Sanctification Through the Holy Spirit

Lesson Content

Sanctification means separation. To be separated from sins and sinners is the sanctification through the blood. This begins at salvation. Next, to be separated from the world and the things of the world is the sanctification through the Word. This begins at water baptism, when we obey the Word of God. Along with this, to attain entire sanctification, we must obtain deliverance from self. For this, we must be sanctified through the Spirit. This begins with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Through this we are being separated from all that is carnal and of the self called the ‘filthiness of the flesh and spirit’ (II Cor.7:1), in order to perfect holiness in the fear of God. Sanctification through the Spirit must be wrought in our spirit, soul and body. Sanctification of our spirit: Spirit is the seat of thought, imagination, intention, planning, knowledge etc. These must be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Writing to the Philippians, St. Paul says, “... we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Phil.3:3). The ‘flesh’ referred to in this portion of the Scripture, is the ‘self’ in man. When we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit in our spirit, we give up all the boasti ngs of the self called glorying in the flesh (I Cor.1:29), and we rejoice in Christ Jesus, putting on the new man, (Col.3:10) who is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him. Christ is our all and in all (Col.3:11). In his epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul says, “henceforth know we no man after the flesh” (II Cor. 5:16). This refers to our not knowing any man after the flesh in our mind or in our spirit, that is, not knowing anyone according to their caste, colour, language, nationality or one’s weakness. This is our being sanctified in the mind or in the spirit. When we are sanctified in the spirit, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines in our hearts (II Cor.4:6). This is the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Owing to this, we are willing to count all that is carnal and of the self as dung. When we exercise this daily in our spirit, we will be abounding in life and peace (Rom.8:6). When we, in like manner, overcome self, not knowing anyone after the flesh, we may have to go through certain unexpected sufferings. But those who surrender themselves to be sanctified in the spirit will arm themselves with the mind of suffering. Being sanctified in the spirit will not seem a burden to them. Sanctification of our soul: The soul is the seat of emotion, affection, desire, ambition, seeking, searching, feeling etc. It was created for love, holy emotions and desires. The unsanctified soul is easily drawn away by its own lust and is enticed by strange love and the things of the world. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by

the Holy Spirit (Rom.5:5) and our soul is sanctified from selfish desires and carnal love. St. Paul writing to the Ephesians, speaks about the love which passeth all knowledge (Eph.3:19). Being sanctified by the Holy Spirit when we begin to grow into the breadth, length, depth and height of His love, (Eph.3:18) there is no room in us for self or carnal love. As our soul has been wholly committed to the love of God, we can attain entire sanctification, loving the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength. Sanctification of our body: The whole burnt offering in the Old Testament is a shadow of the experience received when our body which is offered up as a living sacrifice is sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the burnt offering, the fire that proceeded from the presence of God burnt the entire sacrifice, reducing it to ashes. Similarly, the fire of the Holy Spirit, seen as fire on our tongue (tongues of fire), is able to sanctify our whole body as we yield every member of our body. This fire can burn away all carnal natures and passions of the body and sanctify even the tongue which no man can tame and which otherwise can defile our whole body (Jam.3:6-8; Rom.12:1; 15:16). Through the Spirit, we have to mortify the deeds of the flesh, that our body might be entirely sanctified. If we do this, we shall live (Rom.8:13). Every day we have to surrender every member of our body to the Holy Spirit, that sin, sickness, curse and death might not reign in our body. If we do so, He will quicken the members of our mortal body, through His Spirit. His strength will be made perfect in our weakness. Through the sanctification of the Spirit, we put off the old man and put on the new man created in righteousness and true holiness (Eph.4:24). After this, we are able to go on unto perfection, being changed into the likeness of Christ, from glory to glory (II Cor.3:18). In like manner, our body, soul and spirit, all three, must be entire ly sanctified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the Word of God and by the Holy Spirit and be preserved unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (I Thess.5:23).