SANCTIFICATION: BEING AND BECOMING HOLY, PART 3.

Together with the moral understanding of the concept, in the New Testament, sanctification of believers is seen as the work of God (John 10: 36), of Christ (John 17: 19) and of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15: 16). Sanctification is also understood as a realm of human action. It can denote a state in which believers find themselves, that is, having been saved, sanctified and believing the truth ( 2 Thessalonians 2: 13); in which they must remain, that is, must continue in faith and love and holiness (1 Timothy 2: 15); and to which they must strive, that is, they must present their members unto righteousness and sanctification and to its end which is eternal life (Romans 6: 19, 22). So sanctification is seen as a one- time event and as a process, believers being and becoming holy and acting correspondingly.

As to the question of whether the salvation of the Old Testament believers was on the same basis as of those believers since the time of Pentecost, it is answered the following way by Erickson8: Justification was probably on the same grounds as it was God who proclaimed ‘not guilty’ and it came initially through faith and not by works! As for regeneration, Old Testament descriptions of changes of heart are very much like the New Testament descriptions of the ‘new-birth’. For example, Samuel told Saul: “The spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.”( 1 Samuel 10: 6). In verse 9, it is seen as being fulfilled: “ As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart; and all these signs were fulfilled that day.” Now as for sanctification, it is noted that Noah and Job were both righteous and blameless(Genesis 6: 9; Job 1:1). It is noted also Abraham’s faith, Joseph’s goodness, Moses’ meekness, Solomon’s wisdom, Daniel’s self-control. These all appear to be the fruit of the Holy Spirit! And these were all persons who believed in God and were accounted as righteous. God called them friends!

The difference between Old Testament and New Testament believers seems to be in the way grace was received. The Old Testament saints , like the New Testament believers, grew in holiness through faith and obedience in the commands of God. This spiritual progress was the work of God. According to Erickson, “the Christian life is a process of growth and progress, lived not in the Christian’s own strength, but in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

NOTES

8Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology,(Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006),992-995.