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Berean Expositor Volume 1
SANCTIFICATION
Its connection with the atonement.
"And the priest shall put of the oil. . . . upon the
place of the blood" (Lev. 14: 28).
pp.9-11
What does Scripture mean by sanctification? We read and hear much about
"Sanctification of the Spirit," of the "Higher Life" and many other expressions. We have
"Holiness Meetings," and "Consecration services," and we are continually exhorted to
"Touch not, taste not, handle not," until the antichristian "abstaining from meats"
(I Tim. 4: 3) seems to be perilously copied.
Again we say, What is sanctification? Is it primarily the sanctity of the believer's
walk, produced by the Holy Spirit in his life by the Word, or is it first of all the
unqualified perfect possession and blood-bought birthright of every child of God--from
the least to the greatest--sanctification wrought by atoning blood? Rome has canonised
her "saints," many believers to-day "make no profession of being saints," whereas
Scripture applies without distinction this wonderful title to every redeemed sinner. We
give a few out of many passages to illustrate this:--
"To all that be in Rome (i.e., all believers), beloved of God, called saints" (Rom. 1: 7).
"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ
Jesus, called saints" (I Cor. 1: 2).
"To the saints which are in Ephesus, and faithful ones in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1: 1).
We find next that sanctification, like salvation, is connected with the unalterable,
irreversible purpose of electing grace: "He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him" (Eph. 1: 4).
A reference to Eph. 5: 27 and Col. 1: 22 will show that this purpose has been fully
established by the work of Christ.
"That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish."
"In the body of His flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and
unreproveable in His sight."
Thus it will be seen that the death of Christ procures this wondrous blessing of
sanctification, unto which we were chosen before the foundation of the world. In the
next scripture it will be seen that the sanctification of the Spirit is directly connected with
the blood of Christ, and the Spirit of God NEVER leads to sanctification apart from this.
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the
Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1: 2).