in heaven may be glorified. We have been created in Christ Jesus for good works. We are therefore “God’s fellow workers” and “workers together with Him” (2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 3:9). We desire to be a “vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). We enter His work and become like Him. We are the family of God; God’s household; His children. “For both He who sanctified and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11).