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What It Means to be
Truly Sanctified

by Shane Rosenthal
© 1992, revised 1998 Reformation Ink

Shane Rosenthal, M.A., Historical Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary in CA, is a freelance audio/video editor and producer. He is currently one of the creative producers for the national radio program The White Horse Inn, and webmaster for Reformation Ink. Shane, along with his wife and three children reside in southern California.

In John chapter 17, Jesus makes clear that he wants his church to be "truly sanctified." Without looking at the full context of this particular passage just yet, I want to offer two possible definitions of what this phrase could mean.

First of all, if sanctification means to be "set apart as holy" in our Christian lives, Jesus' desire could imply that we should not merely attempt or try to be holy, but that we should in fact "be" perfectly or truly holy. In other words, if we are to call ourselves Christians we should live lives of true and perfect holiness or else we should not really call ourselves Christians in the first place. John Wesley wrote along these lines in his little book, "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection," arguing that we could get to the point where we lived above all known sin. This perspective is popularly known today as victorious Christian living.

A second possible interpretation of what it means to be "truly sanctified" is that Jesus was referring to his own work on our behalf, rather than our own attempts at holiness. In other words, the church will only be "truly sanctified" and set apart as holy by Christ's perfect life and death on the cross. A person arguing down these lines might make use of the apostle Paul's words in Eph. 5:25-27, "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy...without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish..." In this passage, it is the work of Christ that makes the church holy. And with respect to his own personal experience this same apostle writes, "Not that I have already...been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Phil. 3:12).

So what do you think it means to be "truly sanctified"? Before you answer that, let's take a look at the entire passage where Jesus utters these words:

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified (John 17:16-19).

Now, the first two sentences could be used to in support of the first interpretation, that Christians are not of the world, and should be sanctified by the truth. The context clearly has in mind our personal sanctification. But when you arrive at verse 19, everything changes. Jesus tells us that he "sanctifies himself" so that we may be "truly sanctified." By setting himself apart as holy and by perfectly obeying the Ten Commandments in thought, word and deed, Jesus gives us our true sanctification. The apostle Paul argues along these lines in 1Cor. 1:30, "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." Our true holiness in both these passages is not at all found in our lives as Christians, but with Chirst's perfect life and atoning death.

Now if this interpretation is correct, then Jesus' use of the word "sanctified" seems to be synonymous with the word "justified." The biblical doctrine of justification means that God counts, or credits, us as righteous on account of Christ, even though we are still sinful. This is what Martin Luther meant when he said that the Christian is simultaneously both saint and sinner. The demands of the Law have been fully satisfied in Christ, and Christian believers trust in his, not their own, righteousness for their right standing before God. But setting all this aside for a moment, how can we say that justification and sanctification are essentially the same things? Aren't there a lot of passages in the Bible that teach us about our own personal sanctification?

In order to answer question like this Reformation theology has insisted that we must think of sanctification in two ways. The first part of our sanctification is definitive, that is we are "truly sanctified" and set apart as holy by the work of Christ (this part of the equation is identical to the doctrine of justification). The second part is called progressive sanctification. This has to do with our progress in the Christian life. We will never be perfectly sanctified in our daily walk with God, but from God's perspective we are perfectly sanctified in Christ. The author of Hebrews might have this distinction in mind when he writes, "by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" (Hebr. 10:14). On the one hand, we have been made perfect by the sacrifice of Christ, yet on the other hand, we are being made holy in our lives as Christians. If we are "being made" holy, then it is still an imperfect holiness.

Even the good works we do as Christians are still tainted with sinful motives (Is 64:4), and if we are going to try to be justified by living a sanctified life the law still demands perfect obedience in all points and at all times (Gal 3: 10). The Bible clearly teaches that "by the deeds of the law will no flesh be justified" (Rom. 3:20), that is why it is very important to understand that Christ's suffering was in place of us, or vicarious. Regardless of what some people say, God cannot simply overlook sin; he can't just "let by-gones be by-gones." Yes, he is a God of love and forgiveness, but he is also a God of eternal holiness and justice. Imagine for a moment what kind of reaction a judge would get from the public if he let convicted criminals go scot-free simply because he had compassion and felt love for them. People would be outraged (especially the victims and their family members). In the same way, God cannot simply overlook "our" sins. As supreme judge he cannot let the wicked go unpunished (Prov. 11:21). That is what the death of Christ was all about. God poured out his wrath on Christ, so that he would not have to punish us! He wanted to love sinful men but found that he couldn't. His justice and holiness demanded absolute perfection (Is. 6:1-9), and we being utterly wicked (Rom. 3:10-18) were not capable of fulfilling this requirement. So he decided to become a righteous substitute in our place, "I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me..." (Is. 63:5). He lived a perfect life for us, "By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many" (Is. 53:11). And he took the blame of our sins upon himself, "and he will bear their iniquities" (Is. 53:11).

It is not how well we live our lives as Christians that establishes our salvation. That would simply be "works" with Christian paint on them. Rather, the basis of our justification (or true Christian perfection, if you will) is the finished work of Christ. He lived a perfect life for us. Our motivation for holy living then is the result, not the cause of our salvation. As our Lord said, "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit." If you get the order of those mixed up, you'll end up with a religion other than Christianity.

This brings us to two very common accusations against Christianity. 1) "You're telling me that I can ignore the law and live as I please." And 2) "You're saying that I don't have to live a holy life because I am already 'holy and accepted. The first accusation was dealt with long ago by Paul in the sixth chapter of Romans. This is not a license to sin. All those who are justified will be sanctified (Hebr. 10:14). The law is now our standard, or guide of conduct, for holiness now that we are Christians. However, the law. for the believer, has lost its sting forever. It can no longer condemn the wrongdoer, if he be in Christ. Rather, it reminds him constantly of how far he falls short of God's righteous standard, and how desperately he needs Christ's forgiveness, even as a Christian.

The second accusation brings us to the biblical doctrine of sanctification. Because we are declared righteous by God based entirely on the work of Christ alone, we are now called to live out our lives in light of our justification. We are declared holy in Christ, now we are called to live in accordance with this new identity (Rom. 12:1, 1Cor. 6:20). First we are called to faith in Christ (and in his propitiatory work), and then we are called to "live lives worthy of [our] calling" (Eph. 4:1). Of course, we are not to live holy lives in order to secure or keep our salvation, but our motivation for holiness is the result of our having been saved. This motivation is a loving gratitude to God for all that he has done for us in Christ. We are also confident in this: God will not let you, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" alone of yew own strength, for "it is God who works in you to will and do for his own good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). So even your attempt to be holy in this life (which is motivated out of gratitude, rather than fear of punishment or hope of reward) is wrought in you by God, for he gives us new desires. But no matter how much you progress in holiness and sanctification you must never confuse this growth with justification, for Christ alone merited your salvation by his holy living.

"For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." This one passage could change the way we think about the Christian life. True sanctification or true holiness is only to be found in Christ, and we live lives of gratitude and service only in light of God's grace, not in order to aquire it. Christian perfectionism obscures the work of Christ by asserting that all was not finished at the cross. Charles Finney even went so far as to say that "the atonement, in and of itself, does not secure the salvation of anyone" (Finney's Systematic Theology, pg. 217). In his view, we are the ones who finish the salvation "process" by our own works. Thus, our act of faith, belief, or repentance is viewed as the activating force which saves us. And, of course, our works of holiness and perseverance keep us saved. But as we have wen, Jesus does not make our salvation possible, he is our "righteousness, holiness, and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). In short, Christian perfection is not something we must attain in this life, but something Christ accomplished for us. The apostle Paul summed it up well for the Colossian church. "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ (Col. 1:28).