Chapter 35: Sanctification is Only in Christ
Chapter 35 Sanctification is Only in Christ Sanctification is in Christ Alone Secondly, sanctification is found in Christ; all the sanctification of a Christian is in Christ. There are some common gifts that God gives to others—gifts of nature and gifts of common grace, which go beyond mere natural abilities. These are gifts of the Spirit that are given in a general way to those who are strangers to Christ. The heathen possessed many common gifts, and others may have many such gifts today. However, sanctification—the true holiness that is the image of God and the beginning of glory—is the exclusive gift of Christ. It can only be obtained through Him. No amount of natural ability, education, morality, or personal effort can raise the heart to even the smallest degree of true, saving sanctification.
Scripture occasionally refers to a broader sense of sanctification, meaning that some people are set apart for particular purposes. But the sanctification that constitutes true holiness, the image of God in the soul, and the commencement of glory is only found in Christ.
Natural strength or talents cannot produce it.
I will offer several scriptures to prove that sanctification is only in Christ, and this truth will become clearer when we address the third point: how sanctification comes from Christ. A key text is 1
Corinthians 1:30, which states, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." Christ is made to us by God: wisdom, to enlighten our blindness; righteousness, for our
justification; and sanctification, to deliver us from the power of sin and renew the image of God in us. Redemption refers to our complete deliverance from all forms of evil and the ultimate liberty of the sons of God.
In this passage, Christ is not only our sanctification in the sense that He has earned it for us, but He is also the source of our sanctification, actively working it in us and sustaining it. The beginning and progress of our sanctification come from Him, just as He earned it for us through His life and death.
It is important to understand that Christ laid down His life not only to earn our justification and save us from hell but also to secure our sanctification. A special purpose of His sacrifice was to set us free from the bondage of sin, to deliver us from corruption, and to renew
God's image within us. Recognising this should lead us to value holiness more than we often do. We must not view holiness merely as a duty or as a necessary means to heaven; rather, we must see it as a precious gift, purchased by Christ's blood.
Therefore, it is impossible for anyone to be truly holy unless they have a part in Christ. Christ is made to us sanctification not only by His merit but also by the power He imparts to us, working holiness in our hearts. We do not receive sanctification directly from God the Father; rather, we receive it through Christ. Those who are sanctified today do not obtain their holiness as Adam did, directly from God as Creator. Instead, their holiness comes from Christ, the second person of the Trinity, who is made to us sanctification.
Further proof of this is found in Romans 7:24-25, where the Apostle Paul cries out, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?" referring to the remaining corruption in his heart. The very next words are, "I thank God