Sanctification

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

Salvation

The doctrine of salvation in the Bible is a complex one. Coming to Christ and having our sins forgiven is just the first step on a life-long journey that leads to salvation.

What is salvation? In both the Old and New Testaments the word means 'to deliver from danger and bring to a place of safety'. In the Old Testament it referred to the deliverance of the people of Israel, by God, from their earthly enemies. But in the New Testament it refers to the process (Philippians 2:12–13), and act, by which sinners will be saved, by their Saviour, from the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 1:10), not only on the day of judgement, but also on the day of his wrath (Revelation 6:16–17) when he will punish the inhabitants of the earth for their sins (Revelation Chs 6–9; 15–16).

The word 'salvation' in the New Testament comes from the Greek word sozo, which means 'to save, to rescue, to deliver, to heal'. It implies being in a right relationship with God. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15); he came to rescue sinful man from the wrath of a holy God (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

The New Testament speaks of being saved in three tenses:

We have been saved (past tense) by faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8).
We are saved (present tense) if we've continued in our faith (1 Corinthians 15:1–2).
We will be saved (future tense) if we stand firm in our faith to the end (Matthew 24:9–13).

So, even if we have been saved, and are currently in a state of salvation, we will not ultimately be saved unless we continue in our faith, either to the end of our natural lives, or until our Lord returns.

How are we saved?

'And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' (Acts 2:21)

Those words from Peter's address at Pentecost are true. We are saved by calling on the name (which represents the person and the work) of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10). But that is not the only way we are saved. Let's see what else the New Testament says about being saved.

Saved by grace

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God… (Ephesians 2:8)

We are saved by God's grace, which is a gift from him. Grace is that which we receive from God which we haven't earned or deserve. It is God's unmerited favour shown to sinners.

Saved through faith

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… (Ephesians 2:8)

We are saved by God's grace through the action of faith. Neither the grace of God nor the faith to believe come from ourselves, they are gifts from God. Man cannot believe the good news unless God gives him the faith to believe it. Salvation is of God from beginning to end.

Saved by believing the truth

Our opening text tells us that we are saved through belief in the truth. We are saved by believing the truth held out to us in the gospel.

Believing the truth is so essential to salvation that the word 'believer' is used twenty-seven times in the New Testament to describe followers of Christ, whereas the word 'Christian' is used only three times.

All who do not believe the truth will be condemned (2 Thessalonians 2:12).

Saved by confessing the truth

That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9–10)

We are saved by confessing the truth about Jesus that we've believed in our heart. Paul wrote: 'It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak (2 Corinthians 4:13).'

If you haven't told anyone about your relationship with Jesus Christ, do so now. That confession will lead you to salvation.

Saved through baptism

…who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolises baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience towards God… (1 Peter 3:20–21a)

Jesus said: 'Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).' He didn't say that those who are not baptized will be condemned, but only those who do not believe, so I cannot teach that baptism is essential for salvation.

The thief on the cross wasn't baptized, but then he had no opportunity to be (Luke 23:39–43). I'm sure that if he'd been taken down from the cross and had lived, he would have been baptized. Peter said: 'Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38a).'

Baptism of the believer by immersion, which symbolizes the washing away of our sins (Acts 22:16), is not an optional extra, it's commanded by God. Any believer who refuses to be baptized is disobeying God, and that is not a good thing to do.

Saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit

Our opening text tells us that we are saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. The Greek word translated 'sanctify' means 'to make holy'. We are saved by being made holy through the action of God's indwelling Spirit.

Separated to the Lord

The word 'holy' in Scripture has two meanings. Firstly, it describes those who have been separated and dedicated to the Lord. The high priest in the Old Testament had the words 'holy to the Lord' on his turban (Exodus 28:36–37).

That principle is carried over into the New Testament. Believers are described as a 'holy priesthood; a chosen people; a holy nation; a people belonging to God (1 Peter 2:5,9)'.

God has chosen us to be separated unto him, and that aspect of holiness is complete when we turn to Christ. At that moment we move out of the world (spiritually) and into the kingdom of God.

The second meaning of holiness however—manifesting the moral and spiritual character of God—is the result of a continual process in our lives and is not made perfect this side of glory.

Saved from our sins

When the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream he told him that his wife would have a child and he should be given the name Jesus because he would save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:20–21).

Jesus doesn't save us just by dying for our sins, so that the sins we've committed can be forgiven. Jesus saves us by rescuing us from our sins: from the sinful way of life that was taking us to hell.

Salvation is not about sinning, confessing it to God, receiving forgiveness through Christ, and then going back to our sins. Of such the proverbs are true: 'A dog returns to its vomit,' and, 'A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud (2 Peter 2:22).' On the contrary, the salvation that God provides involves a lifestyle change.

No Christian who continues to live a life of sin will go to heaven (Ephesians 5:3–7), even if he pleads the blood of Christ. We need to be delivered and rescued from our sins in order to be saved. That process is called 'sanctification' and it's done through the action of God's indwelling Spirit.

Born of the Spirit

Jesus said: 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5).' Man must be born again; he must be born of the Spirit of God (John 3:7–8).

When we're born again, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us; we become temples of the Spirit. Paul wrote: 'Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God (1 Corinthians 6:19)?' And when the Holy Spirit enters us, he begins the process of sanctification—transforming us into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The apostle John wrote:

No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:9–10)

The outward sign that a person has been born again is a changed life. John wrote that no one who has the Spirit of God living within him will continue to sin. That doesn't mean that he cannot sin if he wants to—God doesn't take our free will from us (Hebrews 10:26–27)—it means that we no longer have to sin because God is now living in us.

When Jesus comes to dwell within us by his Spirit (Galatians 4:6), he gives us the power to resist sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). Before that time we were slaves to sin—we couldn't help but follow our sinful ways. But now, by the power that is in us, we can put to death the misdeeds of our body (Romans 8:13) and become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:15–18).

Sin leads to death (Romans 6:20–21). Paul wrote: 'Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 7:24–25)!'

What standard of holiness?

Hebrews 12:14 says:

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no-one will see the Lord.

If holiness is necessary for salvation, then what standard of holiness must we attain in order to be saved? The Bible doesn't tell us. So can we know that we'll be accepted by God on that day? Yes we can.

Peter wrote:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3–4)

God has given us everything we need to live a holy life on earth and to be able to manifest the very nature of God himself! How has he done that? He's done it by coming to live in us.

Paul wrote: 'I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).' Paul had yielded himself totally to the Spirit of Christ within him. Jesus Christ was now living his life in, and through Paul, by his Spirit. As it is written: 'Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).'

Because of that, Peter continues:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5–8)

Because God has given us the power to live a holy life by coming to live in us, we must yield to his Spirit and make every effort to add to our faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control etc. because we now have the ability to do that.

Acceptance assured

Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10–11)

If we make every effort to do these things and allow God to live his life in us and to change us, then we are assured, through his Word, that we will never fall and will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. That is the promise of God.

So we can be sure that we'll attain the level of holiness required for salvation by making every effort to attain it; i.e. by doing our best. Put simply: I will do my best; Jesus will do the rest.

And so to him—to our Lord Jesus Christ—who gave himself for our sins, to rescue us from this present evil age (Galatians 1:3–4), and to present us holy in the sight of his God (Colossians 1:22)—to him, and to him alone, be glory for ever and ever. Amen!

Michael Graham
July 2009

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