With Dale Ratzlaff
John 17:19
For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
There is much misunderstanding in the Christian church regarding the meaning of sanctification, the means for its achievement, and its place in salvation.
Some time ago, Carolyn and I visited a church in our area. In their Sunday school class of about a dozen people, the discussion was on how one could know if they were saved. The topic of sanctification and the need for holiness were included in the discussion. The conclusion, if it could have been called that, was, “We really cannot say for sure. We do our best and hope that is sufficient.” The problem here, as I see it, is that they were placing progressive sanctification in the believer as part of one’s standing in the judgment. Many of the readers of Proclamation! can relate to this as this concept of sanctification was taught in conservative, historic Adventism and still is in some quarters of this church.
The fact that we are called to holiness is a key theme of Scripture. As we mentioned in the last lesson, sanctification has two meanings. We start with the words of Jesus above.
That they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
We would be amiss to study this as an isolated statement. Instead, we must see it in the full sentence.
For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
This means that our sanctification is rooted in Christ’s holiness. We next look at the phrase “may be sanctified.” This is perfect passive in Greek which means that the sanctification in view here is an accomplished event done, not by us, but by Christ. It cannot be overemphasized that when we discuss “progressive sanctification,” which is the development of holiness in our persons, we start from the position of already being perfectly sanctified by Christ. If we do not start here, then there will be two results that will be present in our striving to become holy. First, our striving will be in order to be accepted, which is legalism and is condemned by Paul on numerous occasions. And second, it will always be less than what is required by God’s perfection and our conscience.
How, then, are we to develop personal, progressive sanctification? The answer to both aspects of sanctification is: “in the truth.”
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you (Jn. 15:3).
For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God (1 Pet. 1:23).
Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (1 Pet. 2:2).
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Rom. 15:4)
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)
Using the illustration of marriage, Paul describes the cause and effect of sanctification in connection with the word of God.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word (Eph. 5:25-26).
In the passage above, note that the active agent in the process of sanctification is Christ through the word—God’s word incarnate and God’s word revealed in Scripture.
The Apostle John, in his first letter to the church, shows the importance of our cooperation with Christ in the walk of progressive sanctification.
If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn. 1:7).
This “light” informs us of who we are so that we understand our imputed sin from Adam and our fallen, sinful nature with a propensity to sin.
This “light” informs us that the devil is a liar so that we may not be ensnared by his deceptions.
You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (Jn. 8:44).
This “light” gives us needed insight into the wickedness of the world. One of the pitfalls of the Christian life and of the Church itself is that we want to be friends with the world by entering into the sinful activities of the wicked world.
I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one (Jn. 17:15).
If we walk in the light of the truth of the word, then we have this promise which will develop the progressive sanctification we are seeking.
If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn. 1:7).
Here, “cleanses us” is present tense indicating an ongoing activity. Our part is “to walk in the light.” As we do this, the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us from all sin. We must be careful here. Some might interpret this to mean that if we “walk in the light” by keeping the commandments, then we can become perfect having Christ’s perfect rightness imparted (given) to us in the here and now. This is not the meaning as is evident from other passages.
We must realize that the righteousness of personal, progressive sanctification will never be complete “in us” until we see Christ at the Second Coming.
Jesus does not pray that the “natural man” be sanctified.
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory” (1 Cor. 15:51-54).
I conclude this short section with Marcus Rainsford’s insightful statement.
The knowledge of our standing in Christ, the realization of our completeness in Him and the conscious possession of promises, … are operating principles upon the practical walk of the believer.
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1).
The practical walk in the life of the Christian is the result of and development of the complete sanctification the believer possesses in the Lord Jesus Christ. The more we apprehend this, the more we walk in the light, and in the conscious possession of this, according to the truth, the more will our walk be worthy of our high and holy calling ( Marcus Rainsford, Our Lord Prays for His Own, thoughts on John 17, (Kregel Publications, 1950) p. 356).
Application
- Our personal, progressive sanctification is based upon the perfect holiness of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
- To set out to live a sanctified life and expect one to achieve perfection this side of the Second Coming undermines Christ’s work of grace for us and sets us up for discouragement.
- The approved method for us to advance in progressive sanctification is to focus our attention on two important references. First, “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” This sanctification is done by Christ, once and for all time and is perfect and complete. The second truth is this: If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn. 1:7).
- Walking in the light of the perfection we have now “in Christ” will continually cleanse us from all sin.
Prayer
Father, thank you that Christ “sanctified Himself” so that He could “sanctify me.” Help me never to forget that I am perfectly holy “in Christ” so that my life will be patterned after His holiness.
In Jesus name.
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